The jury at the inquest into the death of DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES has heard how her chauffeur HENRI PAUL appeared to be responsible for tipping off the paparazzi as to the British royal's whereabouts. The inquest aims to establish whether Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, who were killed in a 1997 Paris car crash, were simply the victims of a tragic accident, or if they were the targets of an assassination plot headed by the royal family - as claimed by Fayed's father, tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed. In the third day of proceedings at London's High Court on Thursday (04Oct07), the jury was told about one particular theory - that driver Paul had been receiving cash from photographers in return for information on Diana and Fayed's location. Paul - who also died in the crash - was found to be two-and-a-half times over the French drink-driving limit, and a search of his body uncovered $2,400 (GBP1,200) in his pocket, leading to speculation over his involvement with the paparazzi. The 11-strong jury was shown CCTV footage of Paul as the princess and Fayed were preparing to leave their suite at The Ritz Hotel in the French capital on 30 August 1997. The security video shows Paul chatting to paparazzi on three separate occasions outside the hotel's main entrance on Place Vendome, and, just after midnight on 31 August, appearing to signal to four waiting snappers at the building's back door, allegedly indicating Diana and Fayed's impending exit. Lord Justice Scott Baker, the judge presiding over the inquest, has asked the jury to consider the possibility of Paul's betrayal and determine whether he accidentally helped to cause the couple's death after being chased by paparazzi. The case continues.
