HARRY’S MUM: MEET ME FACE TO FACE
Family arrives in the States for meeting with suspect in son’s death smash
HARRY Dunn’s grieving mother wants to see the woman suspected of killing him – and has warned “saying sorry is not enough”.
Mum Charlotte Charles flew in to the US last night with Harry’s dad in the hope of meeting American spy’s wife Anne Sacoolas, 43.
It is claimed she was driving when motorcyclist Harry, 19, died in a crash.
THE distraught parents of Harry Dunn flew in to the US last night in their bid to discover the exact circumstances surrounding his death.
Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn want to secure a meeting with Anne Sacoolas, the US spy’s wife involved in the crash that killed 19-year-old Harry.
Mark Stephens, a lawyer who is advising Harry’s parents in Britain, said: “The family’s preference now is for a private meeting with Sacoolas to discover what happened and to secure some kind of emotional closure.
“It must be a meeting without spin doctors – a personal meeting... so the family can find out what happened in the final moments of their son’s life.”
Harry was killed when his motorbike and a car were in collision outside RAF Croughton, Northants, on August 27.
Mrs Sacoolas, who had been in the UK a few weeks, was involved in the crash. It has been alleged she may have been driving on the wrong side of the road.
She has since fled Britain and is at the centre of a diplomatic immunity row.
Harry’s mum said last night she is “hopeful” of meeting Mrs Sacoolas who has broken six weeks of silence by issuing a statement saying she wants to see Harry’s parents to “express her deepest sympathies and apologies”. Speaking on the plane last night, Charlotte said: “Whether it’s face to face or lawyer to lawyer, we’re not really sure yet, but fingers crossed we’re stepping in the right direction.”
But she also warned that “sorry” is not enough. Charlotte said: “My opinion on [her] now wanting to come forward and say sorry... to be perfectly honest, yes it’s the start of some closure for our family.
“Having said that, as it’s nearly seven weeks now since we lost our boy, sorry just doesn’t cut it.
“That’s not really quite enough. But I’m still really open to meeting her, as are the rest of us.
“I can’t promise what I would say, but I certainly wouldn’t be aggressive.”
It is still unclear whether Mrs Sacoolas, 43, had diplomatic immunity.
It is understood she co-operated with police but that the Government told officers that – as a spy’s wife – she had immunity. Mrs Sacoolas is said to have returned to the US in September.
Over the weekend Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote to Harry’s family to say the British and US governments now consider Mrs Sacoolas’s immunity is no longer relevant as she has gone back to the US. Charlotte, 44, said the letter was a “breakthrough”. Her former partner Tim, 50, said he was “shocked, but hopeful” something can come of it.
US President Donald Trump insisted last week that Mrs Sacoolas would not have to return to Britain for questioning.
Her legal team said she spoke with authorities at the scene of the crash and met police at her home in the UK the next day. Her lawyer Amy Jeffress added Mrs Sacoolas will “continue to co-operate with the investigation”.
The Mirror understands police here hope Mrs Sacoolas voluntarily decides to return to Britain for questioning.
They are exploring other options with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Foreign Office.
Northants police said: “Our investigation continues at pace. We remain committed to getting Harry and his family justice and we are doing everything to ensure a full investigation – with the assistance of all parties involved – takes place for this to be achieved.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel has played down suggestions Mrs Sacoolas, who is from Virginia, will be extradited.
ROAD death suspect Anne Sacoolas would be on the first flight back to Britain if she had an ounce of decency.
The dignity of Harry Dunn’s parents, Charlotte and Tim, shames the spy’s wife. So we hope she treats them with great respect at the anticipated face-to-face meeting in the USA.
Sacoolas would get a fair hearing in a British court, so she must return voluntarily – or be sent back by Donald Trump.
It would be unconscionable of Sacoolas, her legal team or Trump himself to exploit the meeting with Harry’s parents as a PR exercise, using it as an alternative to appearing in court.
And there are still questions about Sacoolas’ status and her departure from Britain. The Foreign Office must tell us if she had diplomatic immunity and, if so, under what arrangement. If she didn’t, the police need to explain why she was allowed to leave, apparently without any legal means to ensure her return.
Justice must be done and our hearts go out to grieving Charlotte and Tim, who want closure after the tragic loss of their son.