Harry Dunn: CPS to pursue Anne Sacoolas for prosecution despite High Court ruling on diplomatic immunity
Anne Sacoolas #AnneSacoolas
Harry Dunn’s alleged killer will continue to be pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution, despite a High Court ruling that the former spy has diplomatic immunity.
Anne Sacoolas was charged with death by dangerous driving 12 months ago after a fatal road collision outside a US military base in Northamptonshire took the teenager’s life in August 2019.
Janine Smith, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the East Midlands, wrote to the 19-year-old motorcyclist’s family just ahead of the the anniversary of the charging decision to say she was “satisfied that there remains sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Sacoolas, 43, was allowed to return home after the US Government asserted diplomatic immunity on her behalf.
The move sparked international controversy, leading to an extradition request from the Home Office to the US State Department, who refused to return her.
High Court appeal
In a meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions in September, the family was told the CPS had concluded Sacoolas did not have immunity at the time of the collision, a point they have long contested.
However, High Court judges accepted the Foreign Office’s position that Sacoolas “enjoyed immunity from UK criminal jurisdiction”.
Mr Dunn’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, have since been granted permission to appeal against the judgment.
In Ms Smith’s letter to Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn, she wrote: “I wanted to take the opportunity to provide an update following our consideration of the recent High Court judgment.
“Having considered the judgment, and notwithstanding the outcome in respect of diplomatic immunity, I am satisfied that there remains sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it remains in the public interest for the prosecution to continue.
“The CPS remains of the view that Mrs Sacoolas should return to the UK to stand trial.
“I do hope this confirmation is of some small comfort to Harry’s family and friends at this challenging time of the year.”
Mrs Charles said the family would be “nowhere” without the CPS – adding that she was “really pleased” with Ms Smith’s letter.
She said: “My family and I are really pleased to see this letter from the CPS.
“We are approaching our second Christmas without Harry and without justice for Harry.
“Our pain is raw and real and we need to get this done sooner rather than later.
“In our darkest hour we know we can continue to count on the CPS to continue to do their job. We would be nowhere without them.”
The family’s spokesman, Radd Seiger, said he believed the letter showed the “CPS remain of the view” that Anne Sacoolas was not entitled to diplomatic immunity.
He said: “This is an important letter from the Chief Crown Prosecutor.
“It signals yet again that the CPS remain of the view, as do Harry’s parents on legal advice, that Anne Sacoolas did not have diplomatic immunity at the time of the crash and intend to proceed with their prosecution of her notwithstanding the judgment of the High Court.
“We have always been clear on that issue.
“We look forward to holding talks with both governments in the new year to bring the family’s torture to an end.”
Additional reporting by PA