The man who pointed a gun at a photographer in front of Pippa Middleton is a senior adviser to one of the world's leading small arms manufacturers, it emerged today.
Lawyer Romain Rabillard, 36, was pictured aiming what looked like a semi-automatic pistol as he drove his convertible Audi through Paris.
Others travelling in the car on Saturday have described the gun as a 'children's toy', claiming that the whole incident was a 'joke and a funny game'.
Lawyer: Romain Rabillard, who pointed a gun at a photographer in front of Pippa Middleton, recently advised Heckler & Koch on a multi-million pound refinancing deal
Ladies' man: Mr Rabillard has this week taken time off work and disappeared from his £2,000-per-month rented penthouse in central Paris
A Heckler & Koch pistol that looks similar to the 'gun' Mr Rabillard pointed at a photographer on Saturday
But a source at the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch today confirmed that Mr Rabillard represented them in legal matters.
He recently advised them on a multi-million pound refinancing deal, regularly meeting with Heckler & Koch representatives in France and Germany.
The firm is well known for its range of USP semi-automatic pistols, which are used by the military, police forces, security firms and private individuals who need to defend themselves.
The revelation follows claims that the French police were told to scale down their investigation into the threatening of a photographer because of Pippa's involvement.
Mr Rabillard has, meanwhile, taken time off work, and disappeared from his £2,000-per-month rented penthouse in central Paris.
Mr Rabillard, who was called to the Paris bar in 2005, technically faces a prison sentence of up to seven years if prosecutors can prove that the weapon is real.
Even if it was a fake gun - or one modified to fire blanks - Mr Rabillard could be jailed for up to two years.
He has been 'lying low' since pictures of the incident were published, said a close friend, and was today absent from his desk at Shearman and Sterling, the American law firm based on the Champs Elysee.
Mr Rabillard, who is single, is part of a fast-living set of Parisians who have grown close to Pippa in recent years.
He is frequently seen driving around the city in his convertible Audi, and attends friends' parties in London, on the French Riviera, and in the Alps.
Gun drama: With Pippa Middleton in the front seat, driver Romain Rabillard aimed what looked like a semi-automatic pistol as he drove his convertible Audi through Paris on Saturday
Taking aim: As the others laugh and smile, the driver of the car Pippa was in points the pistol directly at a photographer
In recent publicity photographs he is shown dressed as a boxer and as a pouting gigolo with a chest wig and dark glasses.
A photo taken at a particularly wild party shows a wild-eyed Mr Rabillard dressed in his boxer shorts and an open shirt after downing a glass of spirits.
'Romain is a very hard working lawyer, but he absolutely loves to let his hair down,' said a close friend in Paris.
'He's always planning holidays and weekends away, and ends up being the life and soul of the party. Calling him a wild man would be about right!'
The emergence of Mr Rabillard's name comes as police in the French capital said they were ordered to 'downscale' the enquiry into the Pippa incident following 'an intervention from London'.
Today they said the case was a 'low priority' - prompting accusations of a cover-up.
'If the suspects involved were ordinary kids from the estates they would have been brought in by now,' said one officer.
'As it is this case is being dealt with at a very high level. Lots of meetings have taken place to discuss the sensitivity of the issue, and there has been an intervention from London.'
Retail therapy: Pippa had made a last-minute dash to the shops before hopping into Mr Rabillard's convertible
'Wild man': Mr Rabillard was today described as a hard worker who loves to let his hair down in his spare time
France is currently on heightened security alert after Islamic terrorist Mohammed Merah used a handgun to murder seven people in the south-west of the country last month.
Two men were also arrested in the Paris area at the weekend in connection with four murders carried out with a pistol in the nearby Essonne department over the past five months.
On Friday, Pippa, whose sister is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, attended a lavish fancy dress party to celebrate the 30th birthday of Arthur de Soultrait, a Paris fashion entrepreneur.
Arthur can be seen sitting in the back of the Audi wearing a blue baseball cap, alongside a man believed to be his younger brother, Marcy de Soultrait.
Marcy de Soultrait insisted the gun in question was a child's toy and that the royal in-law thought the entire incident was 'a very funny game'.
On the gilded throne: Pippa Middleton and other female guests pose with Vicomte de Soultrait (centre) at his 30th birthday party on Friday night
Party people: Pippa posed happily with the Vicomte de Soultrait (left) at the celebration
Mr De Soultrait claimed: 'It was a children's toy that the driver had in his car. Pippa thought it was funny.
'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.
'The paparazzo saw the toy and he knew it was a toy, he has said so. You English need to get over it. It was just a joke that has been blown out of all proportion.'
A source close to the photographer who was threatened said he denied Mr De Soultrait's claim, saying: 'He was extremely scared. This was not a joke.'
A source at Shearman & Sterling confirmed that Mr Rabillard last year represented Heckler & Koch in a £295million high yield bond offering designed to refinance the company.
Asked where Mr Rabillard was, the source said: 'He's gone away. You will have to contact him via his email.'
