Latest news with #Croughton
Sky News
8 hours ago
- Sky News
Police admit failures in Harry Dunn case after report finds officers prioritised suspect's welfare
Northamptonshire Police has admitted it failed Harry Dunn and his family after a report found officers prioritised the welfare of the suspect in the case over the investigation. The 19-year-old died in 2019 after US state department employee Anne Sacoolas – who was driving a car on the wrong side of the road – hit his motorbike near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. However, Sacoolas was not immediately arrested following the crash and was able to flee the country, claiming diplomatic immunity, because police did not believe a "necessity test" had been met. An independent report, published on Wednesday, has now criticised the force's senior leadership for their handling of the case – including describing its former chief constable as having a "detrimental" impact. Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles said she welcomed the findings. She told Sky News: "Unfortunately, we were treated extremely poorly. All the authorities wanted to shut us down... "This report does validate everything, of the way we felt and everything that we've been put through. To be treated as we were, as the victims of a serious crime, we were let down really, really badly." Following a long fight for justice by Mr Dunn's family, Sacoolas eventually pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving via video link at the Old Bailey in December 2022. She later received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. 1:37 Following the report, Assistant Chief Constable Emma James said in a statement: "On behalf of Northamptonshire Police, I want to apologise to Harry's family for what is now clear was a failure on our part to do the very best for the victim in this case, Harry, and his family who fought tirelessly in the years that followed to achieve justice for him. "The picture which emerges is one of a force which has failed the family on a number of fronts". She also added: "It was vitally important that Northamptonshire Police conducted this review into the most high-profile case in the force's history, a case where clear and significant shortcomings have now been properly and independently unearthed." The report, which has 38 recommendations, found that Nick Adderley, who was sacked as head of the force last year after lying about his military record, had caused a breakdown in relations with Mr Dunn's family. It also revealed that his "erroneous statements" about Sacoolas's immunity status led the Foreign Office to contact the force asking him not to repeat them. Danielle Stone, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire, said Mr Adderley's behaviour was "unfathomable". She added that the report "makes really clear his culpability." The report also said Northamptonshire Police potentially had a culture of not arresting suspects "in circumstances such as these, which could lead to evidence not being obtained". It recommended that the force adopt an "investigative mindset" over serious road crashes. Regarding the decision not to arrest Sacoolas, the report said the decision had not been "explained in enough detail". It added: "The overriding factor in the decision appears to be the welfare of the suspect and her suffering from shock, with little to no consideration around the full necessity test under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. "A prompt and effective investigation was not considered or articulated. The view is that in these circumstances the suspect could and should have been arrested to assist the evidence-gathering process." The report continued: "The duty (police sergeant) made the decision not to arrest. "The rationale was largely based on a belief that the necessity test was not met, and information received that Anne Sacoolas was in shock. "Whilst the welfare of any person is a concern for officers, this should not have prevented the arrest of Anne Sacoolas." Ms Charles, who was recently honoured with an MBE after her campaigning efforts led to road safety improvements near US airbases, said: "I don't think you're ever done grieving. There's never any closure to losing a child. You live with it, it's so profound. "So the only thing I would ever say to anybody else who feels that they've got a fight ahead of them, dig deep, do your best, because you just never know the resilience that you've got until you absolutely have to find it."
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Harry Dunn police 'could and should have arrested' diplomat
An American diplomat who was driving on the wrong side of the road when she caused a fatal car crash "could and should have been arrested", a review has Harry Dunn, 19, died in 2019 after being hit by a car driven by Anne Sacoolas, who weeks later left the UK under diplomatic immunity independent report has criticised Northamptonshire Police's handling of the investigation, with Mr Dunn's family saying they had been "failed by the very people we should have been able to trust".Northamptonshire Police has apologised, saying it failed "to do the very best for the victim". Mr Dunn died as a result of injuries suffered when his Kawasaki motorcycle was hit by Sacoolas's car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August 118-page report, commissioned by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet and written by Karl Whiffen, a former senior officer from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, examined the force's handling of the case and made 38 separate recommendations. The review found that Sacoolas was not arrested at the scene because she was deemed to be in a state of shock and that it was not deemed necessary at the time."A prompt and effective investigation was not considered or articulated," the report said."The view is that in these circumstances the suspect could and should have been arrested to assist the evidence gathering process."After leaving the country she pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving via video link at the Old Bailey in December 2022, and was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 Dunn was not under the influence of any substance at the time of the collision, but the report found that he was subjected to drug testing, while Sacoolas was not. A witness overheard Sacoolas say "it's all my fault, I was on the wrong side of the road", according to the of the officers at the scene managed to gather footage from their body worn video - one tried but failed after their camera indicated either low battery or no memory report is also heavily critical of Northamptonshire Police's former chief constable, Nick made "erroneous statements" about Sacoolas's immunity status in media interviews and his criticism of the Dunn family spokesman, Radd Seiger, during a news conference was also singled out for Adderley was subsequently sacked for gross misconduct in 2024 for lying about his career in the Royal BBC has attempted to contact him but has so far not received as response. There was also a delay in telling the family the US State Department employee had fled the country under diplomatic was at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the report FCDO, which the report author said did not co-operate with the inquiry, subsequently appeared to seek to distance itself from the impact of that decision, it FCDO said: "The Foreign Secretary has met with members of Harry Dunn's family." "He has the deepest respect for the resolve they have shown since Harry's tragic death and remains personally committed to ensuring lessons are learned from the handling of the case under the previous Government" a spokesman added. 