Trial can now go ahead
DUNN LATEST New hope as US agree action
‘People can’t just walk away with nothing to answer’
The Government appears to have cleared the way for Anne Sacoolas, the woman suspected of causing teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn’s death, to be tried virtually over his death.
Sacoolas has admitted being behind the wheel of a car that was being driven on the wrong side of the road and has never denied that her negligence caused Harry’s death in August, 2019.
Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity and fled to the US shortly after the accident, where she has remained ever since. Despite multiple requests, the American State Department has been resolute in its refusal to grant extradition but it seems this may no longer be an issue, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab agreeing the Government is happy for the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue a ‘virtual trial’.
Speaking to the BBC, Raab said: “The US has not agreed to the extradition, but the path is clear for the legal authorities in the UK to approach Anne Sacoolas’ lawyers, without any problem from the US government, to see whether some kind of virtual trial or process could allow some accountability and some solace and some justice for the Dunn family.”
Previously it was always the CPS’s position that Sacoolas must return to the UK for a criminal trial to take place. However, Sacoolas has refused repeatedly to return voluntarily, claiming she fears she will not receive a fair hearing. If a virtual trial were to take place, Sacoolas would be tried by a British court without ever having to leave the US. This sort of proceedings would be unprecedented in UK law but the way has been cleared due to emergency coronavirus legislation permitting such hearings. There is now talk of making such hearings permanent, with Director of Public Prosecutions Max Hill QC saying they “stand ready to prosecute by whatever means we can according to the law”.
He continued: “There is legislation in place on an interim basis [through the Coronavirus act] and we are aware of provisions in the current ‘Courts bill’… which could enshrine those measures into law.
“We will see what can be developed and we hope for a positive outcome on behalf of everyone in this case but specifically the Dunn family.” And the Dunn family has welcomed the news. Their spokesman Radd Seiger said: “To hear about the path being cleared to a remote trial, with a blessing from Boris Johnson, was brilliant. “It’s very sensitive politically. We had been asked not to discuss it at first because it’s never been done before. Our legal system requires a first appearance physically and you can’t get the ball rolling without it. “We’ve got an army of lawyers trying to work out what’s next but it might require a tweak to legislation. Obviously the Government is keen to avoid a situation where people hide in foreign countries and just request virtual trials from now on.
“The law doesn’t like exceptional things, it just wants everything within the bounds of the law. But quite frankly I think the Government is so sick of the noise from the people that they’re preparing to change things to make it happen.
“How she does it - from Mars, Timbuktu or at the Old Bailey – we don’t care. What’s important to us is the principle of the criminal justice system running properly. People just can’t walk away with nothing to answer.” Meanwhile, the family is now preparing to travel to the US for deposition in the civil case, which is ongoing and unaffected by the UK criminal case.
‘We hope for a positive outcome for the family’