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Boris Johnson condemns US for protecting spy’s wife who fled Britain after car crash

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Boris Johnson condemns US for protecting spy’s wife who fled Britain after car crash

Boris Johnson risked inflaming a spat with Donald Trump today as he accused the US of ‘ruthlessly’ stopping a diplomat’s wife from facing justice over a fatal car crash.The American authorities have made clear that Anne Sacoolas will not be returned to the UK to face allegations she hit and killed a British teenager while driving on the wrong side of the road.   Asked about the case this afternoon, Mr Johnson said invoking diplomatic immunity in the case was ‘inappropriate’.’In my experience, America is very, very reluctant to allow its nationals to be tried overseas, and is absolutely ruthless in enforcing the code of diplomatic immunity,’ he said.’I must say, I don’t think it was appropriate for that provision to be used in this case.’I made that point to the president, and he is sympathetic.Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to a school in Beaconsfield today) risked inflaming a spat with Donald Trump as he accused the US of ‘ruthlessly’ stopping a diplomat’s wife from facing justice over a fatal car crash Speaking to reporters in Washington overnight, Mr Trump said he had a ‘good conversation’ with the PM. ‘We are trying to work something out,’ he added.’I think we’ve just got to keep working on that and see what we can do to get justice for Harry Dunn and his family.’ The comments came after Mr Trump claimed the UK and US are ‘trying to work something out’.  Mr Dunn’s parents are flying to the US this weekend in the hope of meeting President Trump. His parents Charlotte Charles and Timm Dunn will arrive in New York on Sunday and launch a media blitz with primetime interviews with America’s three main TV networks – ABC, NBC and CBS.Meanwhile, Britain’s former Ambassador to Ireland, Sir Ivor Roberts suggested Britain could declare the US Ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, persona non grata as a result of the affair.Ambassador Johnson is a close friend of the US President and sending him home would be a significant escalation in the row.   The president attempted to cool tensions that were stoked when he defended the Ms Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity and was spirited out of Britain on a state-sponsored private jet after the crash. Mr Trump caused fury yesterday and was called ‘oafish and insulting’ by Harry’s family when he suggested Americans driving on the wrong side of the road in the UK was a common mistake, saying: ‘It happens.’ The billionaire, who owns two golf courses in Scotland and one in Ireland, then admitted he had done it himself.His incendiary intervention, just hours after Boris Johnson called him to appeal for the diplomatic immunity to be waived, sparked questions about whether the Special Relationship still exists.But speaking to reporters in Washington overnight – after his extraordinary comments – Mr Trump said he had a ‘good conversation’ with the PM. ‘We are trying to work something out,’ he added. Downing Street had raised the hopes of the family of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, announcing that Mr Johnson had spoken to the President and ‘urged him to reconsider the US position’ in a phone call.   Hopes raised: Downing Street revealed in a statement last night that Boris Johnson (pictured today) had urged Donald Trump to ‘reconsider’ over the death of Harry DunnBut Mr Trump dashed those hopes in a press conference just 46 minutes later on Wednesday night, joking about driving on the wrong side himself and saying: ‘It happens’. To make matters worse, the President accidentally revealed a briefing note which stated that ‘the spouse of the US government employee will not return to the United Kingdom’. Mr Trump was pressed again about the situation as he left Washington DC for a rally in Mineapolis last night.Asked whether the Ms Sacoolas had been spoken to, he said: ‘They are in the process of being spoken to…’I had a conversation with Boris Johnson yesterday, a good one.’We are talking about diplomatic immunity, a very interesting situation. ‘We are trying to work something out.’ Ministers have been staying tight-lipped on the row, apparently keen to avoid a public meltdown that could prevent the the issue being resolved behind the scenes. Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, the Dunn family’s local MP, tweeted last night that she was ‘pleased’ the council had agreed to ‘extending road signs around the American base, making clear which side of the road to drive on’. However, she has not done any interviews on the subject since Monday. In contrast MPs and the family have made no secret of their anger. Labour’s Wes Streeting said of Mr Trump’s comments yesterday: ‘These are crass and insensitive comments that will inflict further pain and suffering on a grieving family.’Mrs Sacoolas should return to the UK immediately to provide answers as to what happened to Harry Dunn.’The Special Relationship between our two countries has been the cornerstone of our mutual defence and prosperity for nearly a century. President Trump continually undermines that relationship.’Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also took aim at Mr Trump, saying he would ‘mount legal action’ in the US if he were Prime Minister. ‘For somebody to be killed in our country and the person who did it to flee to the United States and then claim diplomatic immunity is completely unacceptable,’ he said.  Mr Dunn’s family today branded the President ‘insensitive, clumsy and oafish’ and said they were ‘horrified by his words’.  