Top lawyer says Princess Diana 'was killed after plan to frighten her went wrong'

[Jan Klimkowski]

More from the Mail:

Diana death driver's family delighted at police probe into claims she was murdered by a British soldier

Family of Henri Paul, who died in the 1997 crash, welcomed investigation
Scotland Yard's specialist crime and operations command assessing information handed to it by the Royal Military Police
Allegations emerged in second court martial of Sergeant Danny Nightingale
Paul's mother said family 'know in our hearts that our son was murdered'

By Keith Gladdis

PUBLISHED: 00:12, 19 August 2013 | UPDATED: 08:17, 19 August 2013

An investigation into a claim the SAS was involved in the death of Princess Diana has been welcomed by the family of Henri Paul, her driver on the night she died.

Scotland Yard has confirmed that officers from its specialist crime and operations command are assessing information handed to it recently' by the Royal Military Police.

The extraordinary allegation emerged during the second court martial of Sergeant Danny Nightingale, who was found guilty of illegally possessing a gun and ammunition.

The family of Henri Paul (right) who was driving Princess Diana (left) when she died have welcomed the news that Scotland Yard are assessing information that she was killed by a SAS soldier

Princess Diana and with Dodi Fayed (pictured together on the night they died) were killed alongside Henri Paul when the car crashed in a Paris tunnel

It was outlined in a letter seen by the Daily Mail and written by the mother-in-law of an SAS sniper, known only as Soldier N, who was a key witness for the prosecution.

The eight-page correspondence claims Soldier N boasted it was the SAS that had arranged Princess Diana's death' and that it had been covered up'.

Soldier N is also accused of saying he could enlist the help of his colleagues to ensure his wife the mother of his two children would disappear'.

The letter says Soldier N told his wife there is a box which members of his unit use for private jobs'. They put in the box the name, address and details of what they want done and then one of them who wants to earn extra money does that job.'

When Soldier N was challenged by his mother-in-law, he is accused of saying: Let me stop you right there I kill women and I kill children.'

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed officers are scoping' the details of the new information and assessing its relevance and credibility'.

The jury in the 2008 inquest concluded its verdict as 'unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes', the Met said

An inquest in 2008 found that Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were unlawfully killed due to the gross negligence' of Mr Paul, a security manager at the Paris Ritz Hotel, who had been drinking.

However, the driver's mother Gisele said she believed her son was murdered together with Diana and Mr Al Fayed when the Mercedes he was driving crashed in an underpass.

Mrs Paul, 83, said: We believe there was a plot to kill the Princess that terrible night in August 1997.

We know in our hearts that our son was murdered and we still live with the hope that one day the truth will be known.'

The new information was also welcomed by Dodi's father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who also insists the couple were murdered. He said he trusted the Metropolitan Police would investigate the new claims with vigour'.

Sergeant Nightingale, 38, was found guilty last month of illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition at a Hereford house he shared with Soldier N.

Soldier N, who is serving a custodial sentence for possessing firearms at the same address, was originally reported to the police by his wife, from whom he is now separated.

The letter was sent to Soldier N's commanding officer in September 2011 and passed to the Service Prosecuting Authority before the start of the Nightingale trial.

All references to the SAS were removed by the SPA.

The paragraph referring to the death of Diana says: He also told her (his wife) that it was the XXX who arranged Princess Diana's death and that has been covered up.'

Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed at the Ritz Hotel before they both died

Scotland Yard confirmed officers from its specialist crime and operations command are assessing information handed to it by the Royal Military Police. Pictured: The couple at the Ritz Hotel before they both died

Soldier N's wife last night told the Daily Mail that she had not spoken to detectives about the allegations.

She said: I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. The local police are making sure we are okay.'

The new claims were described as mystifying' yesterday by Dai Davies, a former Head of Royal Protection.

Mr Davies insisted the deaths were an accident by any definition' and that three separate inquiries had come to the same independent conclusion'.

A royal spokesman said there would be no comment from the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry or Clarence House.