The High Court has been told that Ian Bailey was wrongly made a suspect in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation on the basis of corruption by An Garda Síochána.
The claim was made in an opening statement by Mr Bailey's legal team this morning in his High Court appeal of his unsuccessful libel action against a number of Irish and British newspaper groups.
The court was told by Ian Bailey's legal team that he was fingered very early in the murder investigation by a member of the gardaí because he allegedly had a number of abrasions on his face and hands and because he had a history of violence against his partner.
Opening Mr Bailey's appeal, senior counsel Tom Creed said Mr Bailey was effectively tried by media, who were systematically fed information by gardaí investigating the murder.
He went on to say that what has been going on with the gardaí is not the fault of the newspapers, but Ian Bailey will be making the case that while he was being made the suspect in this case, he was not a reasonable suspect - he was made one because of corruption by the gardaí.
He said Chief Superintendent Dermot Dwyer told Bailey the gardaí would put him at Kaelfadda bridge and this is exactly what the gardaí did - but this witness has fortunately come forward and told 'the truth'.
Having been arrested in February 1996, Mr Creed said there was a phalanx of journalists and photographers there to meet him at Bandon Garda Station.
This too was orchestrated by the gardaí, according to Mr Creed.
The case is likely to continue for some weeks.
