Diana Inquest: 'Drunken Henri Paul Walked Like A Clown'
Written by Joanne Leyland
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Page 1 of 3
A barman at The Ritz Hotel in Paris has told the inquest into the deaths of
Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed that driver Henri Paul was drunk and "walking like a clown" just hours before the crash.
Speaking through an interpreter as he gave evidence via videolink from Paris, Alain
Willaumez said of Henri Paul, who also died in the crash: "I saw him
drunk."
The jury at the inquest has previously seen CCTV footage which shows that Paul
visited the hotel bar twice, for a total of around forty minutes, from 10pm on
the evening of Saturday 30th August 1997.
It was shortly after midnight that Paul drove the powerful Mercedes into
the Alma tunnel, crashing into the thirteenth pillar. Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul
died instantly from injuries sustained in the crash. The 36-year-old princess
died in a Paris hospital less than four hours later.
Recalling the behaviour of Henri Paul shortly before the crash, Mr Willaumez
told the inquest: "I could see first through his eyes and also the way he
talked, but more especially in his eyes.”
"His eyes were brilliant, wide open and he was visibly in an abnormal
condition."
