Death of Harry Dunn
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Harry Dunn was a 19-year-old British man who died following a road traffic collision on 27 August 2019. He was riding his motorcycle near
Croughton, Northamptonshire Croughton is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, about southwest of Brackley. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 992. The village is on the B4031 road about above sea level, on the south side of ...
, United Kingdom, near the exit to RAF Croughton, when a car travelling in the opposite direction and on the wrong side of the road collided with him. The car was driven by Anne Sacoolas, who was working for the
United States Intelligence Community United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
at the time of the collision and wife of CIA employee Jonathan Sacoolas, stationed at the time at USAF
listening station A radio listening station (also: listening post, radio intercept station or wireless intercept station, W/T station for wireless telegraphy) is a facility used for military reconnaissance, especially telecommunications reconnaissance (also kno ...
RAF Croughton. Sacoolas admitted that she had been driving the car on the wrong side of the road, and the police said that, based on CCTV footage, they believed that to be true. Dunn was pronounced dead at the Major Trauma Centre of
John Radcliffe Hospital The John Radcliffe Hospital (informally known as the JR) is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England. It forms part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is named after John Radcliffe, an 18th-century physic ...
, Oxford. The collision caused diplomatic tension between UK and US officials. Sacoolas fled the UK soon after the incident and claimed
diplomatic immunity Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country.
with US support. On 20 October 2022 she pleaded guilty to causing the death of Harry Dunn by careless driving. On 8 December 2022 she was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from driving for 12 months. She had not attended the sentencing in person on the advice of the US government despite the request of the judge.


Collision

Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old resident of Charlton near
Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
, was riding his motorcycle on the B4031 road about from the exit of RAF Croughton on the evening of 27 August 2019, when he was struck by a car. The car was driven by Anne Sacoolas, who was then a member of the
United States Intelligence Community United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
and the wife of a CIA operative working at the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
listening station A radio listening station (also: listening post, radio intercept station or wireless intercept station, W/T station for wireless telegraphy) is a facility used for military reconnaissance, especially telecommunications reconnaissance (also kno ...
at RAF Croughton. Police said they believed the car, a
Volvo XC90 The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars since 2002 and now in its second generation. The first generation was introduced at the 2002 North American International Auto Show and used the Volvo P2 platform ...
, had been driven on the wrong side of the road from the base exit, which Sacoolas later admitted. Sacoolas had a previous driving infraction in the US state of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in 2006 for "failing to pay full time and attention". The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
reported that the Sacoolas family had only been in the UK for three weeks. Call handlers for the emergency telephone call categorised Dunn's injuries as category 2, requiring ambulance attention within 40 minutes; the ambulance arrived 43 minutes after the collision. The chief executive of East Midlands Ambulance Service later said that the categorisation did not make a difference to the outcome because of a shortage of ambulance crews. Dunn was pronounced dead at the Major Trauma Centre of the
John Radcliffe Hospital The John Radcliffe Hospital (informally known as the JR) is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England. It forms part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is named after John Radcliffe, an 18th-century physic ...
, Oxford.


Investigation

An investigation into the collision led by
Nick Adderley Nick Adderley (b 1965) is a senior British police officer, currently serving as Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police. Career Adderley grew up in New Moston, Manchester and joined the Royal Navy in 1981. He then joined Cheshire Constabul ...
, the chief constable of
Northamptonshire Police Northamptonshire Police (colloquially known as Northants Police) is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England, in the United Kingdom. The Northampton Police area includ ...
, determined, from CCTV records, that a car had been travelling on the wrong side of the road. Sacoolas had cooperated with police at the scene of the crash and was breathalysed. She was interviewed the next day at home and the police said she had cooperated with them. She had said she was driving on the wrong side of the road when she collided with Dunn. Diplomatic immunity was mentioned during the interview, and Northamptonshire Police applied for an immunity waiver later that day. On 14 September, Foreign Office diplomat Neil Holland texted a US official that "It's obviously not us approving of their departure", but that, since the US was not waiving immunity, "I think you should feel able to put them on the next flight out". On 16 September, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) informed the police that the waiver had been declined and that Sacoolas had left the UK on a
US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...
aircraft. ''The Telegraph'' reported that Sacoolas left the country on a 'private' flight which likely took off from the US airbase at Mildenhall. Adderley later confirmed that the suspect was to be interviewed under caution in the United States, at her own request, explaining: "A file of evidence has been handed to the
Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal advi ...
(CPS) but... that file is incomplete - you can't complete the file until you have an account from the suspect." On 31 October, police confirmed they had interviewed the suspect and passed the information to the CPS. Following the police interview with Sacoolas, Dunn's mother told Sky News that the family felt they were "no further forward" and were still "left in limbo"; she also criticised the decision to fly British police to the US. On 1 November the police submitted a file to the CPS, who would evaluate it for a charging decision.


