Pippa Middleton Cleared After 'Toy' Gun Incident
Pippa Middleton is unlikely to face charges after a recent incident involving an alleged toy gun in Paris, according to new reports.
Middleton, who is the older sister of the future British queen Catherine, 30, was photographed in the passenger seat of an Audi convertible. The driver reportedly pointed what appeared to be a semi automatic pistol at a photographer, according to the New York Post.
"We had been following Pippa since the beginning of the day. She was hyper cool, we even spoke with her and her friends. It was a fine day, and the atmosphere was truly very relaxed," the paparazzi photographer told Gala magazine.
"When the driver pulled out his plastic pistol, it was for a joke, to amuse. A few minutes later, when the vehicle had parked, I was able to touch the plastic weapon which the driver showed to me. It was possible to see that it was the kind of thing you would find in a toy shop," he added.
French police confirmed that although they are currently investigating the matter, Middleton, 27, will not be questioned and will not face criminal charges.
The driver of the vehicle has been identified as Romain Rabillard, a 36-year-old attorney who also acts as a senior adviser to one of the world's leading German small arms manufacturers, Heckler & Koch, according to Mail Online.
While other passengers described the incident as being an intended "joke and a funny game," Rabillard could face up to two years behind bars if law enforcement decide to file criminal charges against him.
Middleton was reportedly in Paris for a friend's birthday party, and was with the extent of media coverage that the incident has received.
"Pippa is a very good friend of mine and this gun affair is very silly. It was a children's toy that the driver had in his car. Pippa thought it was funny," Middleton's friend, Marcy de Soultrait, told Mail Online.
"It is fine in France to do that and the police are not investigating. In France there is no problem, just in England. You English think there is a problem, which is crazy. I have spoken with Pippa, she thinks this is all a joke and a funny game. We were just having a laugh. We are funny people, it's what we do," he added.
