The mother of a teenager who died in a collision said "I carried out my promise" after the wife of a US diplomat was charged with causing his death by dangerous driving.

Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, the parents of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, were informed of the charge by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Friday, but the lawyer for the driver has said she "will not return voluntarily to the United Kingdom to face a potential jail sentence".

Footage broadcast exclusively on Sky News showed Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn hugging and in tears after they learned charges would be brought yesterday.

Image: Harry Dunn was killed while riding his motorbike

Image: Harry Dunn's family broke down in tears after learning of the decision

Mrs Charles says in the video: "I carried out my promise to one of my kids, the promise that I made that we would get that justice.

"I've managed to fulfil the promise. It means everything.


"I would never have been able to rest properly ever without having been able to carry out that promise I made."

Mr Dunn had said previously: "We set out so long ago and we believed and we believed and we believed, and we've done it, we've done it, we've got the charge.

"This is it, it's amazing, it's absolutely amazing. Justice.

"Whatever happens now it doesn't matter, we've got what we wanted."

Anne Sacoolas was involved in a crash in which Mr Dunn died outside an RAF base in Northamptonshire in August.

She returned to the US following the collision after claiming diplomatic immunity through her husband's work.

Image: Harry Dunn's family travelled to the US in a bid to get Anne Sacoolas to return to the UK

Mrs Sacoolas, 42, has now been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. She was informed by her lawyer of the charges and that there will be an attempt to extradite her.

The CPS said in a statement on Friday: "Following the death of Harry Dunn in Northamptonshire, the Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge Anne Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving.

"The director of public prosecutions has met with Harry Dunn's family to explain the basis of the decision we have made following a thorough review of the evidence available."

The family were one of the first to be informed by the director Max Hill that Mrs Sacoolas would be charged. The home secretary and foreign secretary were informed afterwards.

'We feel we've taken a huge step'

The family's spokesperson Radd Seiger, surrounded by the Dunn family outside the CPS headquarters in London on Friday, said: "It's obviously a big day for this family.

"A couple of months ago they were told by Northamptonshire Police that there was a less than 1% chance of having anyone held accountable for this tragedy.

"As you have seen we have moved heaven and earth both here in London and in Washington to try to get to this day."

Praising the family, he added: "In their darkest hour they have stood up to this and followed through on their promise to get justice for their son."

Image: Anne Sacoolas pictured leaving her house in Virginia. Pic: Mega Agency

Mother Charlotte Charles thanked those who had supported their case, including the media, and said: "We feel like we've taken a huge step in the start of achieving the promise to Harry."

Reflecting on when they made the promise to their son on the night he died, she said they thought "it was going to be really easy knowing the circumstances that night as we did. We had no idea it was going to be this hard and it would take this long but we really do feel it's one huge step."

She added that she thought she would be unable to buy a Christmas tree this year in light of the tragedy, but that the decision has meant she will buy one and decorate it in green lights - the colour being used to commemorate her son.

Tim Dunn, Harry's father, spoke briefly of his shock about the meeting and the decision to charge Mrs Sacoolas before being overcome by emotion.

Mrs Sacoolas's lawyer issued a statement shortly after the news broke.

Amy Jeffress, said: "Anne is devastated by this tragic accident and continues to extend her deepest condolences to the family. Anne would do whatever she could to bring Harry back. She is a mother herself and cannot imagine the pain of the loss of a child. She has cooperated fully with the investigation and accepted responsibility."

She said they have been working with the UK authorities to try to resolve the matter.

After hearing that charges were being brought, Ms Jeffress said: "This was an accident, and a criminal prosecution with a potential penalty of fourteen years imprisonment is simply not a proportionate response.

"We have been in contact with the UK authorities about ways in which Anne could assist with preventing accidents like this from happening in the future, as well as her desire to honour Harry's memory."

She added: "Anne will not return voluntarily to the United Kingdom to face a potential jail sentence for what was a terrible but unintentional accident."

Speaking to Sky News, Nick Adderly, the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police said: "We will support the Crown Prosecution Service where we can but we will now let justice run its course," adding that the police can not now "interfere" in that process.

"We hope that we see Anne Sacoolas back in the UK to face justice."

Asked about how he felt that the charge and extradition is likely to be a difficult process, he said on a personal level "it does not sit comfortably with me that we do not have an individual that is held to account or facing the questions that they should be facing in a court of law" considering a 19-year-old has died in the region he is responsible for.

But he added, "we have to let that [process] take its course."

Image: Mother Charlotte said the decision felt like a 'huge step' forward

Mr Adderly added, in what he described as "a plea", was that Mrs Sacoolas "has to live with this now for the rest of her life."

He said "it may do her the world of good" for herself to "face the course of law and take whatever punishment they decide is appropriate.''

The police chief stressed that the case "must not be prejudiced in any way shape or form", before adding that he believes the family "have been incredibly dignified."

It comes after Northamptonshire Police interviewed Mrs Sacoolas in America and handed their completed file of evidence on Mr Dunn's death to the CPS last month.

On Tuesday, Mr Dunn's parents met Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley to discuss the case.

Image: Nick Adderly, the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, praised the family

They previously travelled to the US in a bid to get Mrs Sacoolas to return to the UK and met President Donald Trump at the White House, where they were told she was in the next room and they rejected an offer to meet her.

Mr Dunn was riding a motorcycle when he was involved in the fatal crash outside RAF Croughton on 27 August.

His family are taking legal action against Mr Raab following a row over the diplomatic immunity granted to Mrs Sacoolas, whose husband is thought to be a US intelligence officer.

The Foreign Office has previously said it would oppose the family's legal action and invited them to drop the challenge.

Image: The crash happened outside RAF Croughton, in Northamptonshire

They have also warned they will seek court costs if the family pursue and fail with their action.

Following today's charging decision by the CPS, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "I welcome the taking of a charging decision which is an important step towards justice for Harry and towards solace for his family, but it is not the end.

"I hope that Anne Sacoolas will now realise the right thing to do is to come back to the UK and cooperate with the criminal justice process."

A US State Department spokesperson said: "We express our deepest sympathies and offer condolences to the Dunn family for their loss. We will continue to look for options for moving forward.

Harry Dunn's brother: 'I want the truth'

"We are disappointed by today's announcement and fear that it will not bring a resolution closer.

"This was a tragic accident, a young man has lost his life, and his family is grieving. No one could hear about this tragic accident and not feel incredible sadness over this loss.

"The president, the secretary of state, the US ambassador in London, and others in our government have all expressed sincere condolences to the Dunn family for this tragedy.

"The United States has been clear that, at the time the accident occurred, and for the duration of her stay in the UK, the driver in this case had status that conferred diplomatic immunities. The foreign secretary stated the same in parliament.

"We do not believe that the UK's charging decision is a helpful development."