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Attempt 'to slow down' Diana car Attempt 'to slow down' Diana car
(31 minutes 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' as it entered the Pont d'Alma tunnel.Witness Olivier Partouche told an inquest into her death that the dark car was in front of the princess' 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
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, was standing at the side of the road on the approach to the underpass when he says 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 on Wednesday 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, following the Princess' car, were "a number of motorcycles". 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.
In a statement made to police two hours after the crash, he said the car had been travelling at 150 km/h (93mph) but, on Wednesday, he said he thought it was slightly slower than this. 'Blocking vehicle'
In that 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 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".
"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 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."