Who is Anne Sacoolas?

Anne Sacoolas, a former US spy, has pleaded guilty to killing 19-year-old British motorcyclist Harry Dunn. While driving her SUV near US military base RAF Croughton, the 45-year-old crashed into Dunn while driving in the wrong direction. 

Dunn’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn were sitting behind their lawyers at the Old Bailey at the hearing. Sacoolas joined in from America via video conference. Shortly after Sacoolas admitted guilt, the judge presiding over the case, Justice Cheema Grubb adjourned sentencing until late November. 

Sacoolas’ sentencing could range from three weeks of community service on the lower end to a three year prison sentence at maximum. 

Who is Anne Sacoolas?

Anne Sacoolas is a former US spy who was working for an American intelligence agency when she killed Harry Dunn in a motor vehicle while driving on the wrong side of the road. 

She claimed diplomatic immunity and then fled the UK on a USAF plane 19 days after the incident. The UK’s Foreign Office filed a extradition request with the American government, which was denied. They did not provide a legal justification for doing so. 

The American government said that she had diplomatic immunity, stating at the time, “The driver was the spouse of an accredited diplomat to the United Kingdom.” Sacoolas’ husband, Jonathan Sacoolas was a CIA employee at the time. However, former British diplomat Craig Murray said that neither Jonathan Sacoolar nor Anne Sacoolas were on the UK’s official Diplomatic List and that they had no right to “claim diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”

Shortly after her exit from the country, Interpol, an international organisation that facilitates police cooperation worldwide, issued a Red Notice. A Red Notice is a lookout circular for fugitives of the law who are wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence.