Princess Diana's Death blamed on Driver, Paparazzi

[CaliforniaFB]

The deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed were caused by the "grossly negligent driving" of her chauffeur, Henri Paul, and the paparazzi pursuing them, a jury concluded today.

The verdict of unlawful killing was delivered at the High Court in London after a six-month inquest costing £6 million which heard evidence from more than 250 witnesses.



The jury had been told by the coroner that reaching such a verdict, which differs from a finding of accidental death in an earlier police inquiry, effectively implies that those implicated had committed manslaughter.

Lord Justice Scott Baker had also asked the jury to consider the options of accidental death caused by a road crash, or an open verdict.

The couple died on August 31, 1997, when their speeding car slammed into a concrete tunnel pillar while being chased through Paris by photographers in cars and on motorbikes.

The jury, returning a majority verdict with nine in favour and two against, also concluded that by not wearing seatbelts the couple contributed to their deaths.

Dodi’s father, the Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed, among other witnesses, reiterated conspiracy theories that Diana was murdered by MI6 and the Duke of Edinburgh.

However in his summing up, Lord Justice Scott Baker, the coroner, ruled that there was no evidence to back up Mr al-Fayed’s claims, and so disallowed any verdict which could point to a murder plot.

Emerging from the consultation room flanked by bodyguards, Mr al Fayed was reported to have shrugged his shoulders and told a reporter: "The most important thing is it is murder."

In a statement outside the court, a spokeswoman for Mr al-Fayed said he was "disappointed" with the verdict, and would not withdraw his belief that the couple had been murdered.

"I’m not the only person who says they were murdered. Diana predicted she would be murdered and how it would happen. So I am disappointed," he said.

Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Diana's sister, left court and got into a waiting black car without commenting to the waiting press. However Rosa Monckton, the late Princess's friend, later told the BBC that the inquest had been "incredibly intrusive", adding that she felt "very sorry" for Mr al Fayed's grief at losing a son.

"I think there’s a lot of her life that has come into the public eye that should never have been there. That’s been a very unfortunate side-effect of this inquest," she said.

"Overall, I feel very sorry for him (Mr al Fayed). One must never forget that he lost a son. I just hope now that he will find some sort of peace."

Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner, urged the Harrods owner to accept the verdict.

"Mr al Fayed has said that he will accept the verdict of the jury. The verdict has been clear. They have said that they are absolutely sure that there is no conspiracy in relation to this matter," he said.

He added that "very hurtful" allegations had been made against some people. He said he hoped everyone could "take this event as closure" and that and that those who died "will be allowed to rest in peace."

His call was echoed by Paul Stephenson, Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner, who said: "I think we now have to soberly reflect upon a clear verdict, and wish and hope that this now brings some sort of closure to this matter so that people can go back to grieving in private and remembering in private."

The cost to the taxpayer of the inquest, including lawyers and staff assisting the coroner, is estimated to be £6 million, on top of that paid for Lord Stevens's inquiry.

Lord Stevens launched his Paget Inquiry at the request of Michael Burgess, the Royal Coroner, who was then overseeing the future Diana inquest.

But in December 2006 the former top policeman published his report, which again rejected the murder claims, although found a verdict of accidental death instead of unlawful killing.

Following delivery of today's verdict, the coroner thanked the jury for their "considerable devotion" to duty over the past six months and said it was "almost astonishing" that they had been present on every day without having any absences.

Diana in numbers

252: the number of witnesses and witness statements heard

91: the number of days that the jury sat (including a two-day visit to Paris)

8: the number of QCs on their feet in court: Ian Burnett, Nicholas Hilliard, Richard Horwell, Edmund Lawson, Robin Tan, Michael Mansfield, Richard Keen and Ian Croxford.

26: the number of lawyers in court on an average day

20: the number of issues put to the jury by the Coroner

£6 million: the estimated final cost of the inquest to the taxpayer

5: the number of possible verdicts open to the jury

11: the number of jurors at an inquest; criminal trials have 12. The reasons are historically obscure

1: the number of members of the public who have sat thriough every day (John Loughrey, an unemployed chef and unashamed Diana acolyte, who plans to sell his complete set of entrance tickets on eBay for charity)