Diplomatic issues

The collision became the subject of a diplomatic dispute when Sacoolas left the country shortly after the incident and the US embassy said she had
diplomatic immunity Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country.
as the wife of a US agent working in the UK. According to Sky News someone at the US embassy told Sacoolas to leave the UK. The ''
Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American conservative news outlet which consists principally of an online/digital website with a weekly magazine, based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by MediaDC, a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group, which is o ...
'' reported that Jonathan Sacoolas did not work for the
National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collect ...
, and that the Sacoolas family lived in
Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...
in the area of the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
Langley headquarters. Dunn's parents were advised by two leading specialist lawyers on diplomatic immunity, Mark Stephens and
Geoffrey Robertson Geoffrey Ronald Robertson (born 30 September 1946) is a human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster. He holds dual Australian and British citizenship.
. They advised that Anne Sacoolas was not entitled to diplomatic immunity, as her husband was not listed as a diplomat. Furthermore, they contended, diplomatic immunity no longer applied upon Sacoolas's return to her home country; therefore, it would be possible to take civil action in the US courts. The Foreign Secretary,
Dominic Raab Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to ...
, also stated that diplomatic immunity no longer applied. Dunn's parents decided to travel to the US to "fight for change" and seek the return of Sacoolas to the UK. President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's briefing notes were revealed in a photograph taken at a 10 October press conference. If asked the US line was to say that Anne Sacoolas would not return to the UK, despite the previous intervention of Raab and the Prime Minister,
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
, which had included a call to the president. In response, Dunn's mother said that the position of the US was, "beyond any realm of human thinking", adding "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."


Parents meeting with Trump

Dunn's parents visited the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
on 15 October 2019 to meet with "a senior official". To their surprise they were met by President Trump who told them that Sacoolas was waiting "in the next room" to meet them. They and their lawyer rejected this as being too soon and something that should take place on British soil. Trump called his meeting with the Dunn family "beautiful in a certain way." He also said driving on the wrong side "happens to a lot of people" because they "go to Europe and the roads are opposite." It was later alleged that Trump had intended to pay the family compensation, but they refused it: the Dunn family's spokesman reported that the White House meeting ended with the president saying the
Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
, Steven Mnuchin, was "standing by ready to write a cheque", adding: "It was almost as if he let it slip out. When he said: 'We've got the driver acoolashere', he basically meant we're all going to have a big hug and a kiss and I'll get my treasury guy to write a cheque. That's how it was. On the day it just didn't register with me, but the more I think about those words, the more shocking it is."


