Latest news with #diplomaticImmunity
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Inquiry launched into government handling of Harry Dunn's death, Lammy announces
David Lammy has launched an independent inquiry into the way the Foreign Office officials handled the death of Harry Dunn in an accident involving a member of the US intelligence community. The 19-year-old was killed when a car driven by Anne Sacoolas hit his motorcycle near the exit to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in 2019. Ms Sacoolas, who was the wife of a CIA operative working near the airbase, was allowed to leave the country with claims that she was covered by diplomatic immunity. Requests for extradition were initially rejected by the first Donald Trump administration, although the president met Dunn's parents. Sacoolas would later provide videolink evidence but did not return to the UK for trial because it was unlikely to result in a prison sentence. There was criticism over the way the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) handled the case, and whether more could have been done to ensure Sacoolas returned to the UK. The review will be led by Dame Anne Owers DBE, who will examine actions taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in support of the family of Harry Dunn in the period between 27 August and the end of December 2019. Having promised to undertake a review while sitting as an opposition MP, Mr Lammy has met twice with family members since becoming foreign secretary and committed the government to learning lessons from the tragedy. He said: 'I have the deepest respect for the resolve Harry's family have shown since his tragic death and in launching this independent review, we are honouring the commitments we have made to them. 'I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family's concerns and to ensure lessons are learned. 'Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don't believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.' The mother of Harry Dunn, Charlotte Charles, said: 'We welcome today's formal announcement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that a full review into the handling of Harry's case will now take place. 'We now look forward to working with Dame Anne Owers and doing all we can to support her in this important task. It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry's loss was not in vain and that the World is a better and safer place.'
Sky News
19-06-2025
- Sky News
Harry Dunn's family file complaint against former police chief after report
The family of Harry Dunn, who died in a collision with US spy Anne Sacoolas, have submitted a formal complaint over the conduct of a former chief constable. The 19-year-old motor-biker died after he was hit in a head-on collision by Sacoolas in 2019, who was exiting the American intelligence base RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. On Wednesday, an independent report found that officers prioritised the welfare of Sacoolas, who was able to leave the country claiming diplomatic immunity, after officers did not arrest her. Harry's mum, Charlotte Charles, who received an MBE for services to road safety, said the family had been let down "really, really badly." The family have now written to the office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Danielle Stone, to ask whether the contents of the report will be referred to the police watchdog, the IOPC. 2:48 The report criticised former chief constable Nick Adderley for multiple failures, including giving inaccurate public statements about Sacoolas's immunity, claiming she could waive it when in fact only the US government could do so. Mr Adderley, who was sacked last year after lying about his military record, was found to have caused a breakdown in relations with Mr Dunn's family due to his "erroneous" public statements. In the email, seen by Sky News, Radd Seiger, spokesperson for Harry's family, wrote: "Although Mr Adderley has already been dismissed for gross misconduct in relation to unrelated matters, this report provides damning evidence of multiple leadership failures and misconduct directly attributable to him in the handling of this case. "These failures have caused lasting harm to the Dunn family, undermined public trust, and compromised the integrity of the investigation. "Justice was ultimately done despite him, not because of him, and due to the skill and perseverance of the investigation team and the CPS. The story is scarcely believable". Following a long fight for justice by Mr Dunn's family, Sacoolas eventually pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving via video link at the Old Bailey in December 2022. She later received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. The family is now calling on the government to conduct an inquiry into the case.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Police prioritised welfare of 'American spy' suspected of killing Harry Dunn in collision outside US airbase rather than carrying out a prompt investigation, damning report finds
Police failed to arrest an American spy after she killed at teenage motorcyclist while driving on the wrong side of the road because they prioritised her welfare over a 'prompt and effective investigation', a damning review has found. Anne Sacoolas fled back to her homeland under cover of diplomatic immunity 19 days after being allowed to leave the scene of the head-on collision that left 19-year-old Harry Dunn fatally injured. The August 2019 collision happened just 30 seconds after the mother-of-two had driven out of a US air base in Northamptonshire, where Sacoolas had enjoyed a barbecue with her husband Jonathan, a diplomat, and their children. Harry's family launched a three-year fight for justice which culminated in Sacoolas being handed a suspended sentence at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty via videolink from Washington to causing death by careless driving. Now a