London court sentences US diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas to 8 months in prison for fatal car crash

A London court on Thursday (Dec 8) sentenced the wife of an American diplomat for eight months, suspended for 12 months, over a fatal car crash in UK that had caused a diplomatic tussle between the US and UK.

Anne Sacoolas was sentenced for her careless driving that led to a death of a teenager in August 2019. Harry Dunan, 19, died after his motorcycle was hit by Sacoolas's car.

Sacoolas was present for the hearing via a link from the United States,and not in person.

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The judge said that Sacoolas lawyer's told the court that she's been advised by the US government to not attend the hearing in person as it could put the country's interests at risk.

Judge Boobie Cheema-Grubb read out a statement in the court from her lawyers. It stated, "The US government does not in any way to support Mrs Sacoolas appearing in person at this hearing. In fact, Mrs Sacoolas’ USgovernment employer has advised her not to attend."

Sacoolas admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road when the teenager's motorcycle was hit by her car, corroborating the prosecutor's statement.

The accident occurred near RAF Croughton, an air force base. Soon after knowing this, her husband, who worked as a US intelligence officer, left London.

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