A retired detective inspector has denied there was a 'frisson' in the room when gardai heard a witness had placed Ian Bailey near the scene of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder.
Michael Kelleher is giving evidence for the State which is defending the journalist's damages action in which he claims he was unlawfully arrested on suspicion of killing the French film producer in Cork in 1996.
Retired Inspector Michael Kelleher headed up the incident room in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier investigation.
Under cross examination today he said he wasn't concerned about discrepancies in the statements of key witness Marie Farrell who placed Ian Bailey on Kealfadda Bridge on the morning of the murder - a statement she retracted years later.
She originally described the man in a beret as 5'10 and a 'weird looking character', but in her second statement he became 'very tall' - not unlike Mr Bailey.
Mr Kelleher said the former journalist - was 'known to do weird things and carry himself in a weird manner'
He denied there was a frisson in the room among gardai when they heard they had a witness who would place Ian Bailey near the murder scene - 'it was a serious matter' he said 'it wasn't a football match'.