Anne Sacoolas 'won't voluntarily return to the UK' despite charge over Harry Dunn case, lawyer says

Jacob Jarvis20 December 2019

Anne Sacoolas "will not return voluntarily to the UK" after being charged in relation to the death of Harry Dunn, her lawyer has said.

Sacoolas has been charged with death by dangerous driving, the Crown Prosecution Service announced today, after Mr Dunn was killed in a car crash in August.

The suspect, who is the wife of a US intelligence officer, returned to her home country after the car she was driving allegedly collided with 19-year-old Mr Dunn's motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.

Her lawyer, Amy Jeffress, said: "This was an accident and a criminal response with a potential penalty of fourteen years imprisonment is simply not a proportionate response.

"Anne will not return voluntarily to the United Kingdom to face a potential jail sentence for what was a terrible but unintentional accident."

Anne Sacoolas
Sky News

She added that they had been in contact with authorities in the UK to discuss "ways in which Anne could assist with prevent accidents like this from happening in the future, as well as her desire to honour Harry's memory".

Those talks will continue, she said.

Meanwhile, the US Government has hit out at the decision to charge Sacoolas.

Harry Dunn was 19 when the fatal crash occurred 
PA

A spokesperson for the US State Department said: "We are disappointed by today's announcement and fear that it will not bring a resolution closer. This was a tragic accident, a young man has lost his life, and his family is grieving.

"No one could hear about this tragic accident and not feel incredible sadness over this loss. The President, the Secretary of State, the U.S. Ambassador in London, and others in our government have all expressed sincere condolences to the Dunn family for this tragedy."

The Dunn family's lawyer, Mark Stephens, responded to the US State Department comments, stating he felt the CPS thought extradition was "a realistic possibility" .

Anne Sacoolas has been charged in relation to Harry Dunn's death

“I think that is what you would expect from politicians. They want to carry on implacably," he said.

“I am absolutely convinced that the CPS would not have moved forward if they did not think that was a realistic possibility and from my own analysis of the law I can tell you it is a realistic possibility because we know she was not entitled to diplomatic immunity irrespective of what the State Department said.”

Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles and father Tim Dunn with family spokesman Radd Seiger
PA

They said extradition would be an "egregious abuse" of the law, stating it was "clear" she had immunity during her time in the UK, and added: "It is the position of the United States government that a request to extradite an individual under these circumstances would be an egregious abuse.

"The use of an extradition treaty to attempt to return the spouse of a former diplomat by force would establish an extraordinarily troubling precedent.

"We do not believe that the UK's charging decision is a helpful development."

Dominic Raab welcomed the charging decision
REUTERS

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who recently met with Mr Dunn's family, has welcomed the decision to charge Sacoolas.

He said: "I welcome the taking of a charging decision which is an important step towards justice for Harry and towards solace for his family, but it is not the end.

"I hope that Anne Sacoolas will now realise the right thing to do is to come back to the UK and cooperate with the criminal justice process."

When asked for his response to the decision earlier Mr Dunn’s father Tim he was "overwhelmed".

“We set out for this to happen, for a charge to be brought from the start, and today we’ve got what we set out to get. It’s a great day," he added.

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