Responses by parents and others

On 15 October 2019 the Dunn family announced their intention to start a
judicial review Judicial review is a process under which executive, legislative and administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with authority for judicial review may invalidate laws, acts and governmental actions that are incomp ...
action into the advice given by the FCO to Northamptonshire Police regarding the diplomatic immunity of Anne Sacoolas and set up a CrowdJustice web page. Three days later, Dunn's parents said that they expected UK police to charge Sacoolas in connection with their son's death. On the same day it was reported that the
UK government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
had asked Northamptonshire Police to delay informing Dunn's family that the woman involved in the crash had left the country. Dominic Raab stated that the FCO had asked the force to withhold the information "for a day or two". The Dunn family became aware that Anne Sacoolas had left the UK one week later, on 23 September. Subsequently, a review of the diplomatic immunity arrangements at RAF Croughton was commissioned.
Nigel Farage Nigel Paul Farage (; born 3 April 1964) is a British broadcaster and former politician who was Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Brexit Party (renamed Reform UK in 2021) from 2 ...
discussed the case with Trump by telephone, on his 1 November
LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadca ...
evening talk-show. Trump said that Sacoolas had a "compelling story to tell" when he met her at the White House. Asked if there were circumstances where Sacoolas could return to the UK to face charges, Trump said: "Well, I would have to see what the final facts are... And, I'll take a look at the final facts. She's represented by a lawyer." On 21 November, Dunn's parents expressed their disgust with Raab, who had defended the government's decision to seek legal costs. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said there was not "any reasonably arguable ground of legal challenge" in a legal case Dunn's parents were bringing against them. On 25 November Dunn's father, together with a group of more than 50 others, were, for fire safety reasons, prevented by staff from entering a hustings attended by Raab in
East Molesey Molesey is a district of two twin towns, East Molesey and West Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England, and is situated on the south bank of the River Thames. East and West Molesey share a high street, and there is a second retai ...
Methodist Church. Dunn's parents submitted a judicial review on 25 November, detailing the Foreign Secretary's actions over the extension of diplomatic immunity to intelligence staff and families at RAF Croughton. They stated that UK-US "
secret treaties A secret treaty is a treaty ( international agreement) in which the contracting state parties have agreed to conceal the treaty's existence or substance from other states and the public.Helmut Tichy and Philip Bittner, "Article 80" in Olivier D ...
" had been disclosed but the documents did not cover immunity for family members. A FCO spokesman commented "As the Foreign Secretary set out in Parliament, the individual involved had diplomatic immunity whilst in the country under the
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among government ...
." The Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby Justin Portal Welby (born 6 January 1956) is a British bishop who is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He has served in that role since 2013. Welby was previously the vicar of Southam, Warwickshire, and then Bishop of Durham, serving for ...
wrote to the US ambassador in London early in October, asking that the extradition of Anne Sacoolas should not be blocked, but had at the time not received a reply. In December, Dunn's parents announced they were to file a civil lawsuit in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, where Sacoolas lived, in the hope of compelling her to return to England, turn herself in and face charges. The family's lawyer planned to rely on
English common law English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures. Principal elements of English law Although the common law has, historically, be ...
dating back to 1774, which states that, even though the offence may have been committed in one country, the accused can face charge in another. In January 2020, groups of protesters, holding signs saying "Justice 4 Harry", gathered outside RAF Croughton. In a strongly-worded statement released by the family, they vowed not to stop demonstrating until "common sense prevails and the US government agrees not to abuse their power again".


