Close Menu
    Ian Bailey’s solicitor says Michéal Martin engaged in ‘feral attack’ on justice system
    Ireland

    Ian Bailey’s solicitor says Michéal Martin engaged in ‘feral attack’ on justice system


    Ian Bailey’s solicitor says Michéal Martin engaged in ‘feral attack’ on justice system

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/ian-baileys-solicitor-says-micheal-martin-engaged-in-feral-attack-on-justice-system-after-tanaiste-says-he-should-have-been-tried-by-irish-jury/a2121387438.html

    Posted by Holiday_Toe5779

    View 9 Comments

    9 Comments

    2. terrahops on

      There’s always been a nasty streak in Martin and it’s funny to watch the mask slip every 6 months or so

    4. Irishspirish888 on

      He completely overstepped the mark with his comments. As much as the school teacher who’s leeched off the state (a primary figure in the destruction of the economy 16 years ago, don’t forget) might fancy himself as a legal voice to be reckoned with, he’s ultimately just attacked a dead man not around to defend himself. 

      If the rumours of the Gardai she was having an affair are ever somehow proven, I wonder will Martin offer an apology….

    5. Spartak_Gavvygavgav on

      Haven’t read the book yet, but I’m with Buttimer more than Martin here. The DPP didn’t have the evidence here. The French trial was borderline farce. If Martin was to excoriate anyone it should have been the Gardai at the time, useless throwbacks.

    6. Holiday_Toe5779 on

      From the article:

      Frank Buttimer, who was Ian Bailey’s solicitor, said Micheál Martin had engaged in a “feral attack” on the pillars of the justice system.

      While speaking to the Cork’s 96FM Opinion Line this morning, he described the Tánaiste’s contribution as “extraordinary”. “He’s basing his opinion on the content of a book where stuff is in there that would not be evidential,” he said. “And he goes on then to disparage the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), for DPPs at least, to decline to prosecute Ian Bailey.”

      “The Supreme Court, which he seems to suggest was used in an effort to remove or to prevent Ian Bailey’s removal, and the other two High Courts, which also refused to extradite Bailey. It’s a feral attack on many of the pillars of justice of the State. Where it comes from, I have absolutely no idea,” he added.

      “There was nothing tangible by way of evidence against Ian Bailey, such as would even have justified a prosecution against him, let alone a removal over to France to their system of justice where you are effectively guilty until proven innocent with all of the consequences that would have flowed from there. We acquired the now very well-known DPP critical analysis, a 44-page shredding that we got in 2011 when we were defending Ian Bailey against extradition. And we have our Tánaiste, leave aside the separation of powers concerns that he should have as a government minister, now, as if this document and all of the checks and balances sort of didn’t exist in our country.”

      “And he’s now shredding the DPP, shredding the courts and saying: ‘We should have fired him across to France where he would have been convicted.’ I mean, good God.”

    7. iHyPeRize on

      Hard to treat Martin’s comments here than anything other than distasteful.

      The fact the case remains unsolved is purely a result of incompetence from the Gardai, and how they handled the evidence and the general crime scene.

      The Tánaiste said we should have allowed France to extradite Bailey on the basis they found him guilty in absentia in what was a farce of a trial. That is a crazy comment.

      The DPP published their reasons why Bailey was never prosecuted, he voluntarily gave DNA and blood samples at the time surely knowing if he was guilty – he’d have been caught. But the Gardai couldn’t be trusted to look after the evidence, and they tried to subsequently pin it on him.

      Only two people know what happened that night, one is dead (Sophie), and as for the killer – well we’ll never know. Ian Bailey? He’s Innocent until proven guilty. Sly comments from Michael Martin.