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Diana's butler 'obviously' lying Diana's butler 'obviously' lying
(40 minutes later)
The coroner at the inquest into the death of Princess Diana has said it was "blindingly obvious" her former butler Paul Burrell was lying. The coroner at the Princess Diana inquest has said it is "blindingly obvious" that her former butler, Paul Burrell, lied at its hearings.
Lord Justice Scott Baker told the jury the evidence Mr Burrell gave was clearly "not the whole truth". Lord Justice Scott Baker told the jury that the evidence Mr Burrell gave was clearly "not the whole truth".
On Monday in his summing up the coroner told the jury there was "no evidence" to support conspiracy theories the Duke of Edinburgh ordered Diana's death. However, he said all of his testimony could not be discounted and asked the jury to "proceed with caution".
Neither, he said, was there evidence that it was organised by MI6. Mr Burrell has refused to return to the inquest to explain discrepancies between evidence and other comments.
He currently lives in the US - outside the jurisdiction of English courts and cannot be compelled to return to the inquest.
After his January appearances at the London court, Mr Burrell was filmed in the US saying he had not told the truth. British papers published his comments in full.
Beginning his second day of summing up, the coroner said: "You have heard him in the witness box and, even without what he said subsequently in the hotel room in New York, it was blindingly obvious that the evidence that he gave in this court was not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
I advise you to proceed with caution especially if you are left with the impression that he only told you what he wanted you to hear Lord Baker
Lord Baker suggested to the jury that Mr Burrell may have given evidence while thinking that "whatever he said might have an impact on his future enterprises".
Mr Burrell worked for Diana from 1992 and described himself as "Diana's rock" - but Lord Baker said he was "quite a porous rock" given that many of the princess' secrets were made public.
The coroner said: "I advise you to proceed with caution especially if you are left with the impression that he only told you what he wanted you to hear.
"On the other hand he was close to Diana and was particularly well-placed to hear information that others were not.
"The fact that he has not told you the truth on some occasions does not mean you cannot accept anything he he has told you. But you should proceed with caution."