Downing Street has said Boris Johnson was not aware of Donald Trump’s plans to set-up a meeting at the White House between Harry Dunn’s family and Anne Sacoolas, the woman suspected of involvement in the car crash that claimed the teenager’s life, directly contradicting claims made by the US president.
The 19-year-old’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, when they were told Sacoolas was also in the building.
They refused the offer to meet Sacoolas, saying it felt like an “ambush” and a “bombshell”.
Harry Dunn died when his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27. Sacoolas – who is reportedly married to a US intelligence official – was granted diplomatic immunity following the crash.
Trump later said Johnson asked for the grieving family to meet the suspect in their son’s death, which Downing Street is now disputing.
A Number 10 spokesperson said on Thursday: “The PM and the president spoke last Wednesday and the PM asked the president to do all he could to resolve the issue.”
“During the conversation, the president raised a possibility of a meeting with Anne Sacoolas at the White House, but at that stage we weren’t aware of any plans for the family to go (to the US) so it wasn’t discussed further.”
Speaking to journalists in the White House on Wednesday about his meeting with Harry’s parents, Trump said he thought the teenager’s parents were “ready” to meet 42-year-old Sacoolas.
He said: “(Sacoolas) was in the room right out there – we met right here and I offered to bring the person in question in and they weren’t ready for it – I did offer.
“Boris, he asked me if I’d do that and I did it. Unfortunately they wanted to meet with her and unfortunately when we had everybody together they decided not to meet – perhaps they had lawyers involved at that time – I don’t know.
“The people were lovely, they were very nice and desperately sad.”
He added: “I thought they were, based on what I saw, ready to meet – but now they say they only want to meet when they are in the UK and that’ll be up to them.”
Sacoolas has since said she was “disappointed” a meeting did not take place.
A statement issued by Sacoolas’ lawyer Amy Jeffress said: “We are trying to handle the matter privately and look forward to hearing from the family or their representatives.
“Anne accepted the invitation to the White House with the hope that the family would meet and was disappointed.”
Sacoolas has previously said she is “terribly sorry” about the incident and that she had “no time to react” when she saw Dunn’s motorbike following the incident near RAF Croughton on August 27.