Harry Dunn's parents lose High Court immunity review

Justice4Harry

Harry Dunn's parents have lost their High Court battle against the Foreign Office over whether their son's alleged killer had diplomatic immunity.

Mr Dunn, 19, died when his motorbike was in a crash with a car near RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire, in 2019.

The suspect, 43-year-old Anne Sacoolas, later left for the United States citing diplomatic immunity.

Mr Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles said the High Court ruling was "just a blip along the way".

Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn's father Tim Dunn had lodged a legal challenge

claiming Mrs Sacoolas should not have been granted immunity.

But Lord Justice Flaux and Mr Justice Saini concluded "that Mrs Sacoolas enjoyed immunity from UK criminal jurisdiction at the time of Harry's death".

Mrs Charles said: "The government and Mrs Sacoolas need to understand that this court ruling is just a blip along the way.

"I promised my boy I would get him justice and that is just what we are going to do. No-one is going to stand in our way."

She added: "It's obviously disappointing that this court did not find in our favour but we are more focused now than ever on fulfilling our promise."

PA Media

The judges also rejected a claim by Mr Dunn's parents that the Foreign Office had "usurped" Northamptonshire Police's investigation into their son's death.

Lord Justice Flaux and Mr Justice Saini found officials had "sought to assist rather than obstruct Northamptonshire Police in their investigation".

Mrs Sacoolas, whose husband Jonathan Sacoolas worked as a technical assistant at RAF Croughton, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December, but an extradition request was denied in January.

Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn's case centred on a 1995 agreement between the UK and the US, granting immunity to administrative and technical staff at RAF Croughton, which the US waived in relation to "acts performed outside the course of their duties".

Mr Dunn and Mrs Charles' lawyers had argued that the Foreign Office "took upon itself the authority to resolve the question of immunity and ultimately and unlawfully decided to accept the US embassy's decision that Anne Sacoolas had immunity".

Family spokesman Radd Seiger said Mr Dunn and Mrs Charles would be appealing against the High Court judgment.

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November 24, 2020 at 11:44PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-55057671