06/03/2007

Diana inquest death postponed

The inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed has been postponed until October 1.

The coroner, Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, has delayed the start of the inquest in order to allow more time for evidence to be collected.

Mohammed Al Fayed, Dodi's father, had requested Baroness Butler-Sloss postpone the inquests, which are due to begin in May. Mr Al Fayed has always claimed that the couple, who died in a car crash in the Pont d'Alma tunnel in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi, were murdered.

On Monday, Mr Al Fayed was asked to provide any evidence to the inquest suggesting that the couple were murdered.

Speaking at a pre-inquest hearing, Baroness Butler-Sloss said that she had not been given "a shred of evidence" about the allegations.

On Friday, Mr Al Fayed won a ruling at the High Court requiring the inquests to be heard before a jury of ordinary people.

An inquest into the deaths, led by former Metropolitan Police chief Lord Stevens, concluded that their deaths were an accident and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy to have the couple murdered.

(KMcA/JM)


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