Harry Dunn's father 'has hope' after meeting with Dominic Raab

17 December 2019, 19:23

Harry Dunn's family say they have been given "hope" after meeting with the Foreign Secretary again to discuss the 19-year-old's death.

Harry's father Tim Dunn said their conversation with Dominic Raab at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London on Tuesday was more "open" and "friendly" than a meeting held in October.

"This meeting was a lot better. He was more engaging, he came across more honest," Mr Dunn said.

Harry's family had sought a further conversation with Mr Raab in a bid to reach "common ground" after being left disappointed by the earlier meeting, which left them "angry and frustrated".

Harry Dunn was killed when his motorbike was involved in a head-on collision with a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27.

The suspect in the case, 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas, claimed diplomatic immunity after the crash and was able to return to the US.

Harry's mother Charlotte Charles was not present during Tuesday's meeting after being left "utterly devastated" by watching footage of Mrs Sacoolas reversing out of her driveway in the state of Virginia.

A spokesman for the family, Radd Seiger, said the "warm" meeting with Mr Raab had covered a range of issues, with the two sides agreeing to "improve" communication.

Mr Seiger claimed the Foreign Secretary wants Mrs Sacoolas to return from the US to the UK.

He said: "One of the things that came across loud and clear for us which hadn't come across before is that both Andrea Leadsom (the MP for Northamptonshire South) and the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab would like this lady to come back too, and that's not something that we had heard."

Mr Seiger added: "He shared with us that he needs to be very careful with his words and what he says, he doesn't want to get hopes up.

"But he assured us that he's doing absolutely everything he can to give this family the justice that they need and deserve."

Mr Dunn said the family was "shocked" to see Mrs Sacoolas driving, while Mr Seiger commented on Mr Raab's reaction to the footage of her "getting on with her life".

"Like the rest of us, he just shook his head, none of us can understand it, because it's inexplicable," Mr Seiger said.

Following his meeting with the family, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "Earlier today, I had a constructive meeting with Harry Dunn's family. I appreciate how painful this is for them, and welcomed the chance to address a number of their concerns.

"We are united in our determination to get justice for Harry. The Government will do everything it can. I also reaffirmed my commitment to conclude the review of the arrangements at RAF Croughton by the end of the year to ensure they cannot be used in this way again."

Earlier today a Northamptonshire Chief Constable wrote to the family to apologise for a "breakdown" in communications.