The jury in the Princess Diana inquest Second week for McCartney hearing ...
Kabul vetoes Ashdown envoy role ... has retired to consider its verdicts.

Mohamed Al Fayed - the father of the princess's companion, Dodi - and her sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, were among those attending the High Court.

The inquest into the 1997 crash that killed Diana, Dodi and chauffeur Henri Paul began six months ago to the day.

The jury will decide if the deaths were the result of an accident, unlawful killing by negligence, or unexplained, but cannot say they were murder.

Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker had already told the jurors they could not find the crash was an "unlawful killing by the Duke of Edinburgh or anyone else in a staged accident".

Witnesses

Earlier this week the coroner gave the jury five verdict options, which included unlawful killing by grossly negligent driving of the paparazzi in pursuing vehicles - a level of negligence he said would amount to manslaughter.

He said that to return this verdict they had to satisfy the criminal standard of proof - meaning they had to be "sure" - rather than the civil standard, which is based on the balance of probabilities.

Unlawful killing through the gross negligence of the driver Henri Paul; and unlawful killing by the grossly negligent driving of both the following vehicles and Mr Paul were also given as options.

A verdict of accidental death could be returned if none of the previous verdicts were established. The jury was also given the option of an open verdict.

The six women and five men will deliberate on evidence from 250 witnesses who testified either in person or through statements.

Earlier Lord Justice Scott Baker told the court said there was "not a shred of evidence" that the Duke of Edinburgh ordered Princess Diana's death or that it was organised by MI6.

Conspiracy theories suggested by Dodi's father Mohamed about the deaths were without foundation, he insisted.

(BBC)

<< Back