Harry Dunn: Anne Sacoolas admits causing crash death

A US citizen has admitted responsibility for the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn in a case that caused a diplomatic row between the US and British governments.

Anne Sacoolas, 45, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey, via videolink, to causing his death by careless driving.

Mr Dunn, 19, died following a crash outside a US military base in Northamptonshire in August 2019.

His mother Charlotte Charles said she had now completed her promise to him.

Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said Sacoolas would be sentenced at the end of November.

“I direct that Mrs Sacoolas attends court in person to be sentenced,” the judge added.

She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) accepted her guilty plea to the lesser charge.

Death by careless driving carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment but a community punishment or suspended jail sentence is often given.

Mrs Charles said: “We just had to put our faith in our justice system, and we always did have faith in our justice system, and we had to rely on them to carry out whatever process they felt was suitable.

“We’ve never put any investment of thought or effort or any of our personal time into worrying about that.”

She said the family “didn’t wish to separate her from her children, it’s not their fault”.

“Getting to court and getting to where we are now has been the most monumental thing for me because I can talk to [Harry] now and tell him we’ve done it, promise complete,” Mrs Charles added.

Sacoolas had turned out of RAF Croughton and then driven 350 metres (1148ft) on the wrong side of the road for over 20 seconds.

She hit Mr Dunn who was driving on his motorbike on the correct side of the road.

Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf by the US administration following the collision near RAF Croughton. She left the UK 19 days later.

The CPS made the decision to charge Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving in December 2019.

But an extradition request for her to be brought to the UK was rejected by the US government, causing a diplomatic row between the two countries.

The guilty plea from Sacoolas brings a legal resolution to the Dunn family after a three-year wait for justice.

source: bbc.com