A court has heard Ian Bailey admitted in a Pat Kenny interview 17 years ago that it was reasonable for gardaí to detain him on suspicion of murdering Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The former journalist who lives in Schull, Co Cork is suing the State and Garda Commissioner for alleged wrongful arrest.

Mr Bailey (57) was interviewed by Mr Kenny on the February 14th 1997, just days after he was first arrested as a suspect in the murder investigation.

On his sixth day of cross examination, Mr Bailey agreed that in the course of that interview he admitted it was reasonable for gardaí to have detained him because he had scratches on his arms in the wake of the French film producer's death.

However he said in hindsight, he believes it was not and that gardaí put him in the frame.

This is a reference to the alleged bogus identification of Mr Bailey near the crime scene by local shopkeeper Marie Farrell.

On the stand, Mr Bailey described Pat Kenny as 'a very clever interviewer' and that he was probably unwise to have spoken - but he does not accept now that his arrests were based on anything legal.