US spy’s wife in Harry Dunn crash death ‘doesn’t have diplomatic immunity’

A US spy’s wife involved in a crash that killed British teenager Harry Dunn does not have diplomatic immunity, the Foreign Office says.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote a letter to Harry’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, explaining that suspect Anne Sacoolas, 42, does not have the right since leaving the UK.

Mrs Sacoolas – married to a US intelligence official – flew home and claimed immunity after Harry, 19, died when his motorbike and her Volvo SUV collided outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27.

Harry’s parents are flying to the US on Sunday in a desperate bid to have a face-to-face meeting with Mrs Sacoolas and hear her explain what happened.

A lawyer representing the British couple claims they “aren’t interested” in a criminal case and says they could sue Mrs Sacoolas in a US court if their questions aren’t answered.

Lawyers representing Harry’s parents and Mrs Sacoolas – who is said to be “devastated” – are due to meet to discuss the case “at the earliest opportunity” in the US.

Amid confusion over the American woman’s status in the UK, solicitor Mark Stephens, who represents Mrs Charles, 44, and Mr Dunn, 50, said Mrs Sacoolas wasn’t covered by diplomatic immunity in Britain because her husband hadn’t applied for it through the proper channel.

Mr Stephens said Mrs Sacoolas’ 10-year-old son was with her when her SUV and Harry’s motorbike collided.

Her husband Jonathan worked at the base, used by US intelligence personnel.

Mr Stephens told Sky News on Sunday morning: “She wasn’t entitled to diplomatic immunity in the first place.

“She was spirited away on a USAF (US Air Force) transport plane back to America, effectively rendering her a fugitive from British justice.

“Somebody advised her to do that, it was very ill advised.

“Even if she were entitled to diplomatic immunity it only applies in the host country, so the UK. It does not apply in your home country, so she is liable … in her home country.

“That means the Dunn family can sue her in the United States for the explanation that they need to psychologically get closure on the first part of their grieving process and move on with the grieving process.”

Mrs Sacoolas is the spouse of a US diplomat assigned to the UK, according to the US State Department.

The case took another twist on Saturday when it emerged Mr Raab had sent a letter to Harry’s parents saying that “immunity, and therefore any question of waiver, is no longer relevant in Mrs Sacoolas’ case, because she has returned home”.

He wrote: “The US have now informed us that they too consider that immunity is no longer pertinent.

“In these circumstances, Harry’s case is now a matter for Northants police and the CPS to take forward.”

He added: “We have pressed strongly for a waiver of immunity, so that justice can be done … Whilst the US government has steadfastly declined to give that waiver, that is not the end of the matter.

“We have looked at this very carefully … the UK government’s position is that immunity, and therefore any question of waiver, is no longer relevant in Mrs Sacoolas’ case, because she has returned home.”

Mr Dunn, Harry’s grief-stricken father, told Sky News that the letter was “excellent news”, adding: “As we’ve said all along, we believed she didn’t have immunity and we always believed it was just incorrect. This means so much to us.”

The dad comforted his dying son on the roadside after a friend in the fire service had informed him about the crash.

Mrs Sacoolas’ Volvo XC90 was travelling on the wrong side of the road when it collided with Harry, a petrol station cashier, as he rode his motorcycle in the small village of Croughton, where the RAF base is used by American intelligence personnel.

A new “keep left” sign and road markings – arrows indicating the direction of travel – have since appeared close to the crash site.

Prosecutors have not said whether they would pursue charges.

Last week, Chief Constable Nick Adderley, of Northamptonshire Police, said the force would treat Mrs Sacoolas like any other person wanted for questioning.

After raising the possibility of a civil case in a US court, Mr Stephens, Harry’s family’s spokesman and lawyer said it was “less clear” whether there would be a criminal case in the UK.

He said: “Normally, Northamptonshire Police would put a case together, charge her and she would have said ‘I have diplomatic immunity’ and a court would have ruled.

“In this case, quite unusually, she was spirited out of the country beyond the reaches of the British justice system, so they couldn’t rule on whether she had diplomatic immunity.”

The drama has caused “untold additional grief and hurt” for Harry’s family, according to the lawyer, who said it is hoped Mrs Sacoolas will return to the UK and “submits to british justice”, despite later adding that the family “aren’t interested in the criminal side”.

After the crash, Mrs Sacoolas and her family were flown out of the UK on a private flight that took off from RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.

He said: “The most important thing for the Dunn family is not really whether she is prosecuted or not. They need to see her, they need to talk to her about the last moments of their son’s life so they can get closure.”

If she doesn’t give an explanation to them they could sue her in a US court to get one, he added.

Mr Stephens said Mrs Sacoolas’ 10-year-old son was in the front passenger seat of her Volvo when the fatal collision happened, and it was no doubt a “traumatic experience” for the boy and “tragic” for her family.

Mrs Sacoolas’ legal team has said she wanted to meet Harry’s parents to “express her deepest sympathies and apologies”.

Her legal representative, Amy Jeffress, said: “Anne is devastated by this tragic accident.

“No loss compares to the death of a child and Anne extends her deepest sympathy to Harry Dunn’s family.”

Harry’s family’s spokesman, Radd Seiger, said he had spoken with Ms Jeffress and the pair had agreed “to get together asap … to discuss how we are going to achieve a solution”.

He told NBC News: “I have had a brief conversation with the legal representatives appointed on behalf of Anne Sacoolas and we have agreed to meet at the earliest opportunity.”

Earlier, Mrs Sacoolas’s lawyer said: “Anne would like to meet with Mr Dunn’s parents so that she can express her deepest sympathies and apologies for this tragic accident.

“We have been in contact with the family’s attorneys and look forward to hearing from them.”

The lawyer said Mrs Sacoolas spoke with “authorities” at the scene of the crash and met Northampton police at her home the following day.

“She will continue to cooperate with the investigation,” she said.

An exclusive report by the Mirror last week revealed that Mrs Sacoolas was fined £200 for “failure to pay full time and attention” while driving in the state of Virginia in November 2006.

The charge usually involves drivers caught making mobile phone calls at the wheel or traffic lane discipline.

On Friday, the Prime Minister said America was “absolutely ruthless” in its safeguarding of Mrs Sacoolas following the decision to grant her diplomatic immunity.

Boris Johnson said although President Donald Trump was sympathetic towards Harry’s family’s views on the use of diplomatic immunity, the US is “very reluctant” to allow citizens to be tried abroad.

Mr Trump had said last week that he spoke to Mr Johnson about the case and the American woman was the subject of diplomatic immunity.

Speaking of taking their campaign to the US, Mr Dunn’s family said in a statement that they “continue to live in a nightmare” and have so far been unable to grieve after his death.