West Cork residents have rejected claims that locals had subjected Mr Ian Bailey and his partner, Ms Jules Thomas, to a campaign of intimidation.
Ms Thomas, who made the allegations yesterday, said people had been flashing torchlights in a "menacing manner" at the house in Toormore, Co Cork. Gardaí are also investigating claims that a noose was left on a tree outside the house and that a window was smashed in the house after the libel case concluded last month.
However, a number of neighbours dismissed the claims and said locals had little or no contact with the couple any more.
Mr David Perry, a neighbour of Mr Bailey's, said most locals were "politely indifferent" towards Mr Bailey and that he and his partner were now rarely seen in public. He also said he was surprised to learn that he had been accused of spying on Mr Bailey on several occasions.
"There always seems to be some complaint about spying. Ian Bailey had a go at me after I was walking through a nearby field with my dog. I had a pair of binoculars, which I use for birdwatching. I could hear him shouting at me, 'Attack! Attack!"
"He also accused me of spying after I went for a walk along the road with my grandchildren.
"As for a noose, I didn't see one but I was told it was more like a piece of string. And I never saw a broken window at the house."
Another neighbour, Ms Louise Kennedy, said she did not know of a campaign of harassment but said that, in recent times, gardaí had been patrolling the area up to three times a day.
Ms Kennedy, who gave evidence that Mr Bailey burned material on his premises shortly after the murder, said many locals felt uneasy over his presence in the area.
"The judge said he was a violent man and violent towards women. That is scary. Some people don't want him in the area. Most people now just turn their heads at him when he passes."
Ms Thomas said that Mr Bailey was not staying in the house for safety reasons.
"I'm sick of all the trouble we're having here at night. Some people have been coming around here shining bright torch lights, shining them all over the place in a menacing manner," she told TV3 News.
When asked what her reaction was to Monday's ruling, in which Mr Bailey lost six of the eight libel actions he had taken relating to the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, she said it would take a long time to sink in.
"We will get through it, that's all I can say. It's too early to say, it's too early to say. I don't have a clue. But we will get through it," she added.
Meanwhile, Mr Bailey's solicitor, Mr Con Murphy, said his client would issue a statement shortly in which he would restate his innocence of any crime.
