Ian Bailey’s final post revealed as he thanks fans for ‘most successful year’ days before dying aged 66

IAN Bailey said 2023 was the “most successful year” in terms of income for him in his final video message to fans.

The former journalist, who was convicted of murdering Sophie Tuscan Du Plantier in 1996 in West Cork by a French Court, died this afternoon aged 66.

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Ian Bailey thanks his followers for the ‘most successful’ 2023 in his final video messageCredit: Andy Gibson – Commissioned By The Sun Dublin

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Ian Bailey died aged 66 earlier today after collapsing on a street in Bantry

He collapsed in the street in Bantry, close to the flat where he lived on Barrack Street after suffering a suspected heart attack.

His collapse at 1:30pm was seen by a number of people who immediately rushed to provide assistance to the Englishman.

A local man experienced in first aid attempted to revive him with CPR until the emergency services arrived at the scene and took over.

Bailey, who would have celebrated his 67th birthday on January 27, was pronounced dead a short time later.

In a final clip, posted on January 6th, Bailey took to TikTok to share a “thank you all” message with those who watched his videos.

Donning his famed fur hat, Bailey said: “Hello, welcome friends, fans and followers. What a lovely day here.

“I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who supported me so much during 2023.

“It was my most successful year in terms of income from poetry, t-shirts, shoutout services, research.

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“Largely due to one individual who has been haranguing me and trolling me on Twitter.

“I’d just like to thank him so much because he really boosted my confidence and accounts.”

Bailey, who from the very start has been the main suspect in the brutal murder of the Frenchwoman on December 23, 1996, has previously suffered up to three heart attacks and was hospitalised.

He was admitted to both Bantry Hospital and Cork University Hospital where in the latter he had a procedure done on his heart.

He has always denied any involvement in the murder of Sophie.

She was found murdered outside her west Cork home near Schull on the morning of 23 December 1996. No-one has ever been charged with her killing. 

Mr Bailey was found guilty of Sophie’s brutal killing by a French court in absentia in 2019.

Sophie’s family have always been convinced that he murdered Sophie and were successful in getting him criminally convicted of her killing in a French court.

But Irish courts have refused to extradite him to France and the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled over 20 years ago that he did not have a case to answer here.

Bailey was born in Manchester but had settled in west Cork in the 1990s where he lived with his then-partner Jules Thomas.

They separated in recent years after 28-years together.

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Earlier this year, he told how he split up with another woman who had caught his eye that he had dated for several months.

Bailey said he reluctantly had to call time on his relationship with Mayo woman Ethna Staunton because they lived too far away from each other.

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Ian shared a final ‘thank you’ video message with his fans just a few days before his death