Harry Dunn (pictured), 19, was killed n a car crash in Northamptonshire allegedly caused by the wife of an American diplomat The parents of Mr Dunn are demanding justice after the suspect, Anne Sacoolas (pictured), claimed diplomatic immunity and was spirited out of Britain after the crash The President accidentally revealed a briefing note which stated that ‘the spouse of the U.S. government employee will not return to the United Kingdom’  Mr Trump’s bombshell briefing reveals the US has already told Britain she will not be returned to the UK to face justiceSpeaking to Sky News about the briefing note, which Mr Trump accidentally flashed to cameras, the teenager’s mother Charlotte Charles said: ‘I’m just disgusted.’I don’t see the point in Boris Johnson talking to President Trump, or President Trump even taking a call from Boris Johnson.’If he’d already made his decision that if it were to be asked and if it were to be raised, the answer was already going to be no.’It’s just beyond any realm of any human thinking.’   Harry Dunn’s mother Charlotte weeps as she and her family speak to the media yesterday Charlotte Charles (left) and Tim Dunn (right), the parents of Harry Dunn, arrive with their partners at the Foreign Office today ahead of the meeting with the Foreign SecretaryThe crash took place in August outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire (pictured) – a US intelligence hub in BritainRevealed: Coroner warned 12 years ago about dangers of US service personnel driving on wrong side of road near American airbases in UK after two servicemen died in crashThe death of Harry Dunn is the fourth fatal crash in recent years where an American living at a RAF base in Britain was driving on the wrong side of the road, MailOnline can reveal today. American airmen Julious Hawkins, 25, John Biram, 27, and Hunter Davis, also 27, all died after head-on smashes near RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.The county’s coroner was so worried he wrote to US air force chiefs warning them to ‘learn lessons’ urgently after Mr Hawkins drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway for 13 miles while drunk before he smashed into an oncoming lorry in 2007.Dr Peter Dean told MailOnline today the road deaths dating back 12 years have chilling similarities to the August crash where US spy’s wife Anne Sacoolas allegedly killed Harry Dunn before fleeing the country claiming diplomatic immunity. He said: ‘This new case involves a young man who had his whole life in front of him. I feel for him and his family. I hope there will be a resolution for them. This tragedy shows that a moment’s inattention can have devastating and life-changing consequences’.Staff Sergeant Hunter Davis died in a head-on crash near his Suffolk airbase after sending text while driving in 2016. Brit David Rolfe (right) also died in a crash involving an American serviceman  Harry, 19, was killed in a car crash in Northamptonshire  six weeks ago allegedly caused by diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas who then fled the countryExplaining why he wrote the US Air Force in Suffolk in 2007 he said: ‘I was trying to raise awareness that it is a real problem after two people died having driven on the wrong side of the road.  Former Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean, who presided over two cases involving US airmen, wrote to US Air Force chiefs urging them to ‘learn lessons”If it is the case [as Trump says] that this driver was on the wrong side of the road I can really believe that. If you are focussed on something else, tired, it can be easy for a driver used to the other side of the road to drift there. The tragedy is that every now and again it happens’.Anne Sacoolas allegedly hit 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn with her Volvo SUV outside a US spy station in Northamptonshire after driving on the wrong side of the road for up to 400 yards on August 27.   Days later she was spirited from UK soil on a state-sponsored private jet from RAF Mildenhall, protected by her husband Jonathan’s diplomatic immunity. MailOnline has uncovered a string of similar cases today. In 2007 Julious Hawkins, 25, from RAF Mildenhall, died in a crash with a lorry after travelling 12 miles westbound on the eastbound carriageway of the A14 at 70mph at 3am.Tests after his death revealed he had ‘pre-coma’ levels of alcohol in his blood. He had also taken sleeping tablets. Three months later fellow serviceman John Biram, 27, from RAF Lakenheath, died in a head-on smash near Newmarket race course. He was also drunk and driving on the wrong side of the road. In the same year 56 Suffolk-based US personnel appeared at Sudbury Magistrates’ Court – the court local to the bases – in just one day to face speeding charges. In 2016 RAF Mildenhall airman Staff Sergeant Hunter Davis, 27, died after drifting on to the wrong side of the road. An investigation found the most likely cause of the three car collision was a loss of concentration due to the use of a mobile phone.  The 352d Special Operations Wing held a memorial at RAF Mildenhall on June 20 to say goodbye to SSgt Hunter Daviswho lost his life in a tragic vehicle accident after sending a text while drivingAnne Sacoolas (left, and pictured right on her wedding day in 2003) was travelling on the wrong side of the road for 400 yards before hitting him head-on, Harry Dunn’s heartbroken parents claimIn a similar case in 2013 a USAF Staff Sergeant was banned from driving after causing a head-on crash which resulted in the death of 75-year-old local man David Rolfe.Candice Griffin, who had only been in the UK for two months, failed to see on an approaching car when she pulled out from an exit at RAF Mildenhall. That collision pushed the Peugeot into the path of a Mazda being driven by Mr Rolfe, who suffered fatal chest and neck injuries.Griffin denied she was on the wrong side of the road – but admitted she had looked in both directions before beginning her move out of the airbase road but failed to look right for a second time.    