Former U.S. Spy Wife Admits to Causing Brit Teen’s Death
Anne Sacoolas’ plea comes after a three-year campaign for justice after the diplomat hit Harry Dunn while driving on the wrong side of the road.
REUTERS
A former U.S. spy on Thursday admitted to being responsible for the death of a British teenager riding his motorcycle in 2019.
Anne Sacoolas, 45, fled the United Kingdom after the incident in which she fatally injured Harry Dunn, 19, after striking him with her SUV as she drove the wrong way down a two-lane highway. The deadly crash took place outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, a U.S. military and intelligence base in England where her husband was stationed at the time. Sacoolas was initially described as the wife of a diplomat, but her lawyer later confirmed that she was employed by an American intelligence agency at the time of the crash, but not as a spy.
On Thursday, Sacoolas appeared via video link after refusing to attend in person at London’s Old Bailey court where she entered her guilty plea to the charge of causing death by careless driving. Dunn’s loved ones attended the brief hearing in person.
Judge Mrs Justic Cheema-Grubb said Sacoolas will be sentenced at the end of November. The offense she admitted carries a maximum jail term of five years under English law, but suspended sentences or community service are often given.
After Dunn’s death, his family launched a three-year campaign to have the case brought to court after the U.S. government asserted diplomatic immunity for Sacoolas. Lawyers acting for Sacoolas confirmed last month that the trial would finally go ahead following a year of negotiations. While the U.S. refused to extradite Sacoolas to Britain, it was determined that she could take part in the criminal proceedings remotely.
Dunn’s mother Charlotte Charles told Sky News she felt relieved at seeing Sacoolas in court. “I think that’s the overwhelming feeling,” Charles said. “Just sheer relief that we could look up and say Harry, we’ve done it mate. We’ve done what we promised.”
In October 2019, Dunn’s family even flew to Washington, D.C. to petition then-president Donald Trump about their case. Trump reportedly had Sacoolas hidden behind a door in the White House and had planned to make her apologize in person to Dunn’s parents, but the couple refused to meet her.
“Nobody gets to kill somebody and walk away, whether intentional or otherwise,” Charles added.
"We know she didn’t intend to kill Harry, but she did.”