Harry Dunn's family accuse US Government of 'obstructing' teenager's inquest

Charlotte Charles, mother of Harry Dunn, who died in an accident in 2019, next to his stepfather Bruce Charles, after the conclusion of the inquest into the death of the teenager. Credit: PA
Charlotte Charles, mother of Harry Dunn, who died in an accident in 2019, next to his stepfather Bruce Charles, after the conclusion of the inquest into the death of the teenager in June 2024. Credit: PA

The family of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn have accused the US government of "obstructing" their son's inquest.

It comes after Northamptonshire coroner Anne Pember recorded the 19-year-old's death as a result of "injuries sustained during a head-on collision" with a car on the wrong side of the road, after his four-day inquest concluded on Thursday.

The teenager was killed on the road outside RAF Croughton In Northamptonshire in a head-on collision on 27 August 2019.

Anne Sacoolas, a US government employee, was driving the car which hit the motorbike but had diplomatic immunity and was allowed to leave the UK 19 days after the crash.

She was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Anne Sacoolas, who was driving the car on the wrong side of the road which hit and killed teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn (right) in 2019. Credit: Family photo/PA

The coroner criticised the US government over a lack of driver training for its government officials living in the UK.

Both representatives of the US embassy and Sacoolas were absent from the inquest but her statement was read out.

After the hearing, family spokesman Radd Seiger addressed the US government’s role prior to the teenager's death and told PA the "lives of UK citizens like Harry ultimately do not matter".

He said: "It was not enough for them to kill Harry. It wasn’t enough for them to then kick Harry’s family in their darkest hour and seek to deny and delay the justice that they were entitled to.

"As we have all seen this week their attitude and approach to keeping their British hosts safe has been laid bare and they have positively obstructed the coroner’s inquiry and deprived the family of the answers they were entitled to as to why no-one has ever addressed the issue of safety of UK citizens."

He said the family was looking forward to working with the next government to establish a public inquiry into the way the US government obstructed inquest proceedings.

"The UK government have seen how the US government treats our courts and judges.

“The question for the next British government is are they just going to stand by and let the Americans continue to treat us all and our lives with such contempt.

"We won’t let them get away with it and we look forward to working with the next government to establish this public inquiry.

“We were all horrified as a nation to see how the US government treated Harry’s family. This must never happen again," Mr Seiger added.

The Labour Party has since confirmed it supports the setting up of an inquiry into Mr Dunn's death, and the events since.

The US Government did not respond to requests for comment.

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