'Left to die' Responding to the report, Harry's mother Charlotte Charles said: "Harry was left to die on the roadside."Sacoolas was not arrested, even though the police had every power to do so. She fled the country, and they didn't tell us."She added that Northamptonshire Police "mishandled vital evidence, including Harry's clothing, which we now know was left in storage for years with his remains still on it".This was confirmed in the report, which said her son's clothing had been bundled together in a single bag along with the other crash debris."These are failures no family should ever have to endure," Ms Charles added."I remain so angry at Adderley to this day. We knew from the outset that there was a problem with him and we will never forgive him for launching his personal attacks on our neighbour and spokesperson, Radd Seiger."But she singled out the officer in charge of the case, who has not been named, for showing "genuine care and commitment when others above her fell short". 'Significant shortcomings' Assistant Chief Constable Emma James said: "First and foremost, on behalf of Northamptonshire Police, I want to apologise to Harry's family for what is now clear was a failure on our part to do the very best for the victim in this case."It was vitally important that Northamptonshire Police conducted this review into the most high profile case in the force's history, a case where clear and significant shortcomings have now been properly and independently unearthed."The picture which emerges is one of a force which has failed the family on a number of fronts, and we hope the findings, which are troubling in several respects, will provide some answers to questions which the family will have wanted to know in the years that have passed."She said she had met with Mr Dunn's mother and his father, Tim Dunn, in private on Monday to present the report's BBC has tried to contact Sacoolas. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suspect's welfare prioritised over prompt probe after Harry Dunn crash
Police failed to arrest a former US state department employee after her car struck and killed a teenage motorcyclist because they prioritised the suspect's welfare over a 'prompt and effective investigation', a review has concluded. Anne Sacoolas, who was able to leave the UK under diplomatic immunity laws 19 days after the crash that left 19-year-old Harry Dunn fatally injured, was not arrested at the scene after police believed the 'necessity test' had not been met. The independent review also heavily criticised Northamptonshire Police's former chief constable Nick Adderley, whose 'erroneous statements' about Sacoolas's immunity status led the Foreign Office to contact the force asking him not to repeat them. The report, commissioned by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, concluded there was a lack of co-ordination and adherence to professional standards guidelines amongst senior leadership within the force. The force apologised to the Dunn family for 'what is now clear was a failure on our part to do the very best for the victim in this case.' Harry was killed when Sacoolas's Volvo, which was travelling on the wrong side of the road, struck his motorbike near US military base RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019. The Dunn family spent three years campaigning for justice after diplomatic immunity was asserted on behalf of the US suspect, which saw them meet US President Donald Trump in the White House. Sacoolas eventually pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving via video link at the Old Bailey in December 2022, and she later received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Reacting to the review, Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, told the PA news agency the failures by the force were something 'no family should ever have to endure'. She said: 'Today's review report confirms what we have known for years – that we were failed by the very people we should have been able to trust. 'Harry was left to die on the roadside. Sacoolas was not arrested, even though the police had every power to do so. 'She fled the country, and they didn't tell us. 'These are failures no family should ever have to endure.' The review said there was a 'lack of appropriate recording and associated documentation in relation to high-level meetings such as minutes, strategy, tasking and action logs'. Addressing the role Mr Adderley played in the force's failings, Mrs Charles continued: 'I remain so angry at Adderley to this day. 'We knew from the outset that there was a problem with him and we will never forgive him for launching his personal attacks on our neighbour and spokesperson Radd Seiger, the one person in our tragedy who had the courage to stand up and help us when the police and our own government refused to do that. 'I am glad Adderley is long gone and will never be able to police again.' The review, published on Wednesday, found there is potentially a culture at Northamptonshire Police of not arresting suspects 'in circumstances such as these, which could lead to evidence not being obtained.' A total of 38 recommendations were made in the report, including that the force should adopt an 'investigative mindset' at serious road crashes and review how it recovers material from the scene of a collision. It read: 'A report has been prepared and concerning the consideration of arrest, the (Serious Collision Investigation Unit) lead is of the view that the decision not to arrest is not explained in enough detail and the overriding factor in the decision appears to be the welfare of the suspect and her suffering from shock, with little to no consideration around the full necessity test under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. 'A prompt and effective investigation was not considered or articulated. 'The view is that in these circumstances the suspect could and should have been arrested to assist the evidence gathering process.' It continued: 'The duty (police sergeant) made the decision not to arrest. 'The rationale was largely based on a belief that the necessity test was not met, and information received that Anne Sacoolas was in shock. 'Whilst the welfare of any person is a concern for officers, this should not have prevented the arrest of Anne Sacoolas.' Giving her final thoughts on the report, Mrs Charles told PA: 'Now, the focus must turn to ensuring that every single recommendation in this report is implemented, and not just here in Northamptonshire, but across the country. 'No family should ever again be treated the way we were. 'We will never stop fighting for Harry – but today, at least the truth of the failings of Adderley and the force he led has been recognised.' Assistant Chief Constable Emma James issued an apology to the family on behalf of the force, saying: 'First and foremost, on behalf of Northamptonshire Police, I want to apologise to Harry's family for what is now clear was a failure on our part to do the very best for the victim in this case, Harry, and his family who fought tirelessly in the years that followed to achieve justice for him. 'The picture which emerges is one of a force which has failed the family on a number of fronts, and we hope the findings, which are troubling in several respects, will provide some answers to questions which the family will have wanted to know in the years that have passed. 'I hope some good comes out of this. Much of the learning which the force has taken from this has already been put in place and we make a number of specific recommendations for best practice at a national level. 'We have taken a deep look at ourselves and hope the transparent way we have identified failings of the past will go some way to re-building the confidence of Harry's family and friends going forward as well as the wider public at large.'
