Netflix is known for leading the way when it comes to true crime documentaries, so it’s no surprise that its newest series is shaping up to be a smash-hit.
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork is a three-part documentary film series that takes a look at the life of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, as well as an investigation into her death in 1996 after her murder – which became a national obsession in Ireland and France.
On the morning of 23 December 1996, the Gardaí – or Irish police – discovered French producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier dead in the coastal outpost of West Cork.
Toscan du Plantier had been residing in her holiday home in Ireland before she was murdered, and the police looked into a handful of suspects, including her husband, Daniel Toscan du Plantier, and former lover, Bruno Carbonnet.
But for decades, the prime suspect in this tragic case – who was never tried in Ireland but has since faced the court of public opinion – has boiled down to one man.
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And that prime suspect is from right here in Manchester.
The murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier became national obsession in 1996 / Credit: Netflix UK & Ireland
Who is Ian Bailey?
Born in Manchester, Ian Bailey moved to Ireland in 1991 with his partner, Jules Thomas, and settled in the remote West Cork village of Schull from 1992 onwards.
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He worked as a freelance journalist, fish farmer, poet, and held a market stall selling pizzas.
Bailey was known for previous incidents of domestic violence towards Thomas, which had resulted in her hospitalisation, and in 2001 he was convicted of assault in Skibbereen District Court.
A psychiatrist’s report prepared for the murder trial of Sophie Toscan du Plantier concluded he had a “personality constructed on narcissism, psycho-rigidity, violence, impulsiveness, egocentricity, with an intolerance to frustration and a great need for recognition” and also had a tendency to become violent “under the liberating effects of alcohol”.
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The judge stated that “Mr Bailey is a man who likes a certain amount of notoriety, that he likes perhaps to be in the limelight, that he likes a bit of self-publicity”.
How did he become the prime suspect?
Ian Bailey has denied ever officially meeting Toscan du Plantier.
Several witnesses have contradicted this, and a report by the Irish Times claims that the late producer’s friends recalled her mentioning a meeting for a writing project with Bailey.
While Bailey initially presented himself as a helpful local journalist for out-of-town reporters, he soon became the centre of the murder investigation, with the most damning evidence against him coming from a shopkeeper named Marie Farrell, who said that she had seen a man in a long coat at Kealfadda Bridge the night that Toscan du Plantier was murdered.
Farrell later retracted her statement, and claimed that Bailey threatened her after she initially identified him.
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Despite Farrell’s testimony, other signs such as scratches on Bailey’s head, hands, and arms days after the murder were also identified and according to a report from the Irish Independent, neighbours also saw Bailey burn a mattress among other belongings.
On top of that, Bailey also confessed to Schull residents that he killed Toscan du Plantier – but he later claimed he was only joking.
Did he ever get convicted?
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland said that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to try Bailey.
Although he wasn’t convicted in Ireland for the murder, his legal battle continued in France, as according to French law, the country has extraterritorial jurisdiction when a French citizen is murdered, so Bailey was tried in absentia, and in 2019, the three-judge Cour d’Assises in France officially convicted Bailey of murder, sentencing him to 25 years.
However, the Irish High Court ruled in Oct 2020 that Bailey, then 63, could not be extradited.
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Bailey himself has also pursued legal action twice – once against the media for libel, and another time against the Irish state for wrongful arrest.
He lost both cases.
According to a 2021 report in The Irish Post, Bailey is getting ready to sue Netflix for using his interview in the true crime documentary, alleging in a letter: “At no time did I agree to it being used in a finished documentary.”
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You can find more information about Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, and watch the series in full on Netflix here.
Featured Image – Netflix UK & Ireland
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The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
MOBOs 2026 in Manchester – all the award winners and iconic performances
Thomas Melia
Manchester had its second major music award show visit of the year courtesy of the MOBOs, and here’s all the awards, winners and iconic performances from the night.
We knew 0161 was known for its impact on the music industry, but it’s recently become a place for music celebration on multiple occasions with the BRITs and, most recently, with the MOBOs.
As expected, this was a night full of A-listers, rising stars and incredible music makers, who all united for an award show dedicated to celebrating one aspect of the industry in particular – Music of Black Origin.
Created by Kanya King back in 1996, Manchester had the pleasure of hosting the MOBOs as the award show celebrated its 30-year anniversary right here at the 23,500 seater Co-op Live.
