Jules Thomas axes Gerald Kean in Netflix lawsuit after dispute over ex-solicitor Vincent O’Donoghue
Jules Thomas, the former partner of Ian Bailey, has dismissed celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean from her high-profile lawsuit against Netflix over its documentary on the 1996 murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
The split followed a bitter row centred on the involvement of Vincent O’Donoghue, a struck-off solicitor and convicted fraudster, who has been acting as Thomas’s adviser.
Thomas is suing Netflix on two grounds: that the production was filmed on her property without permission, and that it contained falsehoods and inaccuracies. But behind the scenes, tensions have been simmering over who has influence on her case.
Kean, well known for representing celebrities and major charities, expressed alarm about O’Donoghue’s presence. In correspondence seen by the Sunday Independent, Kean told O’Donoghue he could not formally work with him due to reputational risks. “Because of my own profile, I have no doubt whatsoever that any arrangement between us would make the national news and it certainly wouldn’t help either you or me, nor my firm,” he wrote in May.
Embed from Getty ImagesO’Donoghue’s chequered history looms large. Convicted in 2013 of fraudulently converting property deposits in Dublin and Belfast, with offences dating back to the 1990s, he once served jail time in Australia while fighting extradition to Ireland. He has not practised law since 1991.
Despite this, Thomas defended him as her personal assistant. In a pointed letter to Kean, she wrote that she found it “extraordinary” he had mentioned taking O’Donoghue to lunch, quipping that her aide usually preferred to “go Dutch”.
Kean had earlier voiced frustrations that O’Donoghue had spoken about possible settlement figures from Netflix which were “not sensible nor reasonable”. In a letter dated 28 August, Kean stressed: “It is important that we are left to do our job and get you the best possible figure to settle.”
By 30 August, Thomas had severed ties, writing that she no longer required Kean’s services due to “recent developments”. His firm becomes the third legal team to depart her case, following Greg Ryan Solicitors and GN & Co.
The saga has been complicated further by revelations of a private property deal. In July, Kean wrote separately to O’Donoghue offering him €100,000 if he could help sell Kean’s 11-bedroom Wicklow mansion, Drayton Manor, for €3.5 million. The house, owned through a Cayman Islands-registered company, has been repeatedly on the market. Valued with its lavish furnishings — including a €120,000 chandelier and a €70,000 dining table — the property boasts a ballroom, 65-seat cinema, wine cellar, pizza house and three bars. Kean noted that the offshore ownership “might suit some people who are thinking of acquiring same”.
Thomas’s lawsuit against Netflix continues, but her legal representation remains uncertain after three high-profile changes. Her reliance on O’Donoghue, despite his criminal past, has already sparked controversy and could overshadow the substance of her claims.
Netflix has not publicly commented on the dispute. Meanwhile, the memory of Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s murder continues to reverberate through Ireland and France. Ian Bailey, Thomas’s former partner, was tried and convicted in absentia in France but always denied involvement; Irish courts have repeatedly refused to extradite him.
For Thomas, however, the battle is no longer about criminal liability but about reclaiming control of her narrative. With her third solicitor now gone, the case against one of the world’s biggest streaming giants appears mired in uncertainty and scandal.