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Harry Dunn PA Images

UK lodges extradition request for wife of US diplomat charged over death of teenage motorcyclist

Anne Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity after the death of Harry Dunn.

THE UK HOME Office has said it has submitted an extradition request for the suspect charged in connection with the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn.

Anne Sacoolas was charged with causing the 19-year-old’s death by dangerous driving last month.

Harry died after his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August last year.

The 42-year-old suspect, the wife of a US intelligence official, claimed diplomatic immunity after the collision and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.

Now, the Home Office has said the matter is now “a decision for the US authorities” after formally submitting the extradition request on Friday.

Confirming the extradition request, a spokesman for the Home Office said: “Following the Crown Prosecution Service’s charging decision, the Home Office has sent an extradition request to the United States for Anne Sacoolas on charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

“This is now a decision for the US authorities.”

Harry’s family have said they are “pleased” with the development, adding that they feel it is a “huge step towards achieving justice for Harry”.

The family have initiated various legal proceedings against the Foreign Office, the US government and Sacoolas herself after their lawyers disputed the granting of diplomatic immunity.

Reacting to the extradition request on behalf of Harry Dunn’s family, spokesman Radd Seiger told the PA news agency: “I have learned that the extradition request for Anne Sacoolas has been delivered today to the United States Department of Justice in accordance with the requirements laid out in the treaty between the two countries and I have notified the parents.

“This will not of course bring Harry back, but in the circumstances of all that this family have been through, they are pleased with the development and feel that it is a huge step towards achieving justice for Harry and making good on the promise that they made to him on the night he died that they would secure justice for him.

“Despite the unwelcome public comments currently emanating from the US administration that Anne Sacoolas will never be returned, Harry’s parents, as victims, will simply look forward to the legal process unfolding, as it must now do, confident in the knowledge that the rule of law will be upheld.

“They will simply take things one step at a time and not get ahead of themselves. However, no one, whether diplomat or otherwise, is above the law.”

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    Mute Murph11
    Favourite Murph11
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    May 3rd 2021, 7:51 PM

    If a company like Pfizer can vaccinate their entire workforce and now starting to vaccinate their families as well, shouldn’t questions be asked why they can’t provide the same service to the Irish taxpayer considering they are looked after handsomely with our low corporate tax rate

    204
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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    May 3rd 2021, 8:06 PM

    @Murph11: Provide the vaccines free ? Favour us over other countries ? Worth remembering as well, those low corporate tax rates provide thousands of workers with well paid jobs, from which the exchequer is looked after handsomely by way of income tax receipts.

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    Mute Murph11
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    May 3rd 2021, 8:12 PM

    @Tommy Roche: I fully understand Tommy. I’m a frontline worker and was classed as such prior to the pandemic. I still have to go out and deal with what I always dealt with and haven’t even been prioritised yet. Just annoys me

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    Mute Big Smokey
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    May 3rd 2021, 9:17 PM

    @Murph11: honest to god. You might as well ask if Dublin GAA can outfit their whole squads and coaches with gear, why can’t they do it for every Dub?

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    May 3rd 2021, 10:35 PM

    @Murph11: they have been working extremely hard the last 14 months. A lot of places give their staff perks. This must be one of the best. We’ll done all in Pfizer and thanks. Thanks for the other special pill also !

    36
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    Mute John Leonard
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    May 3rd 2021, 9:53 PM

    I do not trust the vaccination go to the fda and its not approved their head has said they will not be approved until fully agreed its safe for everyone, why are our elderly parents in homes who have had their 2 doses of the vaccination not been given their freedom too see and hug their loved ones, why are people who are fully vacanated told to act if they are not we can’t were a mask forever, 99.9 percent of our population have survived we want our life back, to hug to see smiles and breath fresh air love to all

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    Mute Sam Harms
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    May 4th 2021, 7:20 AM

    @John Leonard: because people who are vaccinated can still pass the virus on to people who aren’t vaccinated so until enough people are vaccinated things can’t go back to how they were.

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    Mute john s
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    May 3rd 2021, 7:45 PM

    Provides less than 5% of irelands vaccines so far. So these people will be waiting

    38
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    Mute Ann Mc Shane
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    May 3rd 2021, 8:19 PM

    @john s: got my Moderna on Sunday. Haven’t met to many people who have had it. Just a sore arm so far, no mad zombies symptoms as of yet.

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    Mute Derdaly
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    May 4th 2021, 12:05 AM

    @Ann Mc Shane: my sister in the US got it, second dose last week caused some discomfort, shakes, nausea, headache.
    Recommendations over there are to take in plenty of water in the two days prior to the second dose.

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    Mute Ger
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    May 4th 2021, 3:43 AM

    @Ann Mc Shane: My neighbour in her late 60s got the Moderna. She’s the only one I know who did, but she said she had no side effects at all.

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    Mute Ann Mc Shane
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    May 4th 2021, 10:38 AM

    @Derdaly: yeah just a sore arm but to be expected. Supposedly one of the best ones to take

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    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
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    May 3rd 2021, 10:55 PM

    If it was good enough for Dolly Parton, it would be good enough for me.

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    Mute Brian Lyons
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    May 3rd 2021, 7:20 PM

    Not great but better than nothing.

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    Mute George J Stephens
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    May 3rd 2021, 8:43 PM

    I got it

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    Mute Mary N. Cooke
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    May 3rd 2021, 11:42 PM

    That’s good re Moderna. Where are the rest of them in this? 1.3 billion people in India and they’re making most vax.

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