The paparazzi deliberately blocked the car DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES, was travelling in on the night of the tragic 1997 Paris crash, a London court has heard. Statements given to the French police by eyewitness Jean-Louis Bonnin on 31 August (97) reveal how a photographer purposely obstructed the British royal's Mercedes by stopping at traffic lights to allow his colleagues to take snaps of the Princess and her lover Dodi Fayed in the back of the car. The statements, which were read out at the inquest into the death of Diana at the capital's High Court on Thursday (01Nov07), contradicted a testimony given earlier this week (ends02Nov07) by motorcyclist Stephen Darmon - who chauffeured paparazzo Romauld Rat on the night in question. Darmon claimed none of the snappers tailing the Princess' car, including Rat, had taken photographs of the couple as they were held up in traffic. But according to Bonnin's statements, which date back to the French police investigations in 1997 and 1998, the royal's vehicle was purposely held up at traffic lights before being chased through the Alma tunnel - with paparazzi on scooters taking photographs throughout. Bonnin has since passed away. The inquest aims to establish whether the tragic couple were simply the victims of a tragic accident, or if they were the targets of an assassination plot headed by the British royal family - as claimed by Fayed's father, tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed. The case has been adjourned until Tuesday (06Nov07).
