The family of Harry Dunn spent years demanding accountability after the 19-year-old motorcyclist was tragically killed in a crash outside a US airbase in Northamptonshire in 2019.
Now, a newly published review confirms what they’ve believed all along: British police badly failed them in the moments and months that followed the crash.
Instead of acting swiftly and decisively after an American intelligence officer, Anne Sacoolas, hit Harry while driving on the wrong side of the road, Northamptonshire Police made decisions that prioritized her comfort and protection—at the cost of a proper investigation.
Police Let an American Spy Go Without Arrest
The collision happened just 30 seconds after Sacoolas pulled out of RAF Croughton, where she had been at a barbecue with her diplomat husband and their children.
Rather than arresting her at the scene—something the police absolutely had the power to do—they allowed her to be driven home by her husband.
Officers claimed the legal threshold for arrest hadn’t been met, citing that she was in shock and that her welfare was a concern.
But the review now confirms this decision derailed a “prompt and effective investigation.”
Within 19 days, Sacoolas had fled the UK under the shield of diplomatic immunity.
Review Slams Leadership and Series of Missteps
The independent review, commissioned by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet and conducted by retired senior officer Karl Whiffen, paints a damning picture—not just of the initial response, but also of the leadership that oversaw the case.
Former chief constable Nick Adderley came in for particular criticism.
Adderley was later fired after it was revealed he had exaggerated his naval record and accomplishments.
The review revealed that he made misleading statements about Sacoolas’s diplomatic status and created an adversarial relationship with Harry’s family, particularly with their spokesman, Radd Seiger.
At one point, Adderley even began communicating directly with Seiger via Twitter, bypassing his own officers and undermining the family liaison team’s strategy to rebuild trust.
Sacoolas Was Never Drug-Tested, Unlike Harry
One especially painful detail in the review: while Harry was tested for drugs—as standard protocol—Sacoolas was not.
The report recommends that in future, drug screening should be mandatory for anyone involved in serious or fatal collisions, regardless of status or perceived shock.
The Dunn family only learned Sacoolas had fled the UK eight days after Harry’s funeral.
The way that revelation was handled added further trauma to their grieving process.
A Family Betrayed by Those They Trusted
Charlotte Charles, Harry’s mother, didn’t hold back in her response.
She said the report finally confirms what they’ve been saying for years: “We were failed by the very people we should have been able to trust.”
She added: “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.”
Charlotte also condemned Adderley for launching personal attacks against Radd Seiger—“the one person who had the courage to stand up and help us when the police and our own government refused.”
A Culture That Puts Suspects First?
The review didn’t just look at individuals—it raised concerns about a wider cultural issue in Northamptonshire Police.
There may be an ingrained reluctance to arrest suspects in serious cases like this, it warned, which could lead to crucial evidence being missed.
Of the 38 recommendations made, many focus on making sure the force develops a clear, investigative mindset from the outset of serious road crashes and doesn’t let suspect welfare overshadow the need for justice.
Apologies, but No Undoing the Damage
Assistant Chief Constable Emma James issued a formal apology to the Dunn family.
She acknowledged the force failed them “on a number of fronts,” and that “there was a clear failure to do the very best for Harry.”
James said many lessons had already been implemented within the force, and they were pushing for national improvements as well.
A Tragedy That Should Have Been Handled So Differently
The report makes it clear: Sacoolas could and should have been arrested.
The fact that she wasn’t allowed a window of escape—and that the family wasn’t informed promptly—represents a shocking collapse in basic policing standards.
As Charlotte Charles, now recognized with an MBE for her road safety campaigning, put it: “We knew from the outset that there was a problem with him [Adderley] and we will never forgive him.”
Now, with the review published and the failings laid bare, the hope is that no other family will have to go through what the Dunns did—seeking justice in a system that seemed determined not to give it to them.