PM writes to Harry Dunn’s family on eve of extradition court review

BORIS Johnson has pledged to press Donald Trump on attempts to extradite Anne Sacoolas in a letter to Harry Dunn’s relatives just days before the family attends the High Court to dispute her diplomatic immunity.

The Prime Minister said he will continue to ask Mr Trump and Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, to “do the right thing” by allowing Ms Sacoolas to face justice in Britain over the teenager’s death.

Ms Sacoolas, 42, was charged with causing Mr Dunn’s death by dangerous driving in December last year but an extradition request was refused by the US the following month.

The letter was received by Mr Dunn’s mother and twin brother, Niall, on Monday, three days before the family attends the High Court for a judicial review hearing with the Foreign Office and Northamptonshire Police. The family launched legal proceedings to dispute the diplomatic immunity claimed by Ms Sacoolas.

Relatives said they were “angry” that the letters arrived on the eve of the court battle, with Mr Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles, adding she was “bitterly disappointed” that Mr Johnson had not yet met the family.

Mrs Charles wrote to the Prime Minister on March 2 urging him “not to be frightened” of meeting her and her family, saying there were “very serious problems” that needed addressing after her son’s death in a crash outside RAF Croughton in Northants, in August last year. After receiving the letter,

Mrs Charles said: “Having read both his letter to me and to Niall, I cannot begin to express how flat and angry I feel with this cut-and-paste response.

“This is the same nonsense that we have been hearing from other government departments for months. Even President Trump saw fit to meet us.

“My son was killed by an American citizen. Mr Johnson and his government let that person go and he doesn’t have the courage to meet with us.

In his letter to Mrs Charles, Mr Johnson said: “I know this loss was compounded by the decision of the United States not to waive immunity for Anne Sacoolas, then to refuse extradition.

“I feel strongly that this amounts to a denial of justice, and have said so publicly.

“I have raised Harry’s case personally with both President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo, asking them to do the right thing. I will continue to do so.”

‘This is the same nonsense that we have been hearing for months. Even President Trump saw fit to meet us.’