Princess Diana’s former butler has refused to come back to London to testify for the second time in the inquest, the judge in charge with the case said on Thursday.

Paul Burrell, 49, was heard in the case in January, but subsequently the British tabloid the Sun published some news according to which Burrell might have withheld important information to the inquest. The Sun claimed that it has a footage in which Diana’s former butler admits to having given “a couple of red herrings” during the January hearing. If confirmed, Burrell may face perjury investigation.

“Do you honestly think I've told everything I know? Of course I haven't... I didn't tell the whole truth,” he said.

Burrell is now in the United States, where the footage was allegedly filmed. Judge Scott Baker, who is leading the inquest at London’s High Court, considered it important for the inquest to question Burrell again, to clear the situation. But, the latter has refused to testify in person or via videolink.

“Mr. Burrell has refused to do this and, as he is currently outside the court's jurisdiction, the coroner has no power to compel him to give evidence,” he said in a statement.

As regards his videotaped conversation with an unidentified person in a New York hotel room, Burrell made a statement on February 26, which was read to the jury. In the statement Burrell dismisses the fact that he might have concealed anything significant to the inquiry, CNN informs.

“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,” he said, adding that “I am not proud of this. I was trying to impress him. The comments I made to him were not correct,” and were made when he was “tired and depressed and had been drinking all evening.”

French and British police investigations have both found that Diana and Dodi died in a car accident caused by the fact that their driver was drunk and was driving at a high speed.

The inquest into the death of the Princess and her boyfriend, Dodi al Fayed, opened five months ago. Dodi’s father, Mohammed al Fayed said he believed the couple were killed by British security forces on the orders of Prince Phillip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, because Diana was pregnant with Dodi’s child and had marriage plans.