IAN BAILEY, the chief suspect in the investigation into the 1996 murder of French film producer, Sophie Toscan du Plantier, was attacked by two men who kicked him in the head and left him lying on the side of the road near his home.
Bailey (65) posted details of the assault, which happened near his flat in Bantry in West Cork last week.
In a TikTok video he can be seen with cuts on his face. He sounds matter-of-fact, if a little shaken in the clip. He says: “Nuacht, this eve was attacked by three langers from Cork City, attacked me .. left me a bit battered and bloodied, reported the matter to AGS (An Garda Siochana).”
He later added that he’d made a mistake an there were only two attackers.
Bailey, from Manchester, but resident in Ireland for over thirty years, has attracted more than 3,000 followers and 14,000 likes since joining the video-sharing social media platform earlier this year.
But he remains an unpopular figure in West Cork.
Speaking to Extra.ie, Bailey said: 'I do a thing on TikTok, I do shoutouts and people approach me on text. Two girls wanted to meet me [after the shoutouts] last night. They drove down from Cork and I met them in a public place. One lad came up to me, pretending to be a fan of mine.
“I'm a bit disabled, I have to use a hazel walking stick. He started grabbing my stick and threw it away. Then another little langer came up and started to assault me. I was off guard and I got laid down. I'm okay. It occurred outside.
“I'm a little bit achey. The little f***er came at me. I was taken by surprise, but I gave back as much as I could. I closed the door on them, I called An Garda Siochana,' he said.
After making the call, gardaí and an ambulance attended the scene of the incident but Bailey opted not to attend hospital.
Gardaí confirmed that they are conducting enquiries into the alleged incident.
