Police prioritised the welfare of a crash suspect over carrying out a “prompt and effective investigation” into the death of a teenage motorcyclist, a report has found.
Harry Dunn, 19, was killed in a road crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, which eventually led to US citizen Anne Sacoolas being sentenced for causing death by careless driving.
The case gained international attention after diplomatic immunity was claimed on Sacoolas’s behalf, allowing her to leave the UK just 19 days after the crash. Her departure sparked a three-year campaign for justice by Harry Dunn’s family, including a high-profile meeting with then-US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Now, an independent review into the crash has found that there was a lack of coordination and adherence to professional standards guidelines amongst senior leadership within Northamptonshire Police.
Officers failed to arrest Anne Sacoolas at the scene, believing the "necessity test" had not been met.
Former chief constable Nick Adderley was also heavily criticised for making "erroneous statements" about Sacoolas's diplomatic immunity, prompting the Foreign Office to contact the force and ask him not to repeat them.
Harry was killed when Sacoolas's Volvo, which was travelling on the wrong side of the road, struck his motorbike near the US military base in Northamptonshire in August 2019.
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, said 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 said: "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."
