Coroner rules out inquest into death of Ian Bailey

66 year old suffered multiple heart attacks in quick succession

A Coroner has ruled out an inquest into the death of former journalist Ian Bailey. No coroner’s autopsy has been conducted as his death has been attributed to a medical condition for which he had been receiving treatment.

Bailey, who was due to turn 67 next week, collapsed on Market Street in Bantry on Sunday, shortly after 1pm. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene but Bailey was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Bantry General Hospital.

The Coroner with jurisdiction over the west Cork area, Mr Frank O’Connell, was notified of the death. Bailey was receiving ongoing medical treatment at Bantry Hospital for a heart condition he developed last year. He suffered three heart attacks in two months after developing what he described as a ‘dangerously high erratic heart beat.’

Bailey detailed the treatment he was receiving for his heart condition in a post on social media last October. He posted the message to followers on his X account on October 20 2023:

“The Grand Medics in Bantry have cured my dangerously high erratic heart beat by using Electric Shock Treatment to reset and reboot my injured heart to stabilise it and render it operable....Many thanks for all the support.”

In his capacity as Coroner for the area, Mr O’Connell said he had been notified that Bailey’s death is ‘fully explainable by his recent medical history.’

Having corresponded with Mr Bailey’s consultant at Bantry Hospital, the Coroner said a medical certificate outlining the cause of death was made available to him.

“I have been advised by the medical consultant treating Mr Bailey that his death is fully explained by his recent medical history and that a medical certificate of the cause of death is available,” the Coroner said.

Mr O’Connell further explained that under such circumstances a coroner’s inquiry would not take place.

“In these circumstances, an inquest would not be held. The fact that he collapsed on a public street does not affect that determination,” the Coroner said.

Bailey communicated to his social media followers that he had been advised by his doctors to stop drinking and smoking in preparation for by-pass surgery due to take place at Cork University Hospital (CUH) this year.

The former chief suspect in the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier - found dead at the bottom of a laneway close to her home in 1996 - sustained two heart attacks in a matter of days last September.

Weeks later, he was rushed back to Bantry Hospital following a third heart attack. At the time, he posted to followers on his Facebook account that he was feeling ‘weak and unwell’ and unsure if he would survive. His mobility was affected and he said he had not been able to walk more than ten yards as his condition deteriorated.

“I feel seriously unwell and am very weak. I have no idea if I will make it, who knows?"

This Substack contacted Coroner Frank O’Connell to query whether a post mortem would take place given the circumstances of Bailey’s death. An autopsy could determine whether the poet and law graduate was suffering heart damage due to a Covid 19 vaccine.

Up to last year, the former freelance journalist, originally from Manchester, had not publicly revealed any medical conditions affecting his heart. An inquest could have detailed further medical evidence but such an inquiry is not required where a death is determined as natural causes.

The Coroner, Mr O’Connell, said that since Bailey’s doctor was in a position to certify the cause of death, there is no coroner’s post mortem conducted and the coroner plays no further role in the case.

If medics or family members were curious as to whether Bailey’s heart condition was connected to a Covid 19 vaccine, specific autopsy protocols can be applied to clarify whether the administration of a vaccine played a role.

Covid 19 vaccines are known to cause heart issues such as myocarditis, pericarditis, and irregular or erratic heartbeat, also known as atrial fibrillation (AF) or arrhythmia.

Researchers have found that cases of patients developing arrhythmia after Covid 19 vaccination have been ‘increasingly reported.’

“Although the underlying mechanism remains unclear, we hypothesize that mRNA vaccination may lead to arrhythmia and associated valve diseases,” the authors of the report (linked above) stated.

In the US, pharmacovigilance analysis described Atrial Fibrillation (AF) as a ‘rare adverse event following Covid 19 vaccination.’

“The reported AF required patient hospitalization in 35% of cases and resulted in a life-threatening condition in 10% of cases. Although an increased frequency of AF reporting with mRNA vaccines emerges from our study, other investigations are required to investigate the possible correlation between COVID-19 vaccination and the rare AF occurrence,” the study authors noted.

Limerick based GP Dr Pat Morrissey, who has consistently raised safety issues connected to Covid 19 vaccines, said the condition Bailey developed is a known adverse effect of covid vaccines.

“Accelerated ischaemic heart disease, myocarditis and cardiac rhythm disturbance causing sudden cardiac arrest, have all been associated with Covid 19 vaccination,” Dr Morrissey said.

“Being vaccinated increases the likelihood of having these conditions and increases the possibility of these issues becoming serious. Dr Peter McCullough said the same and Dr Arne Burkhardt has demonstrated this in histology.”

At 66, Bailey was relatively young. The average life expectancy for males in Ireland is 82 years.

“I think anyone who dies prematurely from any of these conditions should have an autopsy to clarify whether the vaccine played a role. He was young, it would be reasonable not to do an autopsy if he was well known to have issues and this was the end of a longer process, but if this developed since the time of the inoculations, then one would be suspicious that the gene therapy could have had a hand to play and one can only determine that through histology,” Dr Morrissey said.

The autopsy protocols, developed by German pathologist Dr Arne Burkhardt, were documented by this Substack on multiple occasions during reportage on the Joseph McGinty (14) inquest in Co Mayo last July and August. The protocols require a specific antigen commercially available for conducting immunohistochemistry staining on organ tissues in lab tests at autopsy.

Bailey’s solicitor Frank Buttimer was unavailable for comment today.

Update:

Shortly after 5pm today solicitor Frank Buttimer released a statement to say that Ian Bailey’s remains were cremated this morning. The service was facilitated ‘by a funeral director from outside West Cork’ with ‘no one bar crematorium and funeral director staff in attendance.’

A report from Eoin English in the Examiner gave the following details:

“The remains of Ian Bailey have been cremated in a private ceremony in Cork, with no one bar crematorium and funeral director staff in attendance.

His solicitor, Frank Buttimer, confirmed the news on Tuesday evening on behalf of Mr Bailey’s UK-based sister.

Mr Bailey, who became the chief suspect in the murder of 39-year-old French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork in 1996, collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack in Bantry on Sunday, aged 66.

Given his previously well-documented health difficulties, including two heart attacks last September, no autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was recorded as natural causes.

Mr Bailey’s body was retained in Bantry General Hospital until arrangements were made for its collection by a funeral director from outside West Cork for transport to The Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy, near Cork City on Tuesday morning.

It is understood that his family wanted a low-key service away from the media spotlight.

In a statement issued this evening, Mr Buttimer said he was authorised on behalf of Mr Bailey's next of kin to confirm that Mr Bailey’s remains were cremated at a private event earlier today.

He said that no further statement would be made in relation to this matter.”

*Thanks to those sharing + supporting this work. Option to ‘buy a coffee’ here