Criminal prosecution and civil litigation

In December 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Sacoolas was to be charged with
causing death by dangerous driving Causing death by dangerous driving is a statutory offence in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is an aggravated form of dangerous driving. It is currently created by section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as substituted by the ...
and that it was starting
extradition Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdi ...
proceedings against her. Sacoolas's lawyer Amy Jeffress said: "Anne will not return voluntarily to the UK to face a potential jail sentence for what was a terrible but unintentional accident," adding, "the potential 14-year sentence was not proportionate." The Dunn family later met with the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and their MP,
Andrea Leadsom Dame Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (; ' Salmon; born 13 May 1963) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Northamptonshire since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Secretary of State for Environ ...
, at their home. Their family spokesman said they were now "incredibly reassured this whole saga will be dealt with under the rule of law". The following January, the Home Office formally requested the extradition of Sacoolas to face charges in the United Kingdom. The
US State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
's initial response was "The use of an extradition treaty to attempt to return the spouse of a former diplomat by force would establish an extraordinarily troubling precedent" and that the request was "highly inappropriate". On 23 January US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...
formally rejected the request for extradition. The family spokesman said they had taken the news "in our stride". The Home Office said the decision appeared "to be a denial of justice". Andrea Leadsom was planning to meet the US ambassador, Woody Johnson, in London on 24 January to discuss the case. In January 2020 Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley requested an urgent meeting with the commander of the military base after footage emerged of another vehicle on the wrong side of the road near RAF Croughton. Officers gave details of a separate crash, in October, in which a police vehicle had been struck by a car being driven on the wrong side of the road. The ''
Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first pub ...
'' disclosed the following month that Sacoolas was previously involved in espionage with the CIA. Following the disclosure, which was subsequently confirmed by ''Sky News'', and widely reported by other news outlets, Dunn's mother expressed her family's suspicions that the British government were not fully sharing their knowledge of Sacoolas's past role with them. ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' speculated that the UK's prime minister would come under more pressure to meet the Dunn family. ''The Times'' also suggested that the disclosure could lead to allegations that the US were giving Sacoolas special protection because of her past activities with the CIA. ''
The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' reported that former foreign secretary
Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (born 1 November 1966) is a British politician who has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer since 14 October 2022. He previously served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport ...
had said that the disclosure might explain why the US had declined to authorise Sacoolas's extradition. The family spokesman called for a public inquiry into the matter. The Dunn family urged the UK government to refuse the US government's extradition request of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange until they returned Sacoolas to the UK. They accused the US government of hypocrisy and said that the US had launched an attack on the Special Relationship between both countries. On 18 June 2020, a preliminary hearing of the judicial review brought by the Dunn family took place at the
High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...
. In a submission to the court Tony Baldry, former Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister and signatory to the diplomatic immunity agreement covering the base at which Sacoolas' husband worked, stated that the agreement was "limited" and did not cover dependants. In a further submission Sir Ivor Roberts, a former longstanding diplomat, called the claim that Sacoolas was covered by diplomatic immunity "a palpable absurdity". An adjournment debate on RAF Croughton, in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
, was led by local
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
Andrea Leadsom, who focused on Dunn's death and called for the government to intervene and block plans to modify the airbase. As of August, the
Attorney General for England and Wales His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is one of the law officers of the Crown and the principal legal adviser to sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales. The attorney general maintains the Attorney G ...
is considering trying Sacoolas
in absentia is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent". may also refer to: * Award in absentia * Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body * Election in ab ...
on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving. The prospect of a virtual trial, an option being considered by the attorney general, received support from the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. On 9 September, a lawsuit for
wrongful death Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, ...
was filed against Sacoolas and her husband in a
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
federal court. A legal representative of the Dunn family stated: “Given Ms Sacoolas’ refusal to return to the UK, we look forward to bringing this case to a jury of Anne Sacoolas’ peers here in the United States.” The lawsuit alleges that Sacoolas did not notify the emergency services or police after the accident. On the same day, the Dunn family met with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill QC, after which it was reported that Hill had concluded that Sacoolas did not have diplomatic immunity and should not have been permitted to leave the country. However, a High Court ruling on 24 November 2020 concluded Sacoolas did have diplomatic immunity at the time of Dunn's death. The Virginia court held a hearing for the case against Sacoolas in February 2021. It was revealed in the court that Sacoolas was an employee of the CIA. This raised doubts about her claim for diplomatic immunity because it would not apply to any US administrative or technical staff under an agreement between the UK and the US in 1995. When asked why she had refused to return to the UK, Sacoolas's lawyer told the court: "Her fear is that with the tremendous media attention she will receive, she’s concerned she will not receive fair treatment with the press and the local community. She is fearful upon her return and concerned, and she’s certainly apologetic and accepts full responsibility for causing this accident." The presiding judge T. S. Ellis III replied: "Accepting full responsibility doesn’t mean you run away, it means you stay there and face it. You shouldn’t overplay the full responsibility card." On 16 February 2021 Ellis ruled that Dunn's family would be able to sue Sacoolas for damages, dismissing her argument that holding the proceedings in the UK would be "more convenient". Handing down his judgment, Ellis said: "While it is commendable that defendant Anne Sacoolas admits that she was negligent and that her negligence caused Harry Dunn’s death, this does not equate acceptance of responsibility. ... Full acceptance of responsibility entails facing those harmed by her negligence and taking responsibility for her acts where they occurred, in the United Kingdom." Ellis said he also took into account the "firm support" of Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who had submitted a letter to the court which read: "I strongly support he Dunn family'sright to bring the case. Other motions, submitted by Sacoolas’s legal team to dismiss the case, would be heard in Virginia on 3 March. In March 2021, Sacoolas's lawyer Amy Jeffress said that, since the charge pending in Britain against her would not usually result in a prison sentence in the US, her client was not inclined to return to the UK to face trial. Jeffress also said that her client would be willing to undertake
community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
in the US and make a "contribution" in his memory, as well as meet his family. In reply, Dunn's mother said Sacoolas must face "the UK justice system". Jeffress claimed reports that Sacoolas had not called for help were untrue, stating she flagged down a motorist who called the ambulance service while she notified police at the military base. On 8 August 2021, the BBC reported that the Dunn family lawyer had submitted documents to the US court alleging that Sacoolas may have been distracted by her
mobile phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whi ...
at the time of the crash, stating that there were call and text records for the day before and the day after, but no call records or text messages for that day. As the collision happened at approximately 20:25 GMT, this would suggest that either call/text messages were deleted from the phone or that Sacoolas had used it the day before and the day afterward, but not used it for the entire day of the collision. In September 2021, the family's spokesman announced that Dunn's parents had reached a "resolution" in their civil claim for damages. A spokesperson for the Dunn family said the outcome was "a real milestone". Details of the agreement reached between the parties involved were not disclosed. Seiger said the family would now turn its "attention to the criminal case and the long-awaited inquest into Harry's death which will follow the criminal case". On 13 December 2021, the CPS announced that Sacoolas would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 18 January 2022 by video link from the US. Her lawyers, however, denied reports that she would attend and said no such agreement had been made. The January date was later postponed to allow further liaison with the US national's legal team. On 22 March 2022 MP Andrea Leadsom, raised a topical question in Parliament to ask the Secretary of State Dominic Raab to give an update on what was being done to deliver justice. A new court date of 29 September 2022 was announced a few days before it was due to take place. On 29 September Sacoolas appeared by video link during the six-minute hearing, speaking only to confirm her date of birth and name. The chief magistrate Paul Goldspring agreed that her lawyer's address, rather than hers, could be used for correspondence. Sacoolas was told to attend the next hearing, at the Old Bailey, in October, in person or apply for permission to use a video link. On 20 October 2022, the Old Bailey heard and accepted Sacoolas's plea of guilty (via video link) to the charge of causing death by careless driving. She had pleaded not guilty to the more severe offence of causing death by dangerous driving. On 8 December, Sacoolas was sentenced by Mrs Justice
Bobbie Cheema-Grubb Dame Parmjit Kaur "Bobbie" Cheema-Grubb DBE (born Parmjit-kaur Cheema; 6 October 1966), styled The Hon. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, is a judge of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. She is the first Asian ...
to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was disqualified from driving for 12 months. She had not attended the sentencing in person on the advice of the US government despite the request of the judge.


