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Sophie: A Murder in West Cork - Netflix.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭jimwallace197


    The article is behind a paywall, any chance someone could post the full article.

    So you think it could possibly be Alfie, God there was another poster on the Jim Sheridan thread who would almost get aggressive if you mentioned Alfie as having been involved. Claimed they knew him when he was alive & he wouldnt be able to hurt a fly.

    When you look at the facts in the cold light of day, he definitely should have been more of a suspect at the time than he was. Whereas he & Shirley were treated relatively cordially & respectfully by the gards, Jules and Bailey were treated anything but.

    I still would be shocked if he actually did commit it but when you think about it, its not that much of a stretch

    • Inexplicably didnt hear anything on the night of the murder despite it being one of the most violent crimes in the country at the time.
    • Had close ties to a number of drug dealers in the area, Leo Bolger to name a few
    • Didnt particularly like Sophie and was in dispute with her over a number of issues, mainly the gate. Used her bath when she wasnt there too.
    • Had a bandage on his hand the morning after
    • Was local, would have known Sophie was on her own.
    • Was known to be a drug user, how much of a one is debatable but if he was under the influence of something he may have acted out of character
    • Where Sophie was murdered was down by the gate, the very thing they were in dispute over, maybe STPD saw him leaving the gate open again and ran down to confront him.
    • He is one of the few people STDP would likely have left the house in the middle of the night for.
    • Unknown, possibly dodgy background to Alfie when he was younger.
    • Tried to implicate someone else (Bailey) in her murder by saying he was nearly sure he had introduced them previously but wasnt 100%.

    Again, I would be really surprised if he did it but I think he definitely should have been investigated and questioned more thoroughly.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    All excellent points you're mentioning here.

    I would even go a bit further. Sophie and Alfie have been neighbours for more than a while, - ever since Sophie bought the house right? So, what would be the main reason, why at this particular point in time Alfie ( assuming that it was him ) killed Sophie? Why not earlier? What was the compelling reason to do so?

    Did Sophie find out something regarding drugs, and it was getting too much for some?

    If Alfie was connected to the drug trafficking in the area, could somebody within that connection coerced or blackmailed him to kill Sophie?

    So far, we've all assumed that it was a "rage killing". However could it also have been a killing done by somebody who was high on drugs?

    Drug trafficking is rarely a one man show, also not in South West Ireland? Did the police ever investigate further than Leo Bolger?

    Why did Shirley really sell the house? ( I am only aware of the story that "tourists" were coming to the area because of the murder ) Was she hassled by others in the neighbourhood, due to Alfie's drug connection?

    Regarding the usage of the bathroom? Did Alfie pick Sophie's lock? Or where did he get the key to the house from? Also, if he wanted to kill Sophie, why chose outside, why not inside the house, if he had the keys?



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭jimwallace197


    Yah the drugs angle has been explored before and theres some merit to it as Leo Bolger by the looks of it, was heavily involved in drugs. On the other hand, it could be as simple as he was high, she came out giving out about the gate & boom, he hits her out of character and then realizes he has to finish the job.

    There's always been something with the Alfie angle that didnt sit right with me, I've always thought there's a high probability either he knew more than he was letting on or was involved in some way. Whether that was through a local gard intimidating him or someone in the drugs business, who knows.

    I just dont believe you wouldnt hear any sound from a murder like whilst being in close proximity to it even with the windows closed. STDP didnt seem like she was a shrinking violet in any way so I'd well imagine she was screaming her head off.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,085 ✭✭✭tibruit


    This is old news and has been discussed here before. Edhoven is becoming quite the conveyor of misinformation. Scoobie would be proud. Crazy Marie now says the man that was outside her shop when Sophie came in was a French associate of the husband. She picked him out of a photo quite recently. The man was outside her shop that day and she also saw him again trying to hitch a lift on the Airhill road early the next morning. At the time she made the statement, Crazy Marie didn`t know who Bailey was. It is not clear if the Gardaí were aware that Bailey was in fact in the village on the day of the first sighting before she made the statement, but what they didn`t know at the time was that he was indeed on the Airhill road on the morning of the second sighting. That only became apparent afterwards.

    Coincidence after coincidence after coincidence. How unlucky can Bailey be? Apart from the fact that he pondered going over to Alfies on the night of the murder, then he had to go and get out of bed and leave the house for potentially several hours. Then there were the scratches on the hands and head, the buying the bleach, the xmas fire, the lies on the questionnaire, the initial lies under questioning, witnesses contradicting Bailey`s timeline for when he became aware of the murder and then he had to go and tell a number of the locals that he killed her.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    I see it the same way. There are certain questions which automatically come up and are unanswered to day.

