Britain: As the investigation continues into the
car crash which killed Princess Diana, her friend
Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul, the
French prosecutor's office confirmed yesterday
that traces of two anti-depressants were found in
Mr Paul's blood sample, both of which may be used
to treat chronic alcoholism.

Also last night there was confirmation from a
lawyer acting for the al-Fayed family in Paris that
photographs have emerged showing Mr Paul clearly
"dazzled" by the flash of a camera close to the car.

Earlier this week a third blood test revealed that he
was three times over the legal alcohol limit when
he was driving the princess and Dodi Fayed from
the Ritz hotel, but the statement from the French
prosecutor's office confirmed that the test also
revealed traces of two anti-depressant drugs:
fluoxetine and triapride. Triapride can be used to
treat pain or aggression and the larger, "therapeutic
dose" of fluoxetine is a key ingredient in the
anti-depressant, prozac.

However, with the Ritz hotel facing possible legal
action for allegedly allowing a drunk and
unqualified employee to drive the car in which the
princess was killed, a spokesman for the al-Fayed
family said it would be seeking "professional
advice" on the results of the driver's blood test. 

Earlier, the existence of the photographs was
verified last night by Mr Bernard Dartevelle, a
lawyer for the al-Fayed family in Paris, who said
two frames from a paparazzo's roll of film which
was seized by the French police after the crash
showed Mr Paul "dazzled by a flash". The princess
could be seen turning in her seat to look behind her
at the yellow headlight of a motorcycle, while the
princess's bodyguard, Mr Trevor Rees-Jones, who
was the only person to survive the crash, could be
seen lowering the visor in the front.

The film is being held by French police and has not
been released, but although Mr Dartevelle said he
had access to the photographs he has refused to
reveal the identity of the photographer. However, a
defence lawyer in the case, who has declined to be
identified, also confirmed the existence of the
photographs.

Until Mr Rees-Jones recovers sufficiently to give
evidence to the French prosecutors, speculation
over the exact nature of the crash will continue as
blame shifts from Mr Paul to the paparazzi and
back again.

Mr Dartevelle insisted last night there were no
"objective means" of establishing the speed of the
car immediately before the crash and he said he
believed a second car and a motorcycle had tried to
slow down the princess's car in order to take
photographs.

"A [car] driver, who is maybe a photographer, and
a motorcyclist, also perhaps a photographer, are
very directly implicated in this accident," Mr
Dartevelle added.

However, it was not clear precisely where on the
1.8-mile drive the pictures of the startled driver
were taken. Earlier photos on the roll showed the
princess and Dodi Fayed getting into the Mercedes.

Meanwhile, a Sardinian tourist in London was
fined £100 yesterday for the theft of a teddy bear
that was placed among the flowers outside St
James's Palace as a tribute to the princess. As he
left Bow Street Magistrates' Court, Fabio Piras was
punched by a bystander.

It was also confirmed yesterday that the royal
family's jewellers, Asprey, had made a single
donation of £3 million to the Diana, Princess of
Wales Memorial Fund. The donation was made on
behalf of Asprey's employees.

Yesterday, the princess's sons, Prince William and
Prince Harry, returned to school for the first time
since the accident.

The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, yesterday
denied that he had been embroiled in reported rows
between the Spencer family and Buckingham over
last week's funeral arrangements. The Dail
yesterday paid its respects to Princess Diana.

[Irish Times 11 September 1997]