Diana butler could face perjury investigation

Diana, Princess of Wales’s former butler Paul Burrell today faced a possible perjury investigation after refusing to return to her inquest to answer accusations that he lied in his evidence.

The servant and reality television star was secretly recorded in a New York hotel last month admitting he did not tell the “whole truth” when he faced the London inquest.

Mr Burrell (aged 49) was grilled for three days by barristers at the High Court hearing in January.

During his appearance, he initially refused to reveal a mysterious “secret” Diana referred to in a letter she left for him shortly before her death in 1997.

After being pressed by coroner Scott Baker however, he claimed it had been about a move abroad – something the coroner said was not a secret at all.

Mr Burrell, who lives primarily in Florida, was also sent on a near 400-mile round trip to his UK home in Farndon, Cheshire, to retrieve a letter which referred to the “secret”, only to return saying it was not there.

In a conversation in a New York hotel however, he later admitted: “I did not tell the whole truth.”

He added: “I was very naughty, and I laid a couple of red herrings.”

Speaking openly about the possibility of perjury – which he denied – Mr Burrell admitted he had “f***ed” his integrity.

He also claimed Diana was with him “spiritually” and said he felt her presence when he gave his controversial evidence, but that he had been keeping a “bigger secret” for her.

In a frank exchange, he also claimed that Mohamed al Fayed was “dying”.

The conversation was recorded on video and details were revealed in The Sun newspaper last month, sparking a call from Baker for Mr Burrell to return to give more evidence.

The court heard today however that Mr Burrell has refused to do so and, being outside the UK, cannot be forced to.

A spokesman for the coroner said today that it was not within his remit to investigate perjury and had no plans to do so, but did not categorically rule it out after the inquest ends.

He also emphasised that it was open to anyone to bring a complaint to police against Mr Burrell.

“It is not within his remit, he’s not going to get involved with it for the reason that it could guide the jury,” the spokesman said.

“Anybody could ask the police to look into this if they so chose and it would be up to the police.”

Asked if this meant the coroner would never do so, even after the jury had returned its verdict, he said: “I can’t give you any guidance on that.”

Mr Burrell has since provided a statement to the court in which he denied lying in court.

He claimed to have been drinking heavily and had been simply “showing off”.

He said: “I am not proud of this. I was trying to impress him. The comments I made to him were not correct.”

He added: “I accept that whilst I was under cross-examination my evidence may at times have strayed from the strictly relevant, but at no time did I tell any untruths. I tried to assist the court as far as I was able.”