This week Irving Berlin’s granddaughter was spared jail after she caused a head-on crash that killed a pensioner while holidaying in Scotland.American Caroline Emmet, who lives in Paris, was driving on the wrong side of the road when her vehicle smashed into a car in which Elizabeth Henderson, 83, was a passenger.The accident happened on the A198 in East Lothian on July 19, 2017. Mrs Henderson died two days later in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Lord Glennie deferred sentence until November next year after Emmet agreed to carry out 500 hours of unpaid work in France, where she lives. He also banned her from driving for three years. Donald Trump has upset Harry’s family and British road safety campaigners he defended the wife of a US spy who killed him while driving on the wrong side of the road. Mr Trump then said: ‘Those are the opposite roads. That can happen. I won’t say it ever happened to me, but it did. It happens. You have to be careful.’ The Dunn family called his words ‘oafish, insulting and inflammatory’. Neil Greig, Director at safety charity IAM RoadSmart said: ‘It is important that anyone who is driving in a new country takes steps to familiarise themselves with the road conditions and regulations. In areas with high numbers of visitors we would support extra signposting’.    The US Air Force insists they give servicemen and women ‘stringent’ training about driving in the UK. On top of its two-hour local road conditions course on arrival, there is a additional refresher course that all drivers under the age of 26 must complete within their first year there.  Why are Americans at RAF Croughton in the UK? RAF Croughton is an air base that is currently being leased by the US government. It houses the 422nd Air Base Group, but is also being used by spies working for the Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe (JIOCEUR). JIOCEUR is a military intelligence analysis center which is part of the Defense Intelligence Agency. The agency is an external branch of government which provides intelligence to ‘warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community’.  The entrance to RAF Croughton is shown. Sacoolas was exiting the base when she turned onto the wrong side of the road on August 27It provides intelligence information for the U.S. European and African commands as well as NATO.  The Center is based at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire but, following the 2015 announcement that it was to close in 2023, many of the positions were moved to Croughton. There are plans to consolidate it with the U.S. Africa Command to make a larger station at Croughton that will be known as the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex – a major hub for US intelligence gathering.According to locals in Croughton, the communications center – where Sacoolas’ husband is said to work – is a ‘site within the site’ which has its own separate security.  The US government is reconsidering the relocation after being met with resistance from lawmakers who said it would be too expensive.   A file photo of a geodesic dome covering radar scanners and satellite dishes at the base. It is an intelligence gathering hub which the US Defense Intelligence Agency uses to collect information from Europe and Africa   Ex-diplomat says UK should consider declaring US Ambassador Woody Johnson a ‘persona non grata’ unless Donald Trump agrees to help the investigation into the death of British teenager Harry DunnAn ex-diplomat today said the UK should consider declaring US ambassador Woody Johnson a ‘persona non grata’ unless Donald Trump changes his position on a transatlantic row about diplomatic immunity and the death of a British teenager.The US President today insisted the UK and US are ‘trying to work something out’ over his protection of an American diplomat’s wife who allegedly hit and killed Harry Dunn while driving on the wrong side of the road. The President attempted to cool mounting tensions that were stoked when he defended the suspect, Anne Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity and was spirited out of Britain on a state-sponsored private jet after the crash. Sir Ivor Roberts, a former UK ambassador in Dublin, today said Number 10 should consider telling Mr Johnson that he is no longer welcome in Britain unless the White House changes course. Sir Ivor said that while Boris Johnson will ‘doubtless continue to press’ the US President to waive immunity the chances of him doing so ‘seem fanciful’.Writing for Politico he said that if the ‘US remains deaf to appeals from the Dunn family and the government’ then the UK could ‘torpedo the diplomatic mission of the ambassador by explicitly stating that he was no longer welcome’. ‘The diplomatic term is to declare someone persona non grata,’ Sir Ivor wrote as he added ‘it cannot be business as usual with the US embassy’. Mr Trump caused fury yesterday and was called ‘oafish and insulting’ by Harry’s family when he suggested Americans driving on the wrong side of the road in the UK was a common mistake, saying: ‘It happens.’ His incendiary intervention, just hours after Mr Johnson called him to appeal for diplomatic immunity to be waived, sparked questions about whether the Special Relationship still exists.But speaking to reporters in Washington overnight – after his extraordinary comments – Mr Trump said he had a ‘good conversation’ with the PM. ‘We are trying to work something out,’ he added. Downing Street had raised the hopes of the Dunn family, announcing that Mr Johnson had spoken to the President and ‘urged him to reconsider the US position’ in a phone call.   