Dunn family to appeal against ruling killer had immunity

THE parents of Harry Dunn are to appeal against a High Court ruling that their son’s killer had diplomatic immunity, as it emerged they struck a £5,000 costs cap deal with the Foreign Office.

The High Court judges announced yesterday that they accepted the Foreign Office’s claim that the US suspect Anne Sacoolas “enjoyed immunity from UK criminal jurisdiction”.

Within hours, the family announced they would be taking the case to the Court of Appeal – and it is understood they are prepared to go up to the Supreme Court. They have a cost capping agreement with the Foreign Office whereby they will not pay more than £5,000 of costs if they lose, while the Government will pay them no more than £30,000 if their case fails.

Harry, 19, died when his motorbike crashed into a car being driven on the wrong side of the road by Ms Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on Aug 27 last year.

Ms Sacoolas, 43, whose husband, Jonathan, worked as a technical assistant at the base, left the country a few weeks later after the US said she was entitled to diplomatic immunity. She was ultimately charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but an extradition request was rejected by the US.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said the judgment “makes clear the Foreign Office acted properly and lawfully throughout”. Asked about the judgment, Charlotte Charles, Harry’s mother, said: “Just that it’s another blip. We knew that this was a possibility but we always have a plan B.”