Harry Dunn's family to hold 2nd funeral after police kept remains for four years

28 February 2024 , 20:20

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Harry Dunn was killed in a head-on collision in Northamptonshire (Image: PA)

Harry Dunn's family are holding a second funeral for the teenager after finding out that police had kept some of his remains for four and a half years.

The teen's mum, Charlotte Charles, said she was left feeling "sick, angry and bewildered" after being told that "human tissue" had been found on Harry's possessions. The 19-year-old was killed in a head-on collision with US spy Anne Sacoolas who was driving on the wrong side of the road near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.

Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf by the US government and was able to leave the UK 19 days after the incident. In December 2022, she faced a UK court remotely and was sentenced to a suspended jail term.

Harry Dunn's mum arriving at the Old Bailey (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Now, Harry's mum told Sky News that the family was initially told no possessions were found at the scene of the crash - but after being "kept in the dark", they were told that there was "some soft tissue" that the police kept since the crash. Ms Charles said: "We've always been led to believe that there were no possessions... that there was nothing worth recovering from the scene of the crash because it was so horrific back then.

"Over four and a half years ago, now, we didn't question that. I suppose we were still in shock, numb to a certain degree. At the same time as getting those possessions, we then get the news that there's also some soft tissue, as they called it, which was another bolt out of the blue. I felt sick, angry and totally bewildered.

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"Having been kept in the dark is pretty much unforgiveable, somebody did not follow protocol way back on day one to let us know where those possessions were." Sky News said Northamptonshire Police launched an investigation and will review the case. The police force said they have been working with Harry's family, adding: "Harry's clothing, helmet and bike were removed from the original collision site in 2019.

"Recently, police examined the items in order to repatriate them with the family, at which time, human remains were subsequently discovered on Harry's clothing. Working with HM Coroner's office in Northamptonshire, an officer returned the human remains to a funeral director on 7 February at the request of Harry's family.

"The family have now taken possession of all the remaining property from the collision site in preparation for the private family service later this week. We will, of course, continue to support them going forward."

Det Chief Supt Emma James, of Northamptonshire Police, said: "This was an extremely complex case from which we know there will be some learning for the Force. As such, Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet has commissioned a full investigative review of the case, focusing wholly on the police investigation into the tragic death of Harry Dunn in August 2019.

"Terms of reference are being drawn up and in order to ensure complete transparency I shall be meeting the family and their representative, Radd Seiger, in the coming days to ensure we capture their feedback and also to reassure them that, whatever recommendations come out in the learning, will be shared with the family and enacted."

After the court case in 2022, Ms Charles said Harry's passing left her a "broken woman" and continues to "haunt her to her core". In a victim impact statement, Harry's mother introduced herself before telling of how her world was turned "upside down" on August 27, 2019.

"My beautiful son Harry, twin brother of Niall, is gone and is never coming back," Ms Charles said. "For 19 years, I had the enormous privilege and joy of nurturing and raising Harry, who was the light of my life before he was so senselessly and cruelly taken from us."

Continuing her victim impact statement, Ms Charles described how she was "haunted to the core" when thinking of her failure to get to the hospital before her son passed away. "My job is to comfort my children and I wasn’t there for Harry to comfort him in what must have been an awful and painful, slow death, particularly as he lay on the side of the road waiting for an ambulance bleeding to death," she said.

"I beat myself up over and over again and wish I had left work earlier so that I could have gotten to him in time. If I had left work on time that night, I would have been able to delay him leaving the house, so that he wouldn't have been travelling along the same road as Anne Sacoolas."

The mum continued to fight away tears as she said: "His passing haunts me every minute of every day and I’m not sure how I’m ever going to get over it. I have started counselling but the psychological damage that’s been caused is almost impossible to describe. Tears flow constantly and my mood ranges from anger to solemn all the time.

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"I have been shaken to the point of breaking and the only thing that keeps me going every day is looking after Niall and Harry’s other siblings, and ensuring that we get justice for Harry. I made a promise to Harry in the hospital that we would get him justice and a mother never breaks a promise to her son."

Chiara Fiorillo