Speaking to reporters in Washington overnight, Mr Trump said he had a ‘good conversation’ with the PM. ‘We are trying to work something out,’ he added. Hopes raised: Downing Street revealed in a statement last night that Boris Johnson (pictured today) had urged Donald Trump to ‘reconsider’ over the death of Harry Dunn Downing Street was today told by ex-diplomat Sir Ivor Roberts that it cannot be ‘business as usual’ with the US embassy as he suggested Woody Johnson, the US ambassador, could be declared a ‘persona non grata’But Mr Trump dashed those hopes in a press conference just 46 minutes later on Wednesday night, joking about driving on the wrong side himself and saying: ‘It happens’. To make matters worse, the President accidentally revealed a briefing note which stated that ‘the spouse of the US government employee will not return to the United Kingdom’. Mr Trump was pressed again about the situation as he left Washington DC for a rally in Mineapolis last night.Asked whether Ms Sacoolas had been spoken to, he said: ‘They are in the process of being spoken to…’I had a conversation with Boris Johnson yesterday, a good one. We are talking about diplomatic immunity, a very interesting situation. We are trying to work something out.’ Ministers have been staying tight-lipped on the row, apparently keen to avoid a public meltdown that could prevent the issue being resolved behind the scenes. Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, the Dunn family’s local MP, tweeted last night that she was ‘pleased’ the council had agreed to ‘extending road signs around the American base, making clear which side of the road to drive on’. However, she has not done any interviews on the subject since Monday. In contrast MPs and the family have made no secret of their anger. Labour’s Wes Streeting said of Mr Trump’s comments yesterday: ‘These are crass and insensitive comments that will inflict further pain and suffering on a grieving family.’Mrs Sacoolas should return to the UK immediately to provide answers as to what happened to Harry Dunn.’The Special Relationship between our two countries has been the cornerstone of our mutual defence and prosperity for nearly a century. President Trump continually undermines that relationship.’Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also took aim at Mr Trump, saying he would ‘mount legal action’ in the US if he were prime minister. ‘For somebody to be killed in our country and the person who did it to flee to the United States and then claim diplomatic immunity is completely unacceptable,’ he said.  Mr Dunn’s family branded the President ‘insensitive, clumsy and oafish’ and said they were ‘horrified by his words’.  Harry Dunn (pictured), 19, was killed n a car crash in Northamptonshire allegedly caused by the wife of an American diplomat The parents of Mr Dunn are demanding justice after the suspect, Anne Sacoolas (pictured), claimed diplomatic immunity and was spirited out of Britain after the crash The President accidentally revealed a briefing note which stated that ‘the spouse of the U.S. government employee will not return to the United Kingdom’  Mr Trump’s bombshell briefing reveals the US has already told Britain she will not be returned to the UK to face justiceSpeaking to Sky News about the briefing note, which Mr Trump accidentally flashed to cameras, the teenager’s mother Charlotte Charles said: ‘I’m just disgusted.’I don’t see the point in Boris Johnson talking to President Trump, or President Trump even taking a call from Boris Johnson.’If he’d already made his decision that if it were to be asked and if it were to be raised, the answer was already going to be no.’It’s just beyond any realm of any human thinking.’ Number 10 had last night put out a statement, published by the Press Association at 8.38pm, which said the two leaders would ‘work together to find a way forward’.’The Prime Minister urged the President to reconsider the US position so the individual involved can return to the UK, cooperate with police and allow Harry’s family to receive justice,’ the statement said. The President said he was fully aware of the case and deeply saddened by what had happened, and he expressed his condolences to Harry’s parents, who are separated. ‘The leaders agreed to work together to find a way forward as soon as possible.’ Harry Dunn’s mother Charlotte weeps as she and her family speak to the media yesterdayIn Washington, Mr Trump started a wide-ranging press conference at the same moment that the statement appeared. At 9.24pm UK time, he was asked about the case and said: ‘The woman was driving on the wrong side of the road, and that can happen.”When you get used to driving on our system and then you’re all of a sudden on the other system where you’re driving – it happens. You have to be careful, very careful. ‘You know, those are the opposite roads, that happens. I won’t say it ever happened to me, but it did.’Traffic drives on the left in Britain and on the right in America.  Mr Trump said officials would speak to the driver, 42-year-old Mrs Sacoolas, but reiterated that she had diplomatic immunity. ‘So a young man was killed, the person that was driving the automobile has diplomatic immunity, we’re going to speak to her very shortly and see if we can do something where they meet,’ Mr Trump said. ‘It was an accident, it was a terrible accident.’  The note in his pocket said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had already informed Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab that Ms Sacoolas would not return.  Mr Dunn’s mother said: ‘You would hope, being a UK citizen, that they would be the ones to help us as much as possible.’With Donald Trump saying yesterday that every driver has driven on the wrong side of the road at some point – perhaps they have. Charlotte Charles (left) and Tim Dunn (right), the parents of Harry Dunn, arrive with their partners at the Foreign Office today ahead of the meeting with the Foreign SecretaryThe crash took place in August outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire (pictured) – a US intelligence hub in Britain’But not every driver has travelled the distance that Anne Sacoolas did and taken the life of a 19-year-old who was completely and utterly innocent.’So to us, although it’s a personal issue for us, it is more of a unique case than just having accidentally driven on the wrong side of the road so I’m not very happy about those throw-away comments.’  