    I also don't know the full scope of Alfie's drug activity, but I see the possibility as well that Alfie was intimidated, coerced and blackmailed into the killing by somebody being part of that drug ring.

    The only thing that is confirmed about Alfie is that he was a Cannabis user, but no harder drugs, no Crack, no Cocaine. The fact that he lived there all year round and had connections to drugs and possibly Leo Bolger would suggest that he must have known more about any possible drug trafficking in the area, that is if there was a drug trafficking ring operating, as it was often speculated.

    Also if Alfie killed Sophie, then he could not have been able to hide it from Shirley, this would most likely have made Shirley legally an accessory to murder. Whoever murdered Sophie must have had blood all over himself.

    Alfie also had the advantage that he knew what was going on in the area. As far as I know the Richardson's who owned the other house were not there, so Alfie knew apart from his wife, he would be completely alone when murdering Sophie. Nobody but him would most likely have had that knowledge, quite possibly not even Bailey.

    It's also beyond understanding how Alfie and Shirley would not have heard anything about the murder at all. It's entirely possible that the killer knocked her unconscious early on, or hit her totally unexpected, that there were no cries for help at all, - but at the same time, I'd say Sophie would most likely have cried for help on top of her lungs.

    Even if it was Bailey, to me it's hard to imagine that Bailey had any motive. As Bailey and Sophie had in my opinion no financial connection the motive for murder to Bailey could only have been sexual. Even if Bailey was occasionally using Cannabis, it would have had no connection to Sophie at all.

    Also Bailey wanting sex, attempting to rape Sophie but then ending up killing her and that at 6 or 7 am in the morning seems more than unlikely. Bailey didn't have a car at that time, as far as I know. So if he was driving, he would have to have used Jule's car and would have risked of being seen and the other options would have been hiking for one hour to and one hour back. Not impossible, but very unlikely, especially if the murder was at 6 or 7 am, the chances of being seen were even higher as people were getting up, starting to get up, etc... Also a bad time to start cleaning up a car's interior full of blood.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Posters will literally overlook what's staring them in the face

    Bailey confesses to the crime and posters are looking for random stuff like drug links and an old man next door



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    The problem, is we don't know that one and it's not like that at all.

    I'd rather say, that a couple of locals are stating that Bailey confessed, with words like "Of course I did it".

    It was never a confession in a court room, it was never a signed statement at the police station.

    It's was locals stating that, and I don't think everybody liked Bailey. He was the unpopular Englishman in Ireland, he didn't have a personality which was liked by everybody, - so it's hard to really admit these statements by locals as Bailey's confession to murder.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Bailey what was he doing again lol

    Up pine trees plucking chickens



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭jimwallace197


    Yah but you see, it was the gards who released his name, not him & he's had his life completely destroyed for the last 25 years as a result. Now, I dont doubt he likes the attention and he uses it to his advantage but why not. I wouldnt necessarily do the same if I was in his position but im Irish. By staying relevant, he can probably make enough money to survive and he badly needs it as I dont think he has secure accommodation. On top of this, hes able to highlight garda corruption which is prevalent in this country, able to continue to protest his innocence & make the valid case for its re-opening, hes able to give his point of view & have his say. If he'd stayed quite, moved away, he probably would have been a lot more demonised than he's already been. I believe him courting the attention of the public has helped him persuade the public to his innocence, I wouldnt be surprised if its a 50-50 split now. Bailey isnt an idiot, hes an addict but even with this he has a masters in law so he knows what he's doing and more power to him in that regard.

    Bailey being outspoken has highlighted serious deficiencies in our police force & in the French Judicial system. Both need serious adjustment.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    The Toscan Du Plantier family must have had some strong influence in France, to get a conviction for murder for 25 years in jail, without a shred of evidence.

    As a matter of fact they've got nothing, no fingerprints, no DNA, no footprints. Besides Bailey, they could have theoretically sentenced any of us for murder..... That alone is beyond believe.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    I was just watching the Jim Sheridan documentary. In the 2nd episode it was mentioned that Bailey had a car, a Fiesta. I was not aware of this anymore.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭jimwallace197


    What really shown a light on the French case was that they included Marie Farrell's original testimony but disregarded her subsequent ones where she completely supported Bailey. They picked & chose what they wanted to include, All of this has shown how ridiculous their judicial system is, for a country founded on Liberty, Fraternity & equality. They're full of it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,867 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    If Bailey has confessed to the crime, why did the DPP not even put him up for trial? Why did different DPPs look at the case multiple times and still not put him forward to trial?

