Harry Dunn family would accept ‘virtual trial’ for Sacoolas in US

ANDREA LEADSOM, the former business secretary, has asked the Government to consider a “virtual trial” for the woman accused of killing teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn.

Anne Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in August last year that resulted in the 19-year-old’s death. But the 42-year-old claimed diplomatic immunity following the collision outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire and was controversially allowed to return to her home country.

In a letter to Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, Ms Leadsom, the Dunn family’s constituency MP, described a virtual trial as a “way to achieve closure... without undermining the US decision not to accept the extradition request”.

She also wrote to the Solicitor General, the Foreign Secretary, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Lord Chancellor to put forward the idea of a virtual trial or a trial in Mrs Sacoolas’s absence.

The Dunn family “would not object” if a decision was taken to conduct a remote trial, said Radd Seiger, their spokesman. In the letter, Ms Leadsom said: “You may be aware that the anniversary of Harry’s death falls on Aug 27 and this is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family.

“They are very anxious to obtain closure on these terrible events before that date and seek urgent comments on the possibility of the trial of Anne Sacoolas

virtually or in her absence. She could remain on US soil, have a virtual trial with a UK court, and should there be a custodial sentence, she could serve it in the US under the existing prisoner transfer agreement.

“Now the ‘loophole’ that allowed Anne Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity has been closed by our Foreign Secretary’s excellent efforts, it must be clear to all that the claim of immunity was the wrong thing to do and that a virtual trial is a way to achieve closure for Harry’s family without undermining the US decision not to accept the extradition request.”

The Home Office said the issue was a matter for the Attorney General’s office, which confirmed a letter had been received but declined to comment.