Mr Trump has generally enjoyed a warm relationship with Mr Johnson, backing him for the Conservative leadership earlier this year. The President called the Tory politician a ‘very talented person’ and said the former London mayor would do a ‘very good job’ as Prime Minister.As mayor, Mr Johnson had heavily criticised then-candidate Trump in 2015, saying   he would not want Londoners to face the ‘risk of meeting Donald Trump’.  The latest diplomatic row has again tested the so-called Special Relationship, a term coined by Winston Churchill. The car which crashed into Mr Dunn in August was thought to have been driving on the wrong side of the road after leaving RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, a military base used by the U.S. Air Force. Mrs Sacoolas, reportedly the wife of a US intelligence official, was granted immunity and flown back to America on a private jet from RAF Mildenhall. Northamptonshire Police have also asked the US to consider waiving the diplomatic immunity. Harry Dunn’s family take fight direct to Donald Trump: Parents of 19-year-old ‘killed by US spy’s wife in car crash’ will fly to DC in bid to meet president and win support to send her back to BritainHarry Dunn’s bereft parents will fly to the US this weekend hoping to meet Donald Trump and demand he hands over a spy’s wife accused of killing their son while driving on the wrong side of the road, MailOnline can reveal today.Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn will land in New York on Sunday and launch a media blitz with primetime interviews with America’s three main TV networks – ABC, NBC and CBS.Radd Seiger, who is representing the family, will fly from London to Washington DC tonight for talks with US lawyers, while a No 10 source told MailOnline they are hopeful Mr Trump is softening his stance on shielding Anne Sacoolas from justice.The president today insisted the UK and US are ‘trying to work something out’ amid a transatlantic row over his protection of the American diplomat’s wife who fled Britain after hitting Harry with her Volvo SUV outside a spy station in Northamptonshire. Mr Seiger told MailOnline: ‘Everything that we are seeing at the moment coming from the White House is positive. Trump has indicated that he is looking for a resolution. We are pleased with what we have heard. We look forward to meeting him to put our case to him.  Harry Dunn’s parents Charlotte Charles (far left) and Tim Dunn (right) will head to NYC for a media blitz with US networks while their Radd Seiger, who is representing the family, will go to Washington to try to broker talks with Donald Trump Speaking to reporters in Washington overnight, Mr Trump said he had a ‘good conversation’ with the PM. ‘We are trying to work something out,’ he added.Harry Dunn (pictured), 19, was killed in a car crash in Northamptonshire allegedly caused by the wife of an American diplomat Anne Sacoolas, who has vanished in the US’We will not rest until we have Sacoolas back in the UK. We don’t want a war, both families need to sit down and talk.’The important point is that we want her to come back to UK. That’s the only way we can get closure. That doesn’t mean we want her to face jail or because that’s up to the British legal system. The outcome does not matter to us but she has to walk into the police station and engage in the legal process in the UK.’It’s in her interest to show some remorse. We are not ruling out civil action in the States either but bringing her back to Britain is our number one priority.’ A gofundme page set up by well-wishers has so far raised £30,000 to help pay for the PR and legal campaign to get justice for Dunn in the US. Harry’s parents  have agreed to appear on NBC, ABC and CBS in the coming days – and are hopeful CNN and FOX will also ask them on their networks.The President has now attempted to cool mounting tensions that were stoked when he defended the suspect Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity and was spirited out of Britain on a state-sponsored private jet after the crash. Mr Trump caused fury yesterday and was called ‘oafish and insulting’ by Harry’s family when he suggested Americans driving on the wrong side of the road in the UK was a common mistake, saying: ‘It happens.’ The billionaire, who owns two golf courses in Scotland and one in Ireland, then admitted he had done it himself.His incendiary intervention, just hours after Boris Johnson called him to appeal for the diplomatic immunity to be waived, sparked questions about whether the Special Relationship still exists.But speaking to reporters in Washington overnight – after his extraordinary comments – Mr Trump said he had a ‘good conversation’ with the PM. ‘We are trying to work something out,’ he added. Downing Street had raised the hopes of the family of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, announcing that Mr Johnson had spoken to the President and ‘urged him to reconsider the US position’ in a phone call.   Team Harry: The PR and legal machine fighting for justice in US  The parents of Harry Dunn arrive in America this weekend to kick start a high-profile public relations drive which they hope will result in Anne Sacoolas returning to Britain.On Monday, Charlotte and Tim Dunn will be interviewed by America’s biggest television broadcasters; NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox. They are also hoping to meet with President Donald Trump while appointments have already been confirmed with a number of leading politicians in the country.The couple have assembled a formidable team in their quest to secure justice for their son. It is led by Radd Seiger, a lawyer and former partner with Kennedys law firm in London. He was also head of insurance dispute resolution at defunct construction firm Corillian. He lives in Brackley, Northamptonshire and is a neighbour of the Dunn family who knew Harry well. He became