Media warned at Diana inquest

The coroner in the Diana inquest issued a warning to the media today ahead of the jury's visit to the scene of the crash in Paris…

The coroner in the Diana inquest issued a warning to the media today ahead of the jury's visit to the scene of the crash in Paris.

Lord Justice Scott Baker said the trip next week would intensify interest in the case, but that the court had a right to conduct its inquiries with "dignity and integrity".

In a bid to prevent chaos around the jury in the French capital, he called for cameras not to pursue the panel of 11 jurors and accompanying lawyers.

But he admitted the court would be outside its formal jurisdiction and dependent on the goodwill of the press and public.

READ MORE
CCTV footage of Princess Diana (centre) and Dodi al-Fayed (right) at the service exit of the Ritz Hotel in Paris moments before they got into the car in which they died.
CCTV footage of Princess Diana (centre) and Dodi al-Fayed (right) at the service exit of the Ritz Hotel in Paris moments before they got into the car in which they died.

He also warned against taking photographs of the jury. "The protection of the jurors' identity is of particular concern and I ask you all, especially the foreign media who may not be used to such issues, to share that concern," Lord Justice Scott Baker said.

The jurors were today shown the final pictures of Princess Diana climbing into the car in which she and her lover Dodi al-Fayed died.

The footage, a compilation of grainy film taken from 31 closed circuit television cameras at the Ritz Hotel belonging to Mr Fayed's father Mohamed, showed the couple relaxed with their arms draped around each other.

It also showed chauffeur Henri Paul talking to paparazzi at the front of the luxury hotel.

Diana (36) and Dodi (42) and Mr Paul were killed when their Mercedes car crashed in a tunnel as they sped away from the Ritz, pursued by paparazzi on August 31st, 1997.

The jury have heard how Mohamed al-Fayed, owner of luxury store Harrods, says the couple were killed by the security services on the orders of the royal family because Diana was pregnant and planning to marry her Muslim lover.

Investigations by French and British police have concluded the deaths were a tragic accident caused by Mr Paul, who was found to be drunk and had been speeding.

The jury at London's High Court were shown footage by Paul Carpenter, an inspector from a London police team which investigated the deaths.

It detailed the chauffeur arriving at the hotel at about 10 pm just over two hours before the couple set off on their fateful journey. Mr Paul was shown going straight to the bar.

Insp Carpenter also showed Mr Paul, the couple's bodyguards and hotel staff planning to trick the paparazzi massed at the front of the hotel by arranging for a decoy limousine.

The plan was to sneak Diana and Dodi out of the back of the hotel out of the public glare.

The footage shows Mr Paul goes out of the back of the building to see if their car, being brought up from the garage, was ready.

But, Insp Carpenter said, he also appears to tip-off a couple of photographers who had broken away from the main pack.

"You will see him raise his hand as if waving to the paparazzi across the road," Insp Carpenter said.

"If you look at the paparazzi across the road you will see one of them raise his camera and what he's doing is focusing on the doorway and that is why Henri Paul waves."

The footage then showed Diana, with her hand raised to cover her face, walk ahead of Dodi before both get into the waiting Mercedes and the car drives off.

Agencies