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Laurent's evidence is important because it indicates that the Fiat Uno, which made contact with the Mercedes immediately before the main crash, was seen moving slowly beforehand. This could corroborate later evidence given by Souad Moufakkir (6 November, afternoon), who also claimed to have seen the Fiat Uno slowing down prior to the crash. Laurent's evidence of the Uno being an old model was corroborated by George Dauzonne (29 October, morning), who was a witness to the Fiat Uno as it left the tunnel after the crash. During Lord Justice Scott Baker's two-and-a-half days of Fiat Uno, which made contact with the Mercedes immediately summing up to the jury, he made some statements that should be before the main crash, was seen moving slowly beforehand. This subjected to scrutiny. could corroborate later evidence given by Souad Moufakkir (6 On the afternoon of 31 March 2008, during his discussion of November, afternoon), who also claimed to have seen the Fiat Diana's fears for her life, the Coroner stated: "One might have Uno slowing down prior to the crash. Laurent's evidence of the thought that if Diana had really feared for her life, she would Uno being an old model was corroborated by George Dauzonne have mentioned it to Mohamed AI Fayed at the time of the (29 October, morning), who was a witness to the Fiat Uno as it conversation with him shortly before the crash, when he said she left the tunnel after the crash. told him she was pregnant and engaged" (129.23-25, 130.1-2). In saying this, Baker appeared to disregard the fact that Diana = Removal of Murder as a Possible Verdict could not possibly have known the crash was about to occur. On the morning of 31 March, at the start of his summing up, Why would she particularly mention it at that stage when she was Lord Justice Scott Baker announced to the jury that he was on holiday, happy and in love, and she had already discussed her withdrawing murder from the possible verdicts available to them. fears with Mohamed A] Fayed earlier during that summer. He stated: "My direction in law to you is that it is not open to Early on | April, during his summing up of evidence given by you to find that Diana and Dodi were unlawfully killed in a Diana's butler Paul Burrell (14-16 January 2008), Baker staged accident" (13.25, 14.1-2). recounted what Burrell alleges he was told Baker went on to explain: "When a by Her Majesty the Queen in December coroner leaves a verdict of unlawful killing, 1997: "Be careful, Paul; no one has been as in this case on the basis of a staged close to a member of my family as you have. accident, to a jury, he must identify to the There are powers at work in this country of jury the evidence on which they could be which we have no knowledge. Do you sure of such a conclusion. But in this case understand?" (5.9-12) sufficient evidence simply does not exist" The Coroner then went on to say: (14.11-15). "Members of the jury, assuming something Baker appeared In what then may have seemed confusing like those words were said, you may think it to be conceding that to the jury, Baker continued: "This does arses orcemazrmtione beaknomt | there was evidence st hover. neu tale sets to do with a staged collision in a tunnel three of a staged crash, staged crash are irrelevant. and a half months before" (5.18-22). Because there is some evidence, albeit Burrell had only recently lost his boss in a but not enough to limited and of doubtful quality, that the car crash, the circumstances of which raised enable him to allow crash was staged, it will be necessary for many unanswered questions. Yet Baker was effectively making out that the jurors were fools if they saw any connection between the Paris crash and the Queen's comment. Given the context in which Burrell had met his former boss, the Queen, because of post-crash events, and given that the meeting was within a few months of the crash, it seems reasonably logical that the comment could have had some connection with the crash. Later on the same day, | April, you to consider it in the context of the five verdicts that are open to you" (14.18-24). Baker appeared to be conceding that there was evidence of a staged crash, but not enough to enable him to allow the jury to be given the opportunity to decide that it was murder. This inquest was conducted in the midst of a background of unanswered questions regarding the crash that occurred in circumstances which have led millions of people around the Baker summarised the evidence of world to believe it is possible that David Laurent, who was driving Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi through the tunnel ahead of the Mercedes immediately before the Fayed were murdered. The jury members faithfully sat there crash. In his statements that were read to the jury on the morning through the six months of evidence, believing they had been the jury to be given the opportunity to decide that it was murder. of 11 October 2007, Laurent related that he had to swerve to assigned the task of determining whether this was in fact the avoid a slow-moving car as he entered the Alma Tunnel. Baker case. stated that Laurent described this car as "a small light hatchback" It could be argued that, at the very last moment, the Coroner (107.3-4). A closer look at David Laurent's evidence shows that virtually pulled the rug out from underneath the inquest. The he gave two descriptions of this car. In his first statement, given very purpose of the inquest was to establish whether Diana and to the French police on 14 October 1997, he s: "It was a small Dodi were murdered. light-coloured hatchback car" (23.17). His second statement, The very purpose of having a jury make the decision was in given to the French police in April 1998, has more detail: "It was order to remove the possibility of an Establishment cover-up. an old model, a light coloured, white or beige, a Fiat Uno type What happened is that at the very end of the inquest, Coroner car" (53.2-3). The Coroner changed "light coloured, white or Baker ruled that the jury should no longer be entrusted with the beige" to "light", giving a completely different meaning to the power to decide on whether a murder took place. In so doing, description (107.4). Furthermore, he failed to mention "old instead of quelling allegations of a cover-up, Baker added fuel to model" and "Fiat Uno type car". them. Baker appeared to be conceding that there was evidence of a staged crash, but not enough to enable him to allow the jury to be given the opportunity to decide that it was murder. 28 = NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2008 Was There Judicial Bias? www.nexusmagazine.com