The US Embassy did not mention Harry Dunn’s alleged killer’s intelligence role in official notes to the Foreign office which declared the suspect’s diplomatic immunity.
Harry Dunn, 19, was killed in a road crash in 2019, the following day Anne Sacoolas was told she was the suspect by Northamptonshire Police.
Mrs Sacoolas, later left for the United States on diplomatic immunity grounds.
Read more: Harry Dunn suspect ‘willing to discuss resolution’ despite extradition refusal
The court documents show that the first note, penned by the US Embassy three days after the crash in August 2019, only labelled Anne Sacoolas as “the spouse of a member of administrative and technical staff of the Embassy.”
The Foreign Office (FCDO) and Number 10 have both previously said the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister were unaware of the case until after Mrs Sacoolas had left the UK.
The suspect was eventually charged with causing Mr Dunn’s death by dangerous driving but an extradition request, submitted by the Home Office, was rejected by the US State Department in January last year.
Harry Dunn’s family have questioned the diplomatic immunity asserted on Sacoola’s behalf, Radd Seiger, the family’s spokesman stated: “This note now raises some serious questions.
“Why were the US authorities less than candid with the FCO about Mrs Sacoolas’ real role whilst in the UK?
“When did the British Government become aware of her real employment status?
“Did Dominic Raab know on 28 January 2020 when Harry’s father Tim asked him point blank whether Mrs Sacoolas was working as an intelligence officer at the time of the crash, to which the response was ‘She used to work for the State Department’.”
In a hearing in which the alleged killer attempted to dismiss the Dunn family’s civil claim, her barrister John McGavin told the court he could not “completely candidly” explain why the Sacoolas family left the UK, adding: “I know the answer, but I cannot disclose it.”
US State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated their position again on Sunday, saying: “At the time the accident occurred, and for the duration of her stay in the UK, the US citizen driver in this case had immunity from criminal jurisdiction.
“As we have said previously, the driver had diplomatic immunity because she was the spouse of an accredited staff member of the US Embassy office.”
A US official said they do not comment on diplomatic correspondence.
The FCDO has been approached for comment.
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