MOBOs 2026 – all the highlights from the night
Get ready to find out everything that happened during the MOBO Awards 2026, including the awards, winners and iconic performances.
All the awards and winners from MOBOs 2026 in Manchester
MOBO Global Songwriter Award – Pharrell Williams
MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award – Slick Rick
Album of the Year – The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean
Song of the Year – Olivia Dean, ‘Man I Need’
Best Male act – Jim Legxacy
Best Female act – Olivia Dean
Best Newcomer – DC3
Video of the Year – Raye, ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Best R&B/ Soul Act – Flo
Best Alternative Music Act – Nova Twins
Best Grime Act – Chip
Best Hip-Hop act – Central Cee
Best Drill Act – Twin S
Best International Act – Ayra Starr
Best African Music Act – Wizkid
Best Caribbean Music Act – Vybz Kartel
Best Jazz Act – Ezra Collective
Best Electronic/ Dance Act – Sherelle
Best Gospel Act – DC3
Best Media Personality – Niko Omilana
Best Performance in a TV Show/Film – Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Best Producer – P2J
Pharrell Williams receiving his ‘MOBO Global Songwriter Award’ and Flo accepting the ‘Best R&B/ Soul Act’ / Credit: The Manc Group
Who performed at the MOBOs 2026 in Manchester at Co-op Live?
Flo opened the show with their iconic silhouettes, just like on their Access All Areas Tour, which we had the privilege of witnessing live at Manchester Academy last Autumn.
If you’re worried you’ve lost a backstage pass to all things Flo, think again. Their latest single continues the unrestricted theme with its aptly-fitting title ‘Leak It’, and they set standards high.
A variety of grime acts dominated the stage as curated by DJ Target with Chip, D Double E, Wiley, Nolay and Scorcher with staple hits like ‘Legend’, ‘Street Fighter Riddim’ and ‘Wot U Call It?’
Slick Rick treated Co-op Live and the MOBOs audience to a medley of hits like’Children’s Story’ and ‘Landlord’ while bringing out the wonderful Estelle to sing ‘Mona Lisa’ alongside the respected rapper.
Flo opened the show with a live debut of new single ‘Leak It’ / Credit: MOBO Organisation (supplied)
Folk-pop star Miles Smith had the crowd in the palm of his hand as they all sang ‘Stargazing’ in unison, almost as though it was their own performance. This singer-songwriter returns to Manchester and Co-op Live this winter.
When Tiwa Savage walked onto the stage, this Manchester indoor venue knew they were in the presence of royalty, the Queen of Afrobeats to be exact. She performed ‘You 4 Me’ and dropped a preview of her new hit ‘Energy’.
The multi-MOBO winner Olivia Dean showed off her vocal prowess with an exclusive live performance of ‘A Couple Minutes’ accompanied by a beautiful orchestra arrangement.
Ms Dean blew our minds with her ‘Man I Need’ performance at the BRITs just last month, and she can’t keep away from Manchester, returning to Co-op Live next month for ‘The Art of Loving Tour‘.
Credit: MOBO Organisation (supplied)
Moston’s own Aitch had the crowd going crazy with his The Stone Roses-sampling track ‘1989’ and one of his biggest hits to date, and Ashanti-sampling record ‘Baby’.
Dancehall diva Shenseea closed the night with not one but four of her cathartic bangers like ‘Hit & Run’, the empowering ‘Shenyeng Anthem’, UK Top 20 single ‘Shake It To The Max (Remix)’ and newest effort ‘Talk To Me Nuh’.
Which stars attended the MOBOs red carpet in Manchester?
Manchester is the music capital of the North, so it makes a lot of sense that some of music’s biggest names decided to pop over to this city for a visit.
Alongside all the nominees and performers, there was a whole host of acts in attendance from the music, film, TV and social media industries.
Everyone from former Little Mix member turned independent artist Leigh-Anne and Bemi Orojuogun, more widely recognised by her digital moniker ‘Bus Aunty’, strutted their stuff on the MOBOs red carpet.
Audio North had the incredible opportunity of chatting with a whole host of talented artists and creatives straight from the red carpet, including shaking hands with legendary multi-hyphenate Nile Rodgers.
This was a truly beautiful night which celebrated the contributions and impact made within the music industry across the past 12 months and beyond, soundtracked by some class live performances.
Emily Sergeant -
5th July 2021 
