Police chief in charge of US diplomat car crash case says he would not do anything differently as he admits his officers missed two opportunities to arrest diplomat's wife

Charlotte Charles, (left in left picture), mother of British teenager Harry Dunn (right picture), and her husband Bruce Charles (centre, left) arrive in Washington with Harry's father Tim Dunn (right, left) - AP/PA
Charlotte Charles, (left in left picture), mother of British teenager Harry Dunn (right picture), and her husband Bruce Charles (centre, left) arrive in Washington with Harry's father Tim Dunn (right, left) - AP/PA

The police chief in charge of investigating the death of Harry Dunn says he would not have done anything differently, despite his officers missing two opportunities to arrest the wife of a US diplomat who admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road, before fleeing the country.

In a statement this morning, Chief Constable Nick Adderley from Northamptonshire police said “When I look back at how the police have dealt with this so far, I can say that if the circumstances remained the same and the same again happened, we would take the same course of action. I would not change the way that police have dealt with this to date.”

Police interviewed and breathalysed Anne Sacoolas, wife of an American diplomat at the scene, but did not arrest her. She left the country citing diplomatic immunity and has since admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road and hitting the teenage motorcyclist.

Now, Northamptonshire police are preparing to fly to the United States to interview Mrs Sacoolas under caution and will send a full file to the CPS, to see whether she will be charged with any crime.

At the most severe end, if charged with causing death by dangerous driving, an extradition request could be sent to the United States causing diplomatic tensions.

Chief Constable Nick Adderley - Credit: Twitter
Chief Constable Nick Adderley say he would not have acted differently in the case Credit: Twitter

Chief Constable Adderley said that the police applied for diplomatic immunity to be waived, but on September 16, that was declined and the police were told by the Foreign Office that the suspect had left the country.

Harry Dunn’s grieving family were not told about this until a week later.

Speaking during a press conference, Chief Constable Adderley said: "It is a judgement call as to whether you want to arrest at the scene or not. I’m not going to criticise the officers because they took the decision not to arrest her.

" I think, having looked at it that was the right decision to take in any case.

“In any case, once the diplomatic immunity was flagged up, which it was the following day, it’s over. It ends. It finishes. The police can not move on the investigation with that suspect.

“There is nothing that I have looked at which I would consider inappropriate in terms of the police’s actions up to date.

When asked if there was another opportunity to arrest Mrs Sacoolas, the Chief Constable confirmed that officers visited her house the following day, but only to take another account of events.

“You can imagine how distraught she was at the scene. The following day, the family were visited by police officers to get an initial account, so that was not necessarily to arrest.

"There is not an automatic arrest when people are involved in fatal collisions. That’s not what we default to.”

Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, parents of British teen Harry Dunn - Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, parents of British teenager Harry Dunn were not told that the main suspect had left the country until a week after authorities knew Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Mr Adderley also called on Radd Seiger, spokesman for Harry Dunn's family, to "exercise constraint".

He said: "I urge the family spokesman to exercise constraint in his commentary as the case moves forward.

"I understand the emotion and I understand the anxiety,

"I also understand the will and the want for answers to questions the family are asking.

"The suspect not being in the county clearly frustrates the investigation but it does not stop it," he said.

"Lawyers have clearly stated that the suspect wants to be personally interviewed by officers from Northamptonshire Police in order for them to see her and the devastation this has caused her and her family.

"She did not want to provide a pre-prepared statement which is her right to do so. We do understand from colleagues in the US that the family is utterly devastated."

He added that the force were awaiting the necessary visas before officers could travel to the US, but that the suspect would be interviewed under caution once that could take place.

"A file of evidence has been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service but as you will appreciate that file is incomplete - you can't complete the file until you have an account from the suspect and that is one of the reasons why we are not naming her,” he added.

"From the police's point of view we have to make sure we maintain the integrity of all of the evidence and that it is not skewed by [the diplomatic immunity debate] to ensure a fair trial should we get to an extradition position and she comes back to the UK.

"We don't want to jeopardise that by not affording her a fair trial."

Government knew American suspect was leaving UK

The UK government was warned by the US embassy that the suspect in the crash which killed Harry Dunn was to leave the country.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, told the Commons on Monday night that the US embassy alerted them to Ms Sacoolas's "imminent" departure "unless the UK had strong objections" on Sept 13.

