Gardaí trace French speaker with 'scratches on his…

Gardaí trace French speaker with 'scratches on his face' spotted in Kerry pub night after Sophie Toscan Du Plantier murder

Gardai are looking at a number of possible new suspects over the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

One is a French speaking individual who was spotted in a Kerry pub the night after her murder with marks and scratches on his face.

A suspicious barman at the time in Cahirciveen reported him to the local Gardai and he was questioned before being eventually let go.

It later emerged that this person was the spitting image of an individual who was spotted by shopkeeper Marie Farrell following Sophie, 38, around Schull village, west Cork, in the afternoon before she was killed on the night of December 23, 1996.

The man speaks fluent French but is from another European country. He also used a rented car which had false number plates.

Gardai have the name of the man following Sophie and an address for him in France.

But it is also understood Gardai are also pursuing a connection between the tragic filmmaker and two other French men who lived in West Cork, although the men themselves are not suspects.

The pair were hiding out in the isolated rural area after receiving death threats from a French criminal gang. It is understood that Sophie had met the men while she was in Ireland and Gardai are investigating whether she was targeted because of her friendship with them.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier (Family Handout/PA Wire)

Gardai are also looking at the relationship between Sophie and a male friend whose wife was extremely jealous.

Meanwhile, Ian Bailey, who has always denied any involvement in Sophie's death, remains a suspect in the case.

A Garda source said: "We are following a number of new leads in Britain, Ireland and in France. We are trying to paint a picture of Sophie's life in Ireland such as who she knew and who she socialised with.

"Did any local people ever go back to her house for a drink? Did she have any enemies? Did she fall out with anybody in the area?

"We are trying to establish a motive as to why such a beautiful young woman was so brutally murdered. There are people out there who know something. The killer just didn't arrive out of the blue and then vanish off the face of the earth."

The Gardai are keeping an open mind on the case and every new lead is being investigated. Every bit of evidence contained in the original murder file is also being double checked.

Detectives are particularly keen to establish every move Sophie made in the several hours before she was attacked and killed.

Her battered body was found on a lane 100 yards from the front door of her holiday home. She was beaten to death with a block.

A Garda source added: "Sophie's family deserve to know the truth and deserve justice. I would appeal to the local people to step up to the plate and let us know what really happened to this poor woman.