Immunity waiver demand for suspect

Police chiefs have written to the US embassy in London to demand immunity is waived for an American diplomat’s wife who is a suspect in relation to a fatal road crash.

Nick Adderley, chief constable for Northamptonshire Police, said US authorities had been appealed to in “the strongest terms” to apply a waiver and “allow the justice process to take place” in relation to the woman, who has been named in media reports as 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas.

Northamptonshire Police are leading investigations into a collision that killed 19-yearold Harry Dunn, of Charlton, Banbury, on August 27.

Police said the teenager died after his motorbike collided with a car close to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, a military base used by the US Air Force.

Police have said the woman allegedly involved in the accident had left the UK, despite telling officers she did not plan to do so.

The US embassy confirmed the incident had involved a vehicle driven by the spouse of a US diplomat assigned to UK who had departed the country, adding that diplomatic immunity was “rarely waived”.

Responding to a question on Twitter, Mr Adderley confirmed that he and Stephen Mold, police, fire and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire, had contacted the embassy for immunity to be waived.

Referring to the diplomat’s wife, Mr Adderley told the BBC: “During the initial investigation we were given some assurances by the American authorities that she would co-operate fully with the police and... and then the next minute we found out that, actually, she and her family had left.”

Harry’s mother Charlotte Charles told Sky News the family was not coping well.

She said: “We’re just utterly shocked and appalled that somebody has been allowed to get on a plane and go home and avoid our justice system.”

It is understood that Mr Dunn’s family are to meet with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in the coming days.

PA.