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| 'Attempt to slow down' Diana car | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A vehicle was trying to slow down Princess Diana's Mercedes car - before it crashed in a tunnel - so paparazzi could get pictures, a court has heard. | A vehicle was trying to slow down Princess Diana's Mercedes car - before it crashed in a tunnel - so paparazzi could get pictures, a court has heard. |
| Witness Olivier Partouche told an inquest into her death that the dark car was in front of the princess's car as it entered the Pont d'Alma tunnel. | |
| It formed a "compact group" with motorcyclists around the Mercedes, Mr Partouche told the jury. | It formed a "compact group" with motorcyclists around the Mercedes, Mr Partouche told the jury. |
| He was addressing the court by video link from Paris. | He was addressing the court by video link from Paris. |
| I was just of the impression of a kind of a group, with, in the front of the group, the car, and the motorcycles just behind at the same speed Olivier Partouche | I was just of the impression of a kind of a group, with, in the front of the group, the car, and the motorcycles just behind at the same speed Olivier Partouche |
| The princess and Mr Al Fayed died, together with driver Henri Paul, when their Mercedes crashed in the tunnel on 31 August 1997. | The princess and Mr Al Fayed died, together with driver Henri Paul, when their Mercedes crashed in the tunnel on 31 August 1997. |
| Mr Partouche, who was working as a chauffeur at the time, says he was standing at the side of the road on the approach to the tunnel, waiting for a client, when he saw the couple's car travelling "very, very fast". | Mr Partouche, who was working as a chauffeur at the time, says he was standing at the side of the road on the approach to the tunnel, waiting for a client, when he saw the couple's car travelling "very, very fast". |
| Mr Partouche told London's High Court that the dark car was a "Ford Mondeo-style" saloon car. | Mr Partouche told London's High Court that the dark car was a "Ford Mondeo-style" saloon car. |
| He said the car was in front of the Mercedes and that "a number of motorcycles" were following the car carrying the princess. | He said the car was in front of the Mercedes and that "a number of motorcycles" were following the car carrying the princess. |
| "I was just of the impression of a kind of a group, with, in the front of the group, the car, and the motorcycles just behind at the same speed," he said. | "I was just of the impression of a kind of a group, with, in the front of the group, the car, and the motorcycles just behind at the same speed," he said. |
| 'Blocking vehicle' | 'Blocking vehicle' |
| In a statement made to police two hours after the crash, Mr Partouche said the car had been travelling at 150 km/h (93mph) but he told the court that he thought it was slightly slower than this. | In a statement made to police two hours after the crash, Mr Partouche said the car had been travelling at 150 km/h (93mph) but he told the court that he thought it was slightly slower than this. |
| In the statement, he referred to the dark car as "the blocking vehicle" and said "clearly this car was trying to make the Mercedes slow down". | In the statement, he referred to the dark car as "the blocking vehicle" and said "clearly this car was trying to make the Mercedes slow down". |
| "The object of the manoeuvre was to make it possible for the paparazzi to take photographs," he added in the statement. | "The object of the manoeuvre was to make it possible for the paparazzi to take photographs," he added in the statement. |
| But in a later statement made to a French examining magistrate, Mr Partouche said: "The vehicle in front of the Mercedes did not perform any dangerous manoeuvres on the road to prevent it getting past." | But in a later statement made to a French examining magistrate, Mr Partouche said: "The vehicle in front of the Mercedes did not perform any dangerous manoeuvres on the road to prevent it getting past." |