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This raises the question: who took these photos through the * no access to original witness statements, despite the crash untinted windows of the Mercedes $280 on its final trip? Were having occurred over 10 years before; they men on motorbikes masquerading as paparazzi with the ¢a large number of crucial witnesses failing to give evidence purpose of harming the occupants of the Mercedes, but hoping and not being required to; that blame would later be attributed to the paparazzi? ¢ removal by the Coroner of murder as a possible verdict open It is to the shame of both the French and British inquiries that, to the jury. after five years of "thorough" investigation, none of these Was the inquest really thorough? motorbikes has been identified. Were the jury members provided with the evidence that really There are also motorbikes—probably the same ones—that would have enabled them to achieve a unanimous verdict? were seen fleeing the crash scene, and cars including the white Did the Coroner place trust in the ability of the jury to be able Fiat Uno that were witnessed fleeing after the crash. The reality to decide on the evidence? is that the police on both sides of the Channel have only ever It seems almost unfair that the jury should have been expected officially identified one vehicle in this entire case, and that is the to reach a verdict in the above circumstances. It is as though the crashed Mercedes S280. jury members achieved a verdict with at least one hand tied The question must be raised: if the riders, passengers and behind their back. drivers of the vehicles that were clearly witnessed fleeing the It would also seem likely that the general public's perception, crash scene have nothing to hide, why is it that the British and French governments that not one of them has come forward to have not been up front about the explain their actions? circumstances and events surrounding the Paris crash, would seem justified by the way Requirement of Jury Unanimity in which this inquest was conducted. On the morning of 31 March 2008, as To those who say "It's over ten years now; Coroner Scott Baker commenced his it's time to move on": does the fact that a lengthy summing up, he instructed the On 7 April crime or a gross injustice occurred a decade jury: "Whatever your verdict, whether } ago mean that it is of less importance and unlawful killing, accident or open, it must he [the Coroner] significance than if it happened yesterday? be unanimous. There are circumstances in made no attempt to It is this attitude of public complacency which a majority verdict can be accepted, toe and wanting to "move on" by so many people but they have not arisen in this case and, if explain In what way that has helped enable one of the greatest they do, I shall give you a separate H crimes and, equally, one of the greatest direction about it" (15.5-10). the circumstances cover-ups of our time to have been Later, on the morning of 2 April, had now changed to perpetrated and successfully carried out. just before he sent the jury out to tapi oo deliberate. he reiterated: With each enable a majority verdict, whether unlawful killing, verdict to be Endnotes accident or open, it must be the verdict of all 11 of you" (51.22-23). At 3.30 pm on 7 April, after the jury had been out for three-and-a-half days without reaching a unanimous verdict, the Coroner told them: "The position is this, that the time has now been reached when I am able to accept from you a verdict upon which at least nine of you are agreed" (full- 2. To view and download an English day transcript, 3.15-18). translation of the final report by the There is no correlation between Baker's earlier requirement that Public Prosecutor's Office in Paris, originally obtained by the the verdict must be unanimous, and his later statement that some London Sunday Times, go to http://www.geocities.com/ sort of mysterious time limit had been reached and the rules could wellesley/6226/report.htm?200613. be changed to a majority of nine being acceptable. The Coroner 3. To view and download the Operation Paget inquiry report, go had already stated on 31 March that the "circumstances in which a to http://www.met.police.uk/news/operation_paget_report.htm. majority verdict can be accepted have not arisen in this case". On 7 April, he made no attempt to explain in what way the About the Author: circumstances had now changed to enable a majority verdict to be — John Morgan is an investigative journalist and writer based acceptable. in Brisbane, Australia. Since 2005, he has carried out This evidence indicates that, in reality, the result in the case of | extensive full-time research into the circumstances the inquest into the deaths of Diana and Dodi should have beena — surrounding the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. His hung jury. book, Cover-up of a Royal Murder: Hundreds of Errors in tha Danat Danavt lavinilahia fram httn:/Aananar thadiananiat 1. To view and download transcripts and other published material from the "Coroner's Inquests into the Deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Mr Dodi Al Fayed", go to http://www.scottbaker-inquests.gov.uk. Note that the page numbering in the transcripts is at the bottom of each page. acceptable. On 7 April, he [the Coroner] made no attempt to explain in what way the circumstances had now changed to enable a majority verdict to be acceptable. About the Author: John Morgan is an investigative journalist and writer based in Brisbane, Australia. Since 2005, he has carried out extensive full-time research into the circumstances surrounding the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. His book, Cover-up of a Royal Murder: Hundreds of Errors in the Paget Report (available from http://www thedianaplot. com and http://www.allbookstores.com), is reviewed in this edition of NEXUS. John Morgan can be contacted by email at shining.bright@optusnet.com.au. Did Justice Prevail? Did the inquest achieve justice for Diana, Princess of Wales, Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul? The following restraints were placed on the jury: 30 + NEXUS JUNE — JULY 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com