involved in the case soon after his death and also acts as spokesman for the family.Mr Seiger arrives in Washington tomorrow, ahead of Charlotte and Tim to meet with lawyers they are hoping to appoint so that a civil case can be started against Ms Sacoolas. He will then spend the remainder of the week with them attending briefings with the media and politicians.As the profile of Harry’s case increased over the past week, the team has been bolstered by legal heavyweights Geoffrey Robertson QC, who has represented Salman Rushdie, Mike Tyson and Julian Assange. Also on board is Mark Stephens, from Howard Kennedy LLP, who has also worked for Julian Assange and defended James Hewitt over his affair with Princess Diana. Both men are specialists in the area of diplomatic law and came on board following approaches by Mr Seiger.Mr Stephens has prepared a detailed dossier for Mr Seiger and the Dunns for their trip to America and also recommended the lawyers they should appoint over there, although he is not willing to name them as yet.The Dunn family’s American PR drive is being orchestrated by Jane Eggleton, a crowd funding media specialist who works as a consultant with the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. She runs her own company called Eggleton Communications and has worked on a number of high-profile campaigns such as the Jo Cox Fund.Ms Eggleton will continue to be involved in the campaign once the Dunns return from America. She became involved in the case because of Harry’s GoFundMe page, which has become the website’s most widely viewed page.Despite the large number of readers it has attracted, to date, it has only generated just over £30,000 and has a target of £75,000. The question remains however, if that will be enough to cover the costs of the campaign given the big hitters that have become part of it?  The costs of travelling to America will be met through the funds that have been raised. Mr Seiger is not receiving any payment for his extensive work for the Dunns while Ms Eggleton is not charging for her services either.GoFundMe told MailOnline: ‘Harry’s page has been one of the top trending Gofundme campaigns this week. ‘Yes, we’ve been supporting the family a little, it’s a totally free service we offer to campaign organisers.’While it has not been established how much Mr Stephens and Mr Robertson will charge, if anything at all, both are top of their profession and leading lawyers can cost anything between £500 to £1,000 per hour.Mr Stephens told MailOnline: ‘We have not discussed cost as yet with the Dunns. We will sit down with them and have that conversation once they return from America.’As lawyers in America have yet to be appointed, it is also not clear how much they will charge. Hopes raised: Downing Street revealed in a statement last night that Boris Johnson (pictured today) had urged Donald Trump to ‘reconsider’ over the death of Harry Dunn Harry’s local MP, Andrea Leadsom, has revealed the local council will install new signs outside the US spy centre in her constituencyBut Mr Trump dashed those hopes in a press conference just 46 minutes later on Wednesday night, joking about driving on the wrong side himself and saying: ‘It happens’. To make matters worse, the President accidentally revealed a briefing note which stated that ‘the spouse of the US government employee will not return to the United Kingdom’. Mr Trump was pressed again about the situation as he left Washington DC for a rally in Mineapolis last night.Asked whether the Ms Sacoolas had been spoken to, he said: ‘They are in the process of being spoken to…’I had a conversation with Boris Johnson yesterday, a good one.’We are talking about diplomatic immunity, a very interesting situation. ‘We are trying to work something out.’ Ministers have been staying tight-lipped on the row, apparently keen to avoid a public meltdown that could prevent the the issue being resolved behind the scenes. Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, the Dunn family’s local MP, tweeted last night that she was ‘pleased’ the council had agreed to ‘extending road signs around the American base, making clear which side of the road to drive on’. However, she has not done any interviews on the subject since Monday. In contrast MPs and the family have made no secret of their anger. Labour’s Wes Streeting said of Mr Trump’s comments yesterday: ‘These are crass and insensitive comments that will inflict further pain and suffering on a grieving family.’Mrs Sacoolas should return to the UK immediately to provide answers as to what happened to Harry Dunn.’The Special Relationship between our two countries has been the cornerstone of our mutual defence and prosperity for nearly a century. President Trump continually undermines that relationship.’Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also took aim at Mr Trump, saying he would ‘mount legal action’ in the US if he were Prime Minister. ‘For somebody to be killed in our country and the person who did it to flee to the United States and then claim diplomatic immunity is completely unacceptable,’ he said.  Mr Dunn’s family today branded the President ‘insensitive, clumsy and oafish’ and said they were ‘horrified by his words’.  The parents of Mr Dunn are demanding justice after the suspect, Anne Sacoolas (pictured), claimed diplomatic immunity and was spirited out of Britain after the crash The President accidentally revealed a briefing note which stated that ‘the spouse of the U.S. government employee will not return to the United Kingdom’  Mr Trump’s bombshell briefing reveals the US has already told Britain she will not be returned to the UK to face justiceSpeaking to Sky News about the briefing note, which Mr Trump accidentally flashed to cameras, the teenager’s mother Charlotte Charles said: ‘I’m just disgusted.’I don’t see the point in Boris Johnson talking to President Trump, or President Trump even taking a call from Boris Johnson.’If he’d already made his decision that if it were to be asked and if it were to be raised, the answer was already going to be no.’It’s just beyond any realm of any human thinking.’ Number 10 had last night put out a statement, published by the Press Association at 8.38pm, which said the two leaders would ‘work together to find a way forward’.’The Prime Minister urged the President to reconsider the US position so the individual involved can return to the UK, cooperate with police and allow Harry’s family to receive justice,’ the statement said. The President said he was fully aware of the case and deeply saddened by what has happened, and he expressed his condolences to Harry’s parents, who are separated. ‘The leaders agreed to work together to find a way forward as soon as possible.’ Harry Dunn’s mother Charlotte weeps as she and her family speak to the media yesterdayIn Washington, Mr Trump started a wide-ranging press conference at the same moment that the statement appeared. At 9.24pm UK time, he was asked about the case and said: ‘The woman was driving on the wrong side of the road, and that can happen.”When you get used to driving on our system and then you’re all of a sudden on the other system where you’re driving – it happens. You have to be careful, very careful. ‘You know, those are the opposite roads, that happens. I won’t say it ever happened to me, but it did.’Traffic drives on the left in Britain and on the right in America.  Mr Trump said officials would speak to the driver, 42-year-old Mrs Sacoolas, but reiterated that she had diplomatic immunity. ‘So a young man was killed, the person that was driving the automobile has diplomatic immunity, we’re going to speak to her very shortly and see if we can do something where they meet,’ Mr Trump said. ‘It was an accident, it was a terrible accident.’  The note in his pocket said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had already informed Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab that Mrs Sacoolas would not return.  Mr Dunn’s mother said: ‘You would hope, being a UK citizen, that they would be the ones to help us as much as possible.’With Donald Trump saying yesterday that every driver has driven on the wrong side of the road at some point – perhaps they have. Charlotte Charles (left) and Tim Dunn (right), the parents of Harry Dunn, arrive with their partners at the Foreign Office today ahead of the meeting with the Foreign SecretaryThe crash took place in August outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire (pictured) – a US intelligence hub in Britain’But not every driver has travelled the distance that Anne Sacoolas did and taken the life of a 19-year-old who was completely and utterly innocent.’So to us, although it’s a personal issue for us, it is more of a unique case than just having accidentally driven on the wrong side of the road so I’m not very happy about those throw-away comments.’  Mr Trump has generally enjoyed a warm relationship with Mr Johnson, backing him for the Conservative leadership earlier this year. The President called the Tory politician a ‘very talented person’ and said the former London mayor would do a ‘very good job’ as Prime Minister.As mayor, Mr Johnson had heavily criticised then-candidate Trump in 2015, saying   he would not want Londoners to face the ‘risk of meeting Donald Trump’.  The latest diplomatic row has again tested the so-called Special Relationship, a term coined by Winston Churchill. The car which crashed into Mr Dunn in August was thought to have been driving on the wrong side of the road after leaving RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, a military base used by the U.S. Air Force. Mrs Sacoolas, reportedly the wife of a US intelligence official, was granted immunity and flown back to America on a private jet from RAF Mildenhall. Northamptonshire Police have also asked the US to consider waiving the diplomatic immunity. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also met Ms Charles and Harry’s father Tim Dunn on Wednesday afternoon. So far a gofundme page to raise money for the justice 4 Harry campaign has raised £30,307. Revealed: Coroner warned 12 years ago about dangers of US service personnel driving on wrong side of road near American airbases in UK after two servicemen died in crashThe death of Harry Dunn is the fourth fatal crash in recent years where an American living at a RAF base in Britain was driving on the wrong side of the road, MailOnline can reveal today. American airmen Julious Hawkins, 25, John Biram, 27, and Hunter Davis, also 27, all died after head-on smashes near RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.The county’s coroner was so worried he wrote to US air force chiefs warning them to ‘learn lessons’ urgently after Mr Hawkins drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway for 13 miles while drunk before he smashed into an oncoming lorry in 2007.Dr Peter Dean told MailOnline today the road deaths dating back 12 years have chilling similarities to the August crash where US spy’s wife Anne Sacoolas allegedly killed Harry Dunn before fleeing the country claiming diplomatic immunity. He said: ‘This new case involves a young man who had his whole life in front of him. I feel for him and his family. I hope there will be a resolution for them. This tragedy shows that a moment’s inattention can have devastating and life-changing consequences’.Staff Sergeant Hunter Davis died in a head-on crash near his Suffolk airbase after sending text while driving in 2016. Brit David Rolfe (right) also died in a crash involving an American serviceman Explaining why he wrote the US Air Force in Suffolk in 2007 he said: ‘I was trying to raise awareness that it is a real problem after two people died having driven on the wrong side of the road.  