PRESIDENT Joe Biden will NOT extradite spy’s wife Anne Sacoolas over the killing of British teenager Harry Dunn – risking a transatlantic spat with Britain.
The parents of Harry had hoped the Democrat – who lost his first wife and young daughter in a car accident 48 years ago – would re-examine her role in the road crash.
Sacoolas, 43, married to a CIA spy, was driving on the wrong side of the road when she hit and killed Harry in Northamptonshire – but claimed diplomatic immunity and fled to America.
When approached by The Sun about Sacoolas – who has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving in the UK – Biden’s White House deferred to the US State Department.
In a new statement, the department reiterated its position that the decision not to extradite the fugitive back to Britain to face justice was “final”.
Ned Price, who became state department spokesman under Biden last week, told The Sun: “We again offer our sincere condolences and sympathy to the Dunn family for the loss of their son.
“This was a tragic accident.
“Since the tragic accident occurred, the United States has been closely engaged with the UK government and we have been transparent about our positions on legal and diplomatic matters concerning this accident.
“The United States government has declined the United Kingdom’s request for extradition of a US citizen involved in a tragic vehicle accident that occurred in the United Kingdom.
“Our decision in that regard was final.
“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.”
In December 1972, Biden’s first wife Neilia (corr) and 13-month-old daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash while Christmas shopping in Delaware.
Neilia’s car was hit by a truck as she pulled out from an intersection.
No charges were ever filed in relation to the accident, in which Biden’s sons Hunter and Beau – who he later lost to cancer – survived with serious injuries.
Charlotte Charles, Harry’s mum, has said she had “renewed hope” President Biden would look at returning Sacoolas, given the tragic loss of his wife and child.
President Trump’s administration had previously said she would not be sent back to the UK.
TRAGIC ACCIDENT
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine on Thursday, Charlotte said: “My plea to President Biden needs to really reach over to him and we sincerely believe that he has received my plea.
“We are very hopeful. We hope that he is a President with a lot more heart and clearly can sympathise and not just empathise.
“We just hope to goodness that he sticks to his word that he has mentioned in a lot of speeches leading up to the Inauguration.
“He believes in upholding the rule of law, he believes that nobody is above the law, no matter who you are and what you do.
“I am just pleading with him to stick to those words and do the right thing and make sure that Anne Sacoolas faces the UK justice system.”
But although The Sun understands that the issue of Sacoolas’ extradition continues to be raised at senior diplomatic levels, Biden’s administration will resist calls to act.
PM Boris Johnson previously pressed former US President Donald Trump over the need for Sacoolas to face trial in Britain.
But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab made no mention of the subject when describing his call with new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday.
He tweeted: “Pleasure to speak with @ABlinken about foreign policy priorities and our shared ambition to tackle climate change and build back better from Covid-19.
I am just pleading with him to stick to those words and do the right thing and make sure that Anne Sacoolas faces the UK justice system.
“We agreed on the urgent need to promote open societies and an international system based on the rule of law and human rights.”
Harry, 19, was killed in August 2019 when Sacoolas pulled out of RAF Croughton, in Northants., and drove along the wrong side of the road – hitting his motorbike.
The US national, believed to be a former CIA operative herself, is married to Jonathan Sacoolas, 44, who was working at the US Air Force listening station for the spy agency.
She was interviewed by cops over the crash, before flying back to America three weeks later.
The US maintains that the mum-of-three was covered by diplomatic immunity, but that is disputed by Harry’s family.
She is now living in Virginia, the US, and was pictured back behind the wheel by The Sun.
Harry’s family have hired one of Britain’s top extradition lawyers, Nick Vamos, in an attempt to persuade President Biden to send their son's alleged killer back to the UK.
They are also exploring the possibility of prosecuting Sacoolas in absentia.
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