Murder at the Cottage | Sky

You`re right. I forgot about the Sophie wanting the see any reports of Alfie being done for drugs. The other thing about the Bathing Bandit is that surely Alfie had his own bath. Why would he bother? In 1993, the year of the bath incident, Bailey wrote in his diary that he had hit Jules on a number of occasions. I wonder did she throw him out back then. He was definitely out for at least three weeks after the `96 assault.

Interesting comment of yours, I must admit. I don't seem to have your humor.

The thing is, that "finding things strange" doesn't mean or prove anything at all. It's just based on the information I have, I find something strange, out of place, etc... That doesn't mean, that I have all the information about this case at all or even less implying that I am right and you are wrong.

I recall stating that we all know far too little what was going on that night, we don't even have any evidence at all to point at any suspect. All we can go on, is try to establish, what could be in our opinion have been more likely than something else that night.

Yes we all know that the local police was very incompetent to the point of corrupt in this case but forensics or somebody higher up in the police force can't be a complete fool. They probably knew what was going on, like if somebody was having a "little sideline" with drug trafficking, but couldn't prove a thing. Maybe there was really no DNA evidence, and no fingerprints at all, maybe forensics was really very thorough, maybe the killer was really professional, - we simply don't know.

To me the discussion should at this point be about motive and I believe I have written about motive more than enough, way more than Alfie and Shirley.

I don't think I wrote anything about a competition for best cottage in the world, but I recall we have had a discussion why Sophie would have chosen this cottage, and I recall stating that I would never have bought a property in this area, not back then, not today. I also recall stating that these properties tend to be way too overpriced for what they are, and too isolated, one gets better value for money in certain places, certain villages, with better access to Cork and better infrastructure, if one loves the South West of Ireland. ( and not needing a car to do basic shopping, or going to the pub and maybe access to a beach )

Incidentally, I once owned a property in an isolated part of the world. It wasn't on a peninsula, it wasn't in Ireland even, but it was similar in a sense that there was only one way in and one way out surrounded by mountains and very few neighbours some of them closer, some of them more distant. The issues were the unpredictability of utilities, sometimes the electricity would cut out, sometimes the water pressure was not very good, sometimes the phone connections didn't work as they should have, etc.. It's not that there were real arguments with neighbours, just different ways and means of wanting to deal with these challenges and this naturally lead to certain frictions. Incidentally also the characters were similar, artists, people who were trying to get away from something, somewhere or even someone, ex soldiers even with honorable discharges but didn't fit into civilian life anymore, and a couple of locals who have been there for seemingly forever.

Suppose Alfie and Shirley had the occasional issues with water pressure, their house being higher up than Sophie's, suppose they had the key to the house, kept it from the previous owners, then it'll be very tempting for them to sneak into Sophie's to take a bath, when they can't in their own house? It's not beyond imagination, and they will certainly never admit to that.

However, and there is no reason anyone bar those who would know knowing this, my ex in laws, ex father in law in particular, were very close friends of Alfie and had a house about half an hour drive away. I have mentioned that before.

A largish house with it's own well, generator, two ensuite bedrooms so 2 electric showers, and a full size bathroom.

It was empty most of the time. Alfie would pop in to check everything was OK. He, and Shirley, could have used the house anytime they needed .

I don't know if they did or didn't. But I am certain no one would have batted an eyelid if they had.

While you might have your own thoughts on why some things are overpriced, when it comes to a lot of west Cork I think the expression if you have to ask the price you can't afford it applies

I've noticed several comments by a poster who vigorously espouses common sense but then goes on to assume the murder was premeditated.

Obviously the murder may or may not have been premeditated (I'm leaning against)

Obviously the perpetrator may have walked or driven

No skin cells on a rough block? fair enough but what about glove fibres??

The use of a concrete block may indicate, not a strong person, but a person who required such an object to ensure death? (why assume it was held high, it could have been dropped from waist height)

I'm interested in the "young buck" theory put forward earlier - a very dangerous individual but with no history yet.

any photos i seen of her i never thought she was overly attractive. then again as they say its in the eye of the beholder...

With the many different angles of this murder, and the many potential suspects, and the many bizarre characters around the locality...

How on earth was Bailey elevated to prime suspect??

Seriously like....

I know this photo has been seen a thousand times .... but it tells us a bit..

If you zoom in the pump house looks very close to the murder scene...

Possibly Alphies car (if thats it) is left outside and not let back in....is that him?

The shed originally belonged to sophie's property as the door faces her house...

Fences appear to be everywhere for what was portrayed to be to be a mixed combination of owned lands... looks like a new green wire roll beside the car...

Just noticed same picture but spot the differences...

Isn't it fair to say the I.B's Attacks on his partner were not repressed sexual aggression? ....... any psychologists in the house ?

One more thing ... (just to keep ye all going for another week..."he,he,he")

I don't see any large clumps of briars in Sophies front garden that she (or anyone else) would have had to run thru?

Correct me if I'm wrong..

Interesting points.

But why would a jack-the-lad who tries it on with lots of women react so badly to this rejection?

As alluded to in my other post, I think there needs to be more to it. Either the perp was obsessed with Sophie OR if involvement with Sophie came to light they would have more at stake (marriage-home-kids-job).

The person could have known she was there if they lived in the immediate locality also.

Hasn't been confirmed about pregnancy afaik.

The sexual motive "obsession" would fall into the idea, "if I can't have her, nobody can". This kind of motive comes up often in killings with a certain passion behind it. That would or may also imply a certain likelihood that both Sophie and the killer were acquainted, or may have had a sexual relationship before, how short it may have been. Bruno in France would fall into this category also his alibi isn't that credible in my mind, but that relationship ended quite a while before the murder.

The known facts are way to loose. Of course one can say, Sophie met Alfie, they discussed about the boundary of their property and whether the gate should be open or closed. They had a comfortable walk from her house to the gate, the conversation turned into an argument and Alfie took the next best rock which happens to be a block sitting on the roof of that pump house and based Sophie's head in. Alfie then went back to Sophie's touched the door with his bloody hand, and washed himself up, or possibly took one last bath in Sophie's bathtub and then went home to Shirley as if nothing happened...... They had whiskey, smoked a bit of cannabis and then went to bed, and had a deep sleep, thus they didn't hear anything that night. This scenario is more like a joke, than a realistic speculation.