Former Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean, who presided over two cases involving US airmen, wrote to US Air Force chiefs urging them to ‘learn lessons”If it is the case [as Trump says] that this driver was on the wrong side of the road I can really believe that. If you are focussed on something else, tired, it can be easy for a driver used to the other side of the road to drift there. The tragedy is that every now and again it happens’.Anne Sacoolas allegedly hit 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn with her Volvo SUV outside a US spy station in Northamptonshire after driving on the wrong side of the road for up to 400 yards on August 27.   Days later she was spirited from UK soil on a state-sponsored private jet from RAF Mildenhall, protected by her husband Jonathan’s diplomatic immunity. MailOnline has uncovered a string of similar cases today. In 2007 Julious Hawkins, 25, from RAF Mildenhall, died in a crash with a lorry after travelling 12 miles westbound on the eastbound carriageway of the A14 at 70mph at 3am.Tests after his death revealed he had ‘pre-coma’ levels of alcohol in his blood. He had also taken sleeping tablets. Three months later fellow serviceman John Biram, 27, from RAF Lakenheath, died in a head-on smash near Newmarket race course. He was also drunk and driving on the wrong side of the road. In the same year 56 Suffolk-based US personnel appeared at Sudbury Magistrates’ Court – the court local to the bases – in just one day to face speeding charges. In 2016 RAF Mildenhall airman Staff Sergeant Hunter Davis, 27, died after drifting on to the wrong side of the road. An investigation found the most likely cause of the three car collision was a loss of concentration due to the use of a mobile phone.  The 352d Special Operations Wing held a memorial at RAF Mildenhall on June 20 to say goodbye to SSgt Hunter Daviswho lost his life in a tragic vehicle accident after sending a text while drivingAnne Sacoolas (left, and pictured right on her wedding day in 2003) was travelling on the wrong side of the road for 400 yards before hitting him head-on, Harry Dunn’s heartbroken parents claimIn a similar case in 2013 a USAF Staff Sergeant was banned from driving after causing a head-on crash which resulted in the death of 75-year-old local man David Rolfe.Candice Griffin, who had only been in the UK for two months, failed to see on an approaching car when she pulled out from an exit at RAF Mildenhall. That collision pushed the Peugeot into the path of a Mazda being driven by Mr Rolfe, who suffered fatal chest and neck injuries.Griffin denied she was on the wrong side of the road – but admitted she had looked in both directions before beginning her move out of the airbase road but failed to look right for a second time.    This week Irving Berlin’s granddaughter was spared jail after she caused a head-on crash that killed a pensioner while holidaying in Scotland.American Caroline Emmet, who lives in Paris, was driving on the wrong side of the road when her vehicle smashed into a car in which Elizabeth Henderson, 83, was a passenger.The accident happened on the A198 in East Lothian on July 19, 2017. Mrs Henderson died two days later in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Lord Glennie deferred sentence until November next year after Emmet agreed to carry out 500 hours of unpaid work in France, where she lives. He also banned her from driving for three years. Donald Trump has upset Harry’s family and British road safety campaigners he defended the wife of a US spy who killed him while driving on the wrong side of the road. Mr Trump then said: ‘Those are the opposite roads. That can happen. I won’t say it ever happened to me, but it did. It happens. You have to be careful.’ The Dunn family called his words ‘oafish, insulting and inflammatory’. Neil Greig, Director at safety charity IAM RoadSmart said: “It is important that anyone who is driving in a new country takes steps to familiarise themselves with the road conditions and regulations. In areas with high numbers of visitors we would support extra signposting’.    The US Air Force insists they give servicemen and women ‘stringent’ training about driving in the UK. On top of its two-hour local road conditions course on arrival, there is a additional refresher course that all drivers under the age of 26 must complete within their first year there.  Why are Americans at RAF Croughton in the UK? RAF Croughton is an air base that is currently being leased by the US government. It houses the 422nd Air Base Group, but is also being used by spies working for the Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe (JIOCEUR). JIOCEUR is a military intelligence analysis center which is part of the Defense Intelligence Agency. The agency is an external branch of government which provides intelligence to ‘warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community’.  The entrance to RAF Croughton is shown. Sacoolas was exiting the base when she turned onto the wrong side of the road on August 27It provides intelligence information for the U.S. European and African commands as well as NATO.  The Center is based at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire but, following the 2015 announcement that it was to close in 2023, many of the positions were moved to Croughton. There are plans to consolidate it with the U.S. Africa Command to make a larger station at Croughton that will be known as the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex – a major hub for US intelligence gathering.According to locals in Croughton, the communications center – where Sacoolas’ husband is said to work – is a ‘site within the site’ which has its own separate security.  The US government is reconsidering the relocation after being met with resistance from lawmakers who said it would be too expensive.   A file photo of a geodesic dome covering radar scanners and satellite dishes at the base. It is an intelligence gathering hub which the US Defense Intelligence Agency uses to collect information from Europe and Africa 

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