    There was no confession. There was a snarky remark to someone who was probably pestering Bailey about the murder.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,276 ✭✭✭Deeec


    With full respect to you Kirk I think you need to study this case further to understand the goings ons and all the shady characters involved. Its evident from your posts here that you haven't researched the case thoughourally at all.



  • Registered Users Posts: 933 ✭✭✭flanna01



    The same person who reported Bailey for allegedly confessing to the murder....

    Well he had his serious drugs charges reduced to a puff of smoke by the Gards...

    Not saying his miraculous dodging of a prison sentence was anything to do with his statement like.....



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,276 ✭✭✭Deeec


    Agree - Malachy Reid also refused to give evidence at the French trial. His mammy went instead of him - lol.

    Malachy knows Bailey didn't confess to him.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    It surprised me, why this has never gone to the EU court of justice. I am surprised Bailey and his lawyers never considered that. Maybe it was a question of money which Bailey didn't have?



  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Evergreen_7


    I get what your saying but it’s clear that Bailey loves the limelight because he’s a narc. Ive got no sympathy for him whatsoever, he’s gone to the papers any chance he gets playing the victim. He wouldn’t be in the limelight except he’s made sure he is. His carry on over the last year on Twitter only proves this.

    I was on the fence until I saw this recent rubbish, not to mention the vile messages he sent to 15 year old girls that people have discovered and tweeted. You’d think he’d keep his head down, show some moral compass, but no. He carries on his games, taunts, ego centric tweets etc.

    does this make him a murderer? No, there’s little proof he did it. But it proves he’s an absolutely vile individual who is entirely deluded by notions of grandeur and has absolutely no morals. By character, of course he fits the bill.



  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Evergreen_7


    And I agree, there’s a lot of Garda corruption with this case and many others, however that doesn’t exonerate Bailey; it’s not black and white…the good guys vs the bad guys…they are all as bad as each other.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Evergreen_7


    Bailey sent this to an account he believed was 15 years old. She told him repeatedly her age. He wanted her to come to west cork after her junior cert and use this cover story. There’s way more explicit messages than this that have been tweeted.

    please don’t defend this vile specimen, innocent of murder or not.



  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Evergreen_7


    Boards will probably delete this because it’s so vile.

    just to reiterate, he fully understood this account holder was 15 years old.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,836 ✭✭✭chooseusername




  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Evergreen_7


    Wow. You’re nice.

    it was his account, I edited the Twitter screenshots. The ones up there have his profile photo on.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,177 ✭✭✭Wompa1


    Lines up with his journal of drawings too. Bit of a sexual deviant.



  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Evergreen_7




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    I formed an opinion based on everything I've read and heard and watching the 2 documentaries

    Sure I don't remember all the details now but I'm not buying any of the theories about Alfie or drug connections

    I accumulated enough bits of circumstancial evidence to believe that bailey is the most likely culprit



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭jimwallace197


    Ive never said I liked Bailey, I think hes a bit of an arsehole & if these posts are true, hes a real scumbag & should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    But this case is not entirely about him, its about irish people. Our rights & how its acceptable for an Irish police force to deliberately frame someone for a murder and then support a foreign force too. This case is bigger than STDP or Bailey, its relevant because it shows the corruption in the mutual systems.



  • Registered Users Posts: 933 ✭✭✭flanna01



    If you have been following Baileys twitter account, you will see that he has been publicaly outing some vicious trolls that were stalking him on social media. He has practically named and shamed them (all had respectable lives outside of trolling it would seem)

    A lot of posts he puts up are met with various degree's of hate (among many more positive replies)

    Bailey researched, and hunted down the trolls that were posting all sorts of vile crap about him. He created a file, and has since handed it over to the local Gards to follow up (in conjunction with his legal team of course).

    Does anybody really think Bailey posted them comments to an underage girl?

    1) Like on social media?

    2) To an underage girl?

    3) Any tweet remotely relating to the grooming of a child, would have any man arrested instantly.

    4) Yup, Bailey is down the Market today barking out some poetry he's knocked up.... A free man still!

    5) Don't believe everything you read.. Think it over, process it, digest it, make an educated consideration about the validity of it.

    Our children are the most protected age group in the country. If an underage girl was being groomed by a noted murder suspect, in fact, an infamous, notorious murder suspect.... Do you not think the Gards would have been all over it...? And the media..????

    C'mon....



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,276 ✭✭✭Deeec


    The 2 documentaries didnt cover the entire details of the case. The netflix documentary was particularly poor and only wanted to convince the viewer that Bailey was guilty. They failed to mention alot of info pointing in other directions. As a starting point I suggest you listen to the West Cork Podcast as it covers the bad and the ugly concerning this case. It also focuses more on the Gardai involved which the documentaries failed to do.



This discussion has been closed.
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