A London jury concluded today that the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed were caused by the “grossly negligent driving” of her chauffeur, Henri Paul, and the paparazzi pursuing them.

The conclusion today comes after a six month inquest which heard testimony from over 250 witnesses. The jury, returning a majority verdict with nine in favor and two against, also concluded that by not wearing seat belts the couple contributed to their deaths.

The couple died on August 31, 1997, when their speeding car slammed into a concrete tunnel pillar while being chased through Paris by photographers in cars and on motorbikes.

Dodi’s father, the Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed still contends the couple were killed in a plot hatched by the British government to prevent Diana from giving birth to a child conceived with Dodi. However, to this day there has been no evidence that Princess Diana was even pregnant.

I don’t believe it was a conspiracy that killed Diana, but I definitely believe the paparazzi contributed significantly to her death. It’s only a matter of time until a celebrity in America is killed being chased by photographers who have absolutely no concern for anyone’s safety.

The insane tactics of the paparazzi combined with a slightly intoxicated driver and created the perfect conditions for a tragedy.

Diana’s death is a tragedy that unfortunately is destined to happen again unless new laws are drafted to put some kind of check on the lunatic paparazzi both in the U.S. and Britain.

-Chris Jones