Marie Farrell has said she signed blank garda statements after agreeing to place Ian Bailey near the scene of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder.

The West Cork shopkeeper is giving evidence in the former journalist's action against the State and Garda authorities for his alleged wrongful arrest over the 1996 killing of the French film producer in West Cork.

Marie Farrell has told the court her garda statements placing Ian Bailey on Kealfadda Bridge early on the morning of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder were not made by her.

The shopkeeper said on February 14th 1997 she signed around 8 blank statements at Ballydehob garda station and that detectives told her they would fill in the details.

She said this followed a meeting in January when gardai told her they knew Ian Bailey had killed the French film producer, they wanted to stop him kiling again, but that she was the only person who could place him out of his house that night.

The mother of 5 has already told the court that the man she witnessed stumbling on the road that morning was not Ian Bailey but a stranger she'd seen before wearing a beret and long black coat.

The jury's heard she was in difficulty because she was out with a man who was not her husband at the time.