Ian Bailey: ‘I am devastated but I’ll stay in West Cork

DEVASTATED and unsure of the future. That’s how Ian Bailey has reacted to the ending of his 30-year relationship with Jules Thomas.

Ms Thomas revealed their break-up over the weekend and said she’d ‘had enough’ and had ‘moved on.’

Speaking to The Southern Star Ian Bailey said: ‘I am devastated but this is a private matter and I am leaving that subject there.’

He said he did not know what the future held for him now, but said that he wanted to remain in West Cork.

‘I have been here for 30 years, I love West Cork, the community and the people, I want to stay here,’ he insisted.

He confirmed that he is still residing with his now ex-partner at the home they shared in Lissacaha  near Schull but is looking for alternative accommodation, and hopes to find something soon.

The pair began their relationship almost 30 years ago, not long after he first arrived in West Cork from the UK.

‘I am trying to find suitable alternative accommodation now but I don’t know what the future holds,’ Ian Bailey said.

Mr Bailey, who has authored two books of poetry said that he would continue writing as he found the process ‘cathartic’.

The 64-year-old was found guilty in absentia at a court hearing in Paris of the murder of the French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier near her home in Schull in December 1996. He has always denied any role in her death.

Ms Thomas was also arrested twice, but never charged, during the investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday last weekend Ms Thomas, originally from Wales, said Mr Bailey had been physically abusive to her a couple of times, however she said she was convinced of his innocence.

During a High Court trial, where Ian Bailey was suing the State for wrongful arrest, he also described a number of times when he had assaulted Jules Thomas.

She said she would have ended the relationship sooner if it hadn’t been for the intense media scrutiny on Mr Bailey, including the high-profile podcast series West Cork which examines the murder which took place 25 years ago.

It’s currently free to download and has seen a resurgence in popularity, especially in the US and Australia where it’s number two in the podcast charts.

Featuring prominently on the podcast, Ian Bailey said he has ‘no view’ at all on it.