Shropshire Star

Diana's bodyguard 'now abroad'

Shropshire bodyguard Trevor Rees, who nearly died with Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed when their car crashed in Paris almost 10 years ago, is currently living overseas, it has emerged. Shropshire bodyguard Trevor Rees, who nearly died with Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed when their car crashed in Paris almost 10 years ago, is currently living overseas, it has emerged. Counsel representing Mr Rees told a preliminary hearing for the inquests of the Princess of Wales and Mr al Fayed at the the High Court yesterday that the sole survivor of the crash now "works abroad". Paul Bleasdale QC, acting on behalf of the bodyguard's instructing solicitors Stevens Lucas of Oswestry, gave no particulars as to his client's whereabouts. However, he raised the issue to warn Baroness Butler-Sloss, who will hear the inquests, that Mr Rees's employers would need to be contacted to ascertain his availability to give evidence during the inquests. Read the full story in the Shropshire Star

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Shropshire bodyguard Trevor Rees, who nearly died with Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed when their car crashed in Paris almost 10 years ago, is currently living overseas, it has emerged.

Counsel representing Mr Rees told a preliminary hearing for the inquests of the Princess of Wales and Mr al Fayed at the the High Court yesterday that the sole survivor of the crash now "works abroad".

Paul Bleasdale QC, acting on behalf of the bodyguard's instructing solicitors Stevens Lucas of Oswestry, gave no particulars as to his client's whereabouts.

However, he raised the issue to warn Baroness Butler-Sloss, who will hear the inquests, that Mr Rees's employers would need to be contacted to ascertain his availability to give evidence during the inquests. He also urged the coroner to allow Mr Rees to give all his evidence in one sitting.

Following calls from lawyers representing Harrods boss Mohammed al Fayed to postpone the case until October 1, Mr Bleasdale told the coroner: "You will be pleased to know that on behalf of Mr Rees we don't particularly mind when the inquest starts proper, but it is Mr Rees's hope that it will be done as expeditiously as possible and that he will be able to give his evidence in one go."

Lady Butler-Sloss said the request was "entirely reasonable". "I am well aware he was one of those involved in the crash and it will be extremely painful for him.," she said.

Mr Rees, formerly known as Rees-Jones, of Oswestry, who was seriously injured in the crash on August 31, 1997, is expected to be questioned by the counsel of all other interested parties in the case.

Mr Bleasdale said he envisaged his client might be challenged "on a very wide-ranging examination".

He asked that the representatives for the other parties involved, which include Mr al Fayed, the parents of driver Henri Paul, the Queen, the Ritz Hotel and the commissioner of the police, indicate what those areas might be.

During a previous hearing in January, the coroner ruled Mr Rees should be called as a witness because he could bear some blame for the car crash. She declared him an "interested person" because he was a front seat passenger, and particularly because he was the bodyguard and a finger of blame could be pointed at him.

Yesterday, in a document presented to the court, he appeared on a first draft list of witnesses. The coroner directed there should be another pre-inquest hearing starting on March 21.