IAN BAILEY, THE self-confessed chief suspect for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has died.

It is understood Bailey, 64, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed in Bantry, Co Cork.

Bailey had last year said on social media that he was receiving treatment for heart disease having suffered two heart attacks.

His solicitor Frank Buttimer, who has known Bailey since March 1997, said he was “very upset” to hear of his death.

“I knew Ian was very unwell, we were in communication in the past five days, but I didn’t know he was terminally unwell,” he told the PA news agency.

“He had a very severe heart condition, a very bad heart condition, and had cardiac events prior to Christmas.

He was a candidate for surgical intervention but wasn’t well enough, so he was trying to become well enough.

Bailey, who was originally from Britain, was arrested by gardaí and questioned in relation to the murder but was never charged. He had always vehemently denied any involvement in Toscan du Plantier’s death.

Du Plantier’s body was found near her holiday home in Cork on 23 December 1996. No-one has ever been charged with her killing. 

Bailey was convicted by a French court in his absence following a campaign by Sophie’s family. The Irish High Court had refused to allow his extradition to France.

The one-time journalist was born in Manchester but had settled in west Cork in the 1990s where he lived with his then-partner Jules Thomas. They separated in recent years.

With reporting from Press Association