review into Northamptonshire Police's handling of the investigation, commissioned by chief constable Ivan Balhatchet, has found officers allowed Sacoolas, now 47, to be driven home by her husband because they believed the 'necessity test' had not been met for arrest. The report also heavily criticises Mr Balhatchet's 'Walter Mitty' predecessor Nick Adderley, who was sacked last year after a misconduct panel found he lied and exaggerated his naval rank, length of service and achievements when applying for the role. The review detailed how Mr Adderley had made 'erroneous statements' about Sacoolas's immunity status which led the Foreign Office to request he did not repeat them, and outlined how Mr Adderley's conduct created an 'adversarial position' with the Dunn family's spokesman, Radd Seiger. The review also found that while Harry had been drug-tested as a matter of 'routine', Sacoolas – who a court later heard was 'employed by an intelligence agency in the US' at the time of the collision – was not. It recommended that Northamptonshire Police should ensure that drugs wipe screening is mandatory for suspects at fatal and serious collisions. The Dunn family first heard rumours that the suspect – who lived in a nearby village – had fled the country at Harry's funeral, but it was eight days later when police eventually confirmed the devastating news to them. Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, said the failures by the force were something 'no family should ever have to endure'. She said the report 'confirms what we have known for years - that we were failed by the very people we should have been able to trust. 'Harry was left to die on the roadside. Sacoolas was not arrested, even though the police had every power to do so. 'She fled the country, and they didn't tell us. These are failures no family should ever have to endure.' In October 2019 Mr Adderley held a press conference which caused 'numerous issues from a Family Liaison perspective' after he accused Mr Seiger of making a 'wholly inaccurate' statement and warned him to 'exercise constraint in his commentary' of the case. The review, by Karl Whiffen, a retired former head of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, found Mr Adderley's interactions with the media 'had a significant negative impact' on the Dunn family. The report also established that subsequently, the then chief constable initiated 'direct contact with Mr Seiger via Twitter (X) messaging service'. The senior investigating officer (SIO) reported that this made efforts to regain the Dunn family's 'trust and confidence…even more of a challenge as it may as it may have appeared that they were withholding information that CC Adderley might have been willing to provide'. The review said the chief constable's leadership had 'a direct impact in the trust and confidence of the family in Northamptonshire Police'. It added that Mr Adderley hampered the SIO's efforts to regain family's trust and 'rendered almost redundant' a new family liaison strategy devised by the SIO after the chief constable made himself the point of contact to Mr Seiger, and then failed to update his officers on what was discussed. Mrs Charles, from Charlton, Northamptonshire, was appointed MBE in the King's Birthday Honours list at the weekend for her outstanding services to road safety. Addressing the role Mr Adderley played in the force's failings, she said she remains 'so angry' at him, adding: 'We knew from the outset that there was a problem with him and we will never forgive him for launching his personal attacks on our neighbour and spokesperson Radd Seiger, the one person in our tragedy who had the courage to stand up and help us when the police and our own government refused to do that.' Mrs Charles also thanked the senior officer in the case who 'showed genuine care and commitment when others above her fell short'. The review, published on Wednesday, found there is potentially a culture at Northamptonshire Police of not arresting suspects 'in circumstances such as these, which could lead to evidence not being obtained.' A total of 38 recommendations were made in the report, including that the force should adopt an 'investigative mindset' at serious road crashes and review how it recovers material from the scene of a collision. It read: 'A report has been prepared and concerning the consideration of arrest, the (Serious Collision Investigation Unit) lead is of the view that the decision not to arrest is not explained in enough detail and the overriding factor in the decision appears to be the welfare of the suspect and her suffering from shock, with little to no consideration around the full necessity test under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. 'A prompt and effective investigation was not considered or articulated. 'The view is that in these circumstances the suspect could and should have been arrested to assist the evidence gathering process.' It continued: 'The duty (police sergeant) made the decision not to arrest. 'The rationale was largely based on a belief that the necessity test was not met, and information received that Anne Sacoolas was in shock. 'Whilst the welfare of any person is a concern for officers, this should not have prevented the arrest of Anne Sacoolas.' Mr Seiger said the 'honest' review 'lays bare, in graphic detail, a series of grave errors including an almost total absence of capable leadership' from Mr Adderley. He added: 'The failure to arrest Sacoolas, which the report acknowledges the police had the power to do, is staggering and so upsetting'. Assistant Chief Constable Emma James, the force's Head of Protective Services, apologised to the Dunn family for failing them 'on a number of fronts'. She said there had been a 'clear' failure to 'do the very best' for Harry, adding: 'Much of the learning which the Force has taken from this has already been put in place and we make a number of specific recommendations for best practice at a national level.
