Jurors at the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, were today shown graphic photographs taken by the paparazzi of her dying in the back seat of the wrecked Mercedes.

The pictures were pixellated, but show Diana, recognisable with her blonde hair, being tended to by emergency doctor Frederic Mailliez inside the tunnel under the Pont de l’Alma in Paris where the car carrying the Princess and her companion, Dodi Fayed, crashed in the early hours of August 31, 1997.

One picture, taken by Laslo Veres, appeared to show Diana on the floor of the crumpled wreckage with one leg raised.

Another shows photographer Romuald Rat squatting next to the open door of the Mercedes, which had crashed into a pillar in the tunnel after being pursued by paparazzi who had followed it from the Ritz Hotel.

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BACKGROUND

• Separating fact from fiction in the great Diana conspiracy

• ‘Diana decision is yours alone’

• Inquest hears evidence Diana was on the Pill

• Jury duty with a Royal difference

• Was Diana’s death part of a secret plot?

Related Internet Links

• Coroner's inquest - Official Site

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The photographs – which will not be released to the public – were among hundreds taken by the paparazzi that night and shown to the inquest, which is taking place at London’s High Court.

The images include the Princess and Mr Fayed leaving the Ritz just after midnight, and also the immediate aftermath of the accident which killed Mr Fayed and driver Henri Paul, and seriously injured bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones. Diana was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead a few hours later.

A series of eight photos were also shown which show the Mercedes with the car doors closed - proving that the photographers stood outside taking photos before trying to help the occupants of the mangled Mercedes.

Witness Noe da Silva said he saw a group of three or four photographers standing in a semi-circle taking photos of the car which had no doors open.

He said as he drove past he looked back and saw “blood, airbags and silhouettes in the car” and realised its occupants were still inside.

“I was very shocked because I could even see people very clearly in the windscreen – it gave me a shock,” he said.

Mr da Silva had driven through the tunnel before any of the emergency service crews had arrived.

“When I was going through the tunnel I did not see anyone helping people in the car at all,” he said.

Michael Mansfield QC, lawyer for Dodi’s father Mohamed al Fayed, said it was obvious the photographers had no problem taking pictures of the crashed Mercedes and its dead and dying occupants.

Mr Mansfield said: “It is perfectly clear from the photographs the jury has been through that the paparazzi who were present at the scene of the crash had no compunction about taking photographs of the victims both inside the car and being carried outside the car.”

Inspector Paul Carpenter, of the Metropolitan Police, who talked the jury through the photos, replied: “None whatsoever.”

Explaining his decision not to release the pictures publicly, the coroner, Lord Justice Scott Baker said: “Although ordinarily everything that the jury hears and sees will go almost immediately on the inquest website, these photographs will not go on the website for the reason that it is possible for photographs that have been pixellated to be unpixellated if they get into certain hands.”

Police mugshots of 17 paparazzi - including Jacques Langevin, Serge Benhamou, Fabrice Chassery and Mr Rat - which were taken as part of the French investigation into the crash, were also shown in court.

Jacques Langevin, Fabrice Chassery and Christian Martinez were later cleared of any blame for the accident by two different French investigations, but were convicted of breaching privacy laws for taking photos of Diana and Mr Fayed. They were given a symbolic fine of one euro.

This morning the inquest into the death of Diana heard evidence from a witness who drove through the tunnel just before the crash.

David Laurent was driving with his girlfriend Nathalie Blanchard through the tunnel and had to swerve to avoid a “light-coloured hatchback” which was travelling slowly into the tunnel.

Seconds later the couple said they heard the blast of a horn, screeching and a loud crash as they were driving out the other end.

The inquest, which began last week, was adjourned until Monday. It is expected to last six months.

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