Harry Dunn’s mum reveals she broke down after finally stripping his bed six weeks after his death in crash with US diplomat’s wife
HARRY Dunn's mum has revealed how she broke down as she finally stripped her dead son's bed six weeks after the 19-year-old was killed in a crash with a US diplomat's wife.
Cops here believe Anne Sacoolas, 42, hit Harry's motorbike with her Volvo after driving for 400 yards on the wrong side of the road in August when leaving RAF Croughton, Northants.
Her husband Jonathan, 43, was working “in intelligence” at the base, which is used by the US as a spy station called the Joint Intelligence Analysis Center.
Harry's heartbroken parents are now preparing to fly out to the US after it emerged Sacoolas had fled to the US seeking diplomatic immunity before she was able to be quizzed over dangerous driving.
'AN ABUSE OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY'
Mum Charlotte Charles, 44, says the simple domestic action of removing the bed linen devastated her afresh.
"That broke me, really broke me," she told the .
"It was the first time in six weeks I’ve really cried — really, really cried. There have been little breakdowns but we’ve all had to try to be stoic for Niall."
Charlotte also recalled the last time she saw her son, when the keen biker rode out to visit his twin Niall in his new home.
"I drove past him on my way home from work at 7.10pm," she said.
"He nodded to me. I put up my hand and thought I’d see him in a couple of hours.
"Well I did, but he wasn’t alive the next time I got to..."
It still feels unreal. But when you wake up in the morning, if you manage to get any rest at all, and that gnawing grief feeling in the pit of your tummy hits you, you know it is.
Charlotte Charles, Harry's mum
The family have appealed to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to intervene in the case, but were told the US government had twice refused requests for Sacoolas' immunity to be waived.
They are now crowdfunding to travel to Washington in a bid to change Donald Trump's mind, and will appear on US television to gain public support.
"This is an abuse of diplomatic immunity," said Charlotte. "When the laws were drawn up in the Sixties they weren’t intended to protect a diplomat’s wife who had, albeit unintentionally, killed a 19-year-old boy in an accident.
"No one else should ever have to suffer as we are — as Harry did.
"It still feels unreal. But when you wake up in the morning, if you manage to get any rest at all, and that gnawing grief feeling in the pit of your tummy hits you, you know it is."
IMMUNITY EXPLAINED
THE 1961 Vienna Convention makes foreign diplomats and their families immune from prosecution in their host country.
Those who hold that status cannot be automatically charged with a crime — but immunity can be waived by the state that has sent them following an appeal from the Foreign Office.
The immunity only usually covers those based in London, but a special deal with the US extended that to RAF Croughton.
Downing Street this week said the case was "extremely concerning" and urged the US to "reconsider their position" so "the justice process can take place".
Urging the US to reconsider its decision to give immunity to the diplomat's wife, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I do not think it can be right to use the process of diplomatic immunity for this type of purpose."
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RAF Croughton is currently on lease to the American government and processes approximately one third of all US military communications in Europe.
Diplomatic immunity allows unhindered travel for government envoys and their families.
reported that the alleged driver was advised to leave the UK by the American Embassy.
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