We spoke up for Harry in US, say parents of tragic teenager
THE PARENTS of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn said they “stood up and spoke for him” after giving evidence under oath in a damages claim against their son’s alleged killer.
Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn gave legal testimony during their depositions after flying out to Washington DC.
Mr Dunn’s parents faced lawyers acting on behalf of suspect Anne Sacoolas, who left the UK after diplomatic immunity was asserted on her behalf following the 19-year-old’s death in August 2019.
Mrs Charles said her latest trip to the US had been “arduous and difficult” but added: “We stood up and spoke for him as he cannot speak for himself now.”
Sacoolas was charged with causing the teenager’s death by dangerous driving after her departure from the UK but an extradition request was rejected by the US State Department in January last year.
The 43-year-old will also be required to give legal testimony by the end of August as part of the civil claim.
Speaking after giving her deposition, Mrs Charles said yesterday: “We are so glad that our depositions are out of the way now.
“We can’t go into the detail of what happened at all but we were required to come out to the USA to do the depositions in person.
“We are enduring life, not living it, but we will do everything in our power to get justice for our boy and for ourselves.”
The depositions are part of the “discovery” process in the Dunn family’s claim, in which correspondence and documentation relevant to the case will be handed over before a trial at the end of the year.
The damages claim, brought against Sacoolas and her husband Jonathan, has unearthed a great deal of previously unheard material, such as the roles held by the couple at the time of the crash.