‘NO HAPPY END’

Sophie’s son ‘very frightened’ grandparents ‘will pass away’ over Ian Bailey’s death & recalls his ‘devil’ stare in Cork

Pierre-Louis Baudey Vignaud said he still returns to Cork with his family

• Published: 23:32, 2 Feb 2024
• Updated: 23:37, 2 Feb 202

• Published: Invalid Date,

SOPHIE Toscan du Plantier’s son has told of his fear to reveal Ian Bailey’s death to his grandparents – as it may kill them.

Pierre-Louis Baudey Vignaud, 42, appeared on RTE’s Late Late Show tonight for his first TV interview since Ian Bailey’s sudden death.

He admitted the family are faced with a “difficult decision” in informing Sophie’s parents of the developments.  

Pierre-Louis said: “They are not in very good health now, so we didn’t say it to them because my grandfather was in the hospital. So I didn’t find the time yet to tell them.

“They were keeping good, as good as they can, until now.

“I’m very frightened that this news will give them peace and they will pass away.

“I still didn’t manage with that. It’s a difficult decision.”

It was Pierre-Louis’ first interview since the death of Bailey on January 21.

He was just 15-years-old when his mother was murdered in west Cork, in a case that shook the nation.

Sophie was bludgeoned to death with a large concrete block outside her holiday home located in Schull, on December 23, 1996.

The 42-year-old said he and his family still visit his mother’s house here in Ireland.

He said: “For me, it’s not the place where she was killed. It’s her paradise.”

Bailey remained the chief suspect in her death for years, despite constantly pleading his innocence.

And Pierre-Louis told host Patrick Kielty how a cop cried on his shoulder over inability to bring Bailey to justice.

In 2019, the former journalist was convicted of Sophie’s murder in absentia in a French court.

But the Irish High Court refused to extradite him to France.

Pierre-Louis told how he saw Bailey on three separate occasions during trips in Schull.

He recalled: “The first two times he didn’t recognise me because we crossed him in the street or at the supermarket.

“And the last time I was with my kids in Schull harbour having tea and ice cream.

“I felt a look on me, and I saw someone was looking at me with a dark look with no empathy, nothing. Like devil regard.”

100 per cent sure

The French man confirmed he believes Ian Bailey was his mother’s murder without any doubt

He said: “I am 100 per cent sure. Ian Bailey was convicted of murder in Paris for 25 years in prison.

“They are professional you now, the spent an investigation for almost 10 years in France.

“French justice is not justice for the kids. We have one of the most famous justice [systems] in the world. So it’s very serious.

“For me, it’s important that at least he’s been a convicted murderer, once. It’s important.

“So there was no justice really, but he has been a convicted murderer.”

A free spirit

Asked about the ongoing case, Pierre-Louis said that “Irish people must end this story”.

He also told how his mother was a “free spirit” and hopes she is remembered as a “free women” in Irish people’s minds, and not a “legend or ghost”.

Pierre-Louis also revealed that the taxi driver who drove him to the RTE studio said to him: “Good for you the b****** has passed away.”

Discussion his family’s future in light of Bailey’s death, he declared: “We must turn the page. This is a game over of this case.

“There is no happy end. I am free again here in Ireland. It’s the end of the story.”

Concluding an emotional chat, Kielty said: “On behalf of everybody here in Ireland, I genuinely hope Pierre-Louis that you find some peace and you find some truth in the days ahead. We wish you the very, very best.

“Thank you so much for coming to see us.”

The RTE star finished with a public plea for anyone with “any information that could help give closure” to Sophie’s family to “pick up the phone”.