Police were unable to arrest Ms Sacoolas as the US had not waived her diplomatic immunity.

"We duly and immediately objected in clear and strong terms and we have done ever since," said Mr Raab.

When the Foreign Office followed up on Sept 16, the embassy said Ms Sacoolas had returned to the US.

Mr Dunn's family spokesman said the revelation "added insult to injury".

Harry Dunn - Credit: Facebook
Harry Dunn died in August but the driver of the car that hit him has not returned to the UK to face questioning Credit: Facebook

The Foreign Secretary said the case had been raised at "every level" in the US, including with Donald Trump.

In a statement, Mr Raab said: "I have already commissioned a review of the immunity arrangements of US personnel and their families at the Croughton annex I do not believe the current arrangements are right and the review will look at how we can make sure they cannot be used in this way again."

Mr Raab said diplomatic immunity for Ms Sacoolas has "clearly ended".

"There are no barriers to justice being done," in Harry's case he added.

Timetable: The Harry Dunn scandal

British police are being sent to the US to interview the wife of an intelligence officer involved in a car crash that killed 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn.

Here are the key events in a two-month saga that has seen the teenager's family take their fight for justice all the way to the White House.

August 27

Motorcyclist Harry Dunn collides with a Volvo thought to be driving on the wrong side of the road outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.

RAF Croughton - Credit: Getty
RAF Croughton Credit: Getty

Mr Dunn is taken to the John Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford but is pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

August 28

Northamptonshire Police interview 42-year-old suspect Anne Sacoolas, who mentions her diplomatic immunity.

August 29

Family liaison officers visit Harry Dunn's family to inform them of the development.

September 15

Mrs Sacoolas leaves the country on a United States Air Force plane, but the Dunn family are not informed of her departure until three weeks later.

Northamptonshire Police are also not told that she has left the UK.

September 16

Foreign Office ask the police not to tell the family about Ms Sacoolas leaving the country "for a couple of days" in order for them to figure our their next steps.

September 17

Harry Dunn's funeral

September 23

The family become aware that Ms Sacoolas has left the UK. Northamptonshire Police confirm that this is the case.

October 4

Mr Dunn's parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, call on US President Donald Trump to intervene and waive immunity for Mrs Sacoolas.

October 5

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urges US Ambassador Woody Johnson to waive immunity for Mrs Sacoolas.

October 6

Police write to the US Embassy in London to demand immunity is waived for Mrs Sacoolas.

October 7

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the US should "reconsider its position" on the immunity given to Mrs Sacoolas.

October 9

Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn attend a meeting with the Foreign Secretary which leaves them "angry and frustrated" and feeling as though it was a "publicity stunt".

Mr Johnson speaks to Mr Trump personally to ask him to reconsider the US's position on the immunity granted to Mrs Sacoolas.

Mr Trump defends the suspect, saying that driving on the wrong side of the road "happens".

October 12

Mrs Sacoolas breaks her silence and issues a statement through her lawyer, saying the crash left her "devastated".

October 13

The Foreign Office writes to Mr Dunn's family saying Mrs Sacoolas does not have diplomatic immunity.

It becomes clear that her husband was an intelligence officer and not a registered diplomat in a recognised role, and therefore neither he nor his wife are entitled to diplomatic immunity.

October 14

Mr Dunn's family hold a press conference in New York after taking their fight for justice to the US - with Mrs Charles saying the suspect should get on a plane to the UK because it is the "right thing to do".

October 15

Mr Dunn's family announce their intention to launch a judicial review into the advice given by the Foreign Office to Northamptonshire Police over the diplomatic immunity given to Mrs Sacoolas.

The White House calls an "urgent" meeting with Mr Dunn's family and they have talks with President Trump.

Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn refuse to meet Mrs Sacoolas, who was in the room next door as they met Mr Trump.

October 20

The Dunn family are told Northamptonshire Police have passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision.

October 21

Radd Seiger, the Dunn family's adviser and spokesman, reveals on Twitter that Northamptonshire Police had told them they would be sending officers to the US to interview Mrs Sacoolas.

Mr Seiger describes the decision to pass the file to the CPS and the decision to send investigators to the US as "contradictory".

He tweets: "Come on authorities, you have to do better than this. The family deserve it and are entitled to your best service. Our door remains open to a constructive dialogue."