Harry Dunn’s household say they may ‘eternally really feel bitterly disenchanted’

Harry Dunn’s furious family have said they will ‘forever feel bitterly disappointed’ in their son’s killer Anne Sacoolas, after she failed to turn up to his four day inquest. 

Mr Dunn was hit by Ms Sacoolas in August 2019, after she drove her Volvo on the wrong side of the road in Northamptonshire leading to the fatal head on collision.

However, 19 days after the incident she successfully managed to leave the UK under diplomatic immunity laws, as she is married to a CIA operative.  

Speaking at court today, Mr Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles, reiterated her ‘disgust’ at Sacoolas’s and the US Embassy’s decision not to attend the inquest – labelling it ‘disrespectful’ to her son and adding that it would ‘forever leave us feeling bitterly disappointed in her’.

She said: ‘We have come to the end of our huge fight. Does it bring closure to our loss? I don’t think that ever happens.’

Adding: ‘It further bolsters my opinion that they [US government] have no regard for myself or my family, our wider family – they just don’t care.’ 

The family of Harry Dunn were told Anne Sacoolas was willing to attend the inquest remotely provided their lawyer did not ask questions.

Sacoolas’s evidence was delayed twice during the inquest in Northampton, after eleventh hour talks were held to further invite her to attend.

The Dunn family were told that the 45-year-old could have potentially agreed to give live evidence, but only on the condition that questions came only from the coroner and not the family’s lawyer Patrick Gibbs KC.

Family spokesman Radd Seiger said the parents rejected the proposal.

Speaking about the last-minute talks, Mr Seiger said: ‘What on earth were they thinking of?

‘Who would seek to restrict a grieving family’s opportunity to understand how their son died in that way.

‘This appeared to us to be yet another attempt to have Mrs Sacoolas do things in our justice system that suited her.

‘As much as the family wanted to hear from her, they are principled people and believe in doing things according to the rules.’

The family of the teenage motorcyclist said that they are now looking forward to working with ‘the next government to establish this public inquiry’, after it was announced that Labour had promised the family a fresh inquiry into how Sacoolas was able to leave the country under diplomatic immunity.

Harry Dunn’s furious family have accused the US government of ‘obstructing’ the inquest into his death, after his killer failed to appear for the four day inquest. 

Spokesman for the family Radd Seiger expressed his outrage today at the US government’s handling of the situation claiming that they think ‘lives of UK citizens like Harry’s ultimately do not matter’. 

Northamptonshire coroner Anne Pember also criticised the US government over a lack of training for diplomatic personnel at RAF Croughton before Mr Dunn’s death.

She recorded his death as being as a result of ‘injuries sustained during a head-on collision’ with a car on the wrong side of the road. 

Ms Pember also issued three prevention of future death notices: two to the Health Secretary regarding drugs carried by paramedics and overstretched ambulance services, and one to the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence addressing the US’s training of drivers in the UK.

Sacoolas appeared before a High Court judge at the Old Bailey via video-link in December 2022, where she pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

She was advised against attending her sentencing hearing by her employer, which prompted the family to say they were ‘horrified’ that the US government was ‘actively interfering in our criminal justice system’.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb handed her an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Addressing the US government’s role prior to Harry’s death, Mr Seiger said: ‘It was not enough for them to kill Harry. It wasn’t enough for them to then kick Harry’s family in their darkest hour and seek to deny and delay the justice that they were entitled to.

‘As we have all seen this week their attitude and approach to keeping their British hosts safe has been laid to bare and they have positively obstructed the Coroner’s inquiry and deprived the family of the answers they were entitled to as to why no-one has ever addressed the issue of safety of UK citizens.

‘The next question is why have the UK governments over the years been happy to sit on the sidelines watching this scandal unfold.

‘This Tory government have refused to get involved. Labour have promised us a public inquiry into the way we were treated and the failure on the part of both governments over the decades to address the issue of safety which has led to thousands of people being killed and seriously injured.’

He continued: ‘The UK government have also now seen how the US government treats our courts and judges.

‘The question for the next British government is are they just going to stand by and let the Americans continue to treat us all and our lives with such contempt.

‘The US ambassador at the time of Harry’s death was Woody Johnson. He told the UK government after he died that there were far more important things than Harry’s life.

‘That is the American government’s position. The lives of UK citizens like Harry ultimately do not matter.

‘We won’t let them get away with it and we look forward to working with the next government to establish this public inquiry.

‘We were all horrified as a nation to see how the US government treated Harry’s family. This must never happen again.

‘The American national anthem ends land of the free home of the brave. They haven’t demonstrated an ounce of bravery at all preferring to run, hide and obstruct.’