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Diplomat's wife who claimed diplomatic immunity to flee the UK had previous driving conviction

Devastated: The teenager with his mother Charlotte Charles, who said that her family have been denied the opportunity to grieve. (Facebook)
Devastated: The teenager with his mother Charlotte Charles, who said that her family have been denied the opportunity to grieve. (Facebook)

The wife of a US diplomat who fled the UK after she was involved in a crash that killed a teenager has a previous driving conviction in the US.

Anne Sacoolas, 42, who allegedly collided with Harry Dunn, 19, in a head-on collision after she pulled out of an airbase on the wrong side of the road, was fined in Virginia for "failure to pay full time and attention".

Mrs Sacoolas has come under severe criticism after she fled the UK, claiming diplomatic immunity.

Harry's devastated parents told Yahoo News yesterday that they have been denied the chance to grieve properly and want the woman to return to the country to speak to her and "give her a hug".

Anne Sacoolas, 42, was fined £200 for being distracted behind the wheel near her home in Virginia in November 2006, according to the Mirror.

The charge “failure to pay full time and attention” usually relates to drivers caught making calls at the wheel or traffic lane discipline.

Police here believe she hit Harry with her Volvo after driving for 400 yards on the wrong side of the road in August when leaving RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire, where her husband works "in intelligence".

Mrs Sacoonas is understood to have lived in Vienna, Virginia for three years before moving to Britain.

According to reports, she has not returned to her home in Vienna.

Charlotte Charles, Harry’s mother, said: "We have no knowledge of this woman, all we know is that she has now been named and she killed our son.

In a show of incredible compassion given the circumstances, Ms Charles conceded that the woman “made a mistake that night” but wants her to come back to the UK to speak to her.

Meanwhile, yesterday the US was yesterday accused of betraying the special relationship for refusing to waive the diplomatic immunity of Mrs Sacoolas.

Tragic: Harry Dunn, 19, died after a head-on collision outside an airbase.
Tragic: Harry Dunn, 19, died after a head-on collision outside an airbase. (Facebook)

Yesterday, a spokesperson for the family told Yahoo News UK that Mrs Sacoolas should return to the UK: "Diplomatic immunity laws are put in place to keep diplomats safe, they are not a get-out-of-jail-free card. You have to abide by the laws of the country you are in,” the spokesman told Yahoo News UK.

On Monday, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government is urging the US to "reconsider its decision" to give Mrs Sacoolas immunity.

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Speaking to reporters during a visit to a hospital in Watford, the Prime Minister said: “I think everybody’s sympathies are very much with the family of Harry Dunn, and our condolences to them for their tragic loss.

If Washington does not change its stance Boris Johnson will personally ask President Trump to intervene tomorrow, citing a similar request from the US that Britain granted last year.

“I do not think that it can be right to use the process of diplomatic immunity for this type of purpose.

Intelligence base: The accident happened when Mrs Sacoolas allegedly pulled out of RAF Croughton on the wrong side of the road. (Getty)
Intelligence base: The accident happened when Mrs Sacoolas allegedly pulled out of RAF Croughton on the wrong side of the road. (Getty)

“And I hope that Anne Sacoolas will come back and will engage properly with the processes of law as they are carried out in this country.”

Harry’s mother, Charlotte Charles, said: “We’re not a horrible family. We’re a usual UK family that just need to put a face to what we have now as a name.

“Talk to her, find out how she’s feeling. She’s got to be suffering as well – she’s a mum.

“Without knowing who this person is properly, we can’t begin to try and start our grieving process.

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