Ian Bailey revealed last night that he thinks he knows who killed Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
He believes she was murdered by a French hitman hired by her late husband Daniel or by another person she knew.
As a new investigative documentary Murder at the Cottage: The Search for Justice for Sophie, made by Oscar winner director Jim Sheridan, hits screens on Sky tomorrow, the self-professed prime suspect in the case told the Irish Mirror: What I do know is it was not me.
I did not know Sophie, I did not have sex with her, I did not kill her.
In cases like this you have to ask who benefited most from her death?
Her husband was having an affair with his fourth wife Melita Nikolic, he had a substantial amount of insurance on Sophies life. He acted very strangely after her death.
I suspect the hitman is from France, it was always one of the theories in the case, but it was never seriously followed up by the gardai, he added.
Ian Bailey leaves the High Court in Dublin on July 15, 2020 (Image: PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)
Of course I do not have the hard evidence to prove it but that is my view.
The 64-year-old Englishman said his life has been ruined by the murder.
He was found guilty in absentia by a court in France and sentenced to 25 years in jail.
He stated: I just want to know who killed Sophie so I can clear my name.
Every day I pray that her killer is found. Most people in west Cork know I am innocent. There is no evidence against me. Everything was fabricated.
Two reports, one by the DPP and the other by GSOC, were highly critical of the Garda investigation into the case.
I was an easy target because I was English. What happened to me is a carbon copy of what happened to the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six. We were all innocent.
I more than anyone want to see justice for Sophie. I want to see the real killer caught.
I would appeal to the Garda Commissioner to order a whole new cold case review of the murder and to put a new fresh team on it.
It needs a new proper investigation.
The support I have received from the people of West Cork and indeed from all over Ireland has been incredible. I cannot thank them enough, they know I did not do it.
Bailey hasnt seen Sheridans documentary yet although he is interviewed extensively in it.
The five-part series took years to make and is a hard-hitting probe into the murder.
Sheridan himself feels for Sophie and her family and their failure to get justice and he explores all possible theories into what happened.
He is playing his cards close to his chest and has yet to reveal where he will point the finger of blame.
The gardai in a statement confirmed the investigation into Sophies death is still a live and ongoing investigation.
The Superintendent in Bantry, Co Cork, has the overall control of the case whilst a senior investigating officer continues to manage the active investigation.
Sophie Toscan Du Plantier (Image: Provision)
Mr Bailey has been arrested twice over her murder but never charged.
The Irish courts also refused to extradite him to France to serve the sentence because of a perceived lack of evidence.
Bailey stated: This whole saga has had a terrible effect on my life. Living with it has taken its toll.
A few years ago I did try to take my own life but I made a mess of that and didnt take enough tablets with the drink.
I hit rock bottom but I am in a far better place now.
The former journalist was portrayed as a kind of Romeo around his local village of Schull but he says it was all nonsense.
He and his long-term partner Jules Thomas have recently split up but Bailey said in all their years together he never cheated on her.
Jules was arrested by the gardai during the course of the investigation and Bailey is angry that, he claims, detectives tried to get her to make accusations against him.
She has always stood by him and believed in his innocence.
He said: There are people out there who are in the I did it camp and others who are in the I didnt do it camp.
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I just want to clear my name once and for all. All this publicity might help jog peoples memories and some new evidence will be found.
I do however feel most of the answers are in France and the killer is there, added Bailey.
Meanwhile, Sheridan was very touched by Sophies parents and their need for answers when he met them.
He is hoping the documentary will shine a big light on the case as the hunt for the killer goes on.
It is now 25 years since the beautiful French film producer was killed on Christmas Eve 1996 in west Cork.
The unsolved case is a bitter pill for the local people of the area to swallow.
