Jim Sheridan, filmmaker: My mother never celebrated her birthday because she believed herself guilty of my grandmother's death'

"The film Sheridan is promoting in Spain is Re-creation, a film in the courtroom genre that takes cues from Sidney Lumet's Twelve Angry Men. In it, he explores the highly publicized 1996 murder of French filmmaker Toscan du Plantier, which is already the subject of various podcasts and documentaries. Sophie Toscan du Plantier, 39, was found dead at the beginning of Christmas 1996 on her farm in Dunmanus West in the southwest of Ireland."

"British journalist Ian Bailey was named as the prime suspect despite a complete lack of DNA evidence. He was convicted in 2019 in absentia by a French court, but never served the 25-year sentence as Ireland refused to extradite him, and Bailey, who denied any involvement in the murder, passed away. He was the perfect culprit because he died in January 2024, explains Sheridan."

"He was a violent man, he contradicted himself on several occasions in his official statements. The police knew him from several previous complaints of domestic violence. He also had scratches and a blow on his forehead the day after the murder, which he blamed on wrestling with a Christmas tree. The police were not able to reproduce those injuries when an officer recreated the scenario."

"There were also several witnesses who accused him in their testimony, but in Ireland, he was never charged due to a lack of evidence. All these details are known"

Jim Sheridan arrives late to an interview in Madrid and seeks a pincho with his wife. He promotes Re-creation, a courtroom film shaped by Twelve Angry Men. The film focuses on the 1996 murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier in southwest Ireland. British journalist Ian Bailey was named a prime suspect despite no DNA evidence. A French court convicted him in absentia in 2019, but Ireland refused extradition and he never served the 25-year sentence. Bailey denied involvement and died in January 2024. Sheridan describes Bailey as a violent man with inconsistent statements, prior domestic violence complaints, and injuries that police could not reproduce in a recreated scenario. Witnesses accused him, but Irish authorities never charged him due to insufficient evidence.

Read at english.elpais.com