Diplomatic immunity for RAF Croughton staff and families

On 21 October 2019 the UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, claimed that according to "arrangements" agreed upon by the US and the UK in 1995, the spouses and children of US intelligence officers at RAF Croughton were considered part of the
US embassy The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
and thus eligible for diplomatic immunity under the terms of the Vienna Convention, even though the officers themselves were deemed ineligible to claim diplomatic immunity for criminal behaviour outside the base. The accuracy and legal validity of this claim has been strongly challenged by others. On 22 July 2020 it was widely reported that the UK and US governments had agreed to close the "loophole" in the arrangement that allegedly provided immunity from criminal prosecution for the family of US staff (though not retroactively). The precise legal nature of those arrangements, however, remains unexplained. The US State Department said the amendment was a "reflection of our especially close relationship" with the UK. The
Shadow Foreign Secretary In UK politics, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals mainly with issues surrounding the Foreign Office. If elected, the person serving a ...
, Lisa Nandy, said that Labour would "push for a full inquiry" into the case.


Legacy

Dunn's funeral took place on 17 September 2019, followed by cremation at an Oxfordshire crematorium. In December 2022, Dunn's family welcomed major changes to road safety outside US bases in the UK, announced in a letter to them from the Transport Secretary.
Mark Harper Mark James Harper (born 26 February 1970) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Transport since 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Forest of Dean since 2005. Harper w ...
wrote to the Dunn family, promising to implement several recommendations, following a review of safety around both RAF Croughton and RAF Barford St John in Oxfordshire.


See also

* Killing of Jennifer Laude * Left- and right-hand traffic *
Raymond Allen Davis incident Raymond Allen Davis is a former United States Army soldier, private security firm employee, and contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). On January 27, 2011, Davis shot two men in the back, killing both, in Lahore, Pakistan. At l ...
*
Teo Peter Teofil Nelu Peter (11 April 1954 – 4 December 2004) was a Romanian rock musician and bass player for Compact. Peter was born in Cluj-Napoca, in Romania, in 1954. Compact was formed in Cluj-Napoca in 1977. Teo Peter had a brother, Dorin, and a ...
* Yangju highway incident


References

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