Photographer who took dying Diana crash pictures skips inquest over 'lies'

Romuald Rat, who was the first photographer on the scene of the crash, said he had been defamed by "lies" and that he was not prepared to give evidence "today or any other day".

Rat struck a six-figure deal with a tabloid newspaper for his images of the dying princess with blood trickling down her face in the mangled Mercedes, London's High Court heard.

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But yesterday Rat rejected the claims in an e-mail to the author Martyn Gregory, who has written about Diana's death.

The message, which was not shown to the court, read: "This allegation is a total lie and defamatory and I will be very attentive in respect of my honour."

The inquest heard from The Sun's former picture editor Ken Lennox, who said at midnight on the day of the crash he agreed to pay a French photographer £300,000 for images of the dying princess.

He called them "sensational news pictures" of a woman who had "fallen from grace".

But when it emerged Diana had died, Mr Lennox said the photographs were "flushed" - wiped from the newspaper's system.

Mr Lennox told the inquest that he had originally identified the caller as Romuald Rat.

But yesterday he accepted that it could not have been Rat as he had already been arrested in the Alma tunnel by French police at the time of the call.

A French court also found in 2000 that Rat had gone to the aid of Diana, taking her pulse and offering words of comfort.

Two paparazzi, Fabrice Chassery and David Oderkerken, have since claimed to have taken the five photographs.

The court heard Diana had been aggressively pursued by paparazzi in the days before her death and had even asked one photographer why she was such a matter of interest.

The hearing continues.