Harry Dunn's family 'floored' after items containing human remains returned 15 months after justice served

Harry Dunn’s family were “floored” when possessions belonging to the teen were returned after human remains were found on them.

The family were told by police that items such as the 19-year-old’s bike, helmet and clothes were destroyed in an explosion during the fatal crash near to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019.

However, items were returned to Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn earlier this month, after it was discovered that police had kept them, even after wife of US diplomat, Anne Sacoolas, was sentenced in December 2022. She was driving on the wrong side of the road when she was in collision with Harry on his motorbike. The return of the items and the discovery that they had Harry’s remains on them led to the family deciding to host a second cremation service on Friday (March 1).

The latest “mishap” in the case has made the family raise questions about the investigation into Harry’s death and a “full investigative review” has now been commissioned by Northamptonshire Police.

A spokesman for the family – Radd Seiger – told this newspaper: "If they could have any of Harry’s possessions back was one of the first things the family asked police.

“Charlotte wanted the bike back so she could make a sculpture in honour of Harry and she wanted the clothing so she could make teddys and cushions, as Harry has young cousins.

"They were told by the family liaison officer that they had all been destroyed as there was a big explosion, involving the petrol tank."

Radd said that he – and the family – understand that there are policies in place regarding things like possessions, as they could be needed in evidence the criminal case. However, Radd says the family should have got the items back after the conclusion of the criminal case 15 months ago in December 2022. As the family had previously been told that the items had been destroyed in the collision, they had put it out of their minds so did not ask police for the items at the conclusion of the sentencing.

It was only around a year later that the family discovered that there were in fact possessions of Harry’s still in existence, which Radd was told were “frozen and preserved pending the criminal case”.

Radd added: “We were in conversation with Anne Pember (senior coroner for Northamptonshire) just before Christmas (2023) talking about who we will call in the inquest, which is ongoing, when we realised.

"I nearly had a heart attack. And I had to then go and tell the parents.

"As pleased as they were, it just floored them. All the feelings they had about Northamptonshire Police just resurfaced.

"They have been deprived of this connection with Harry for all this time. They should have had these items back in December 2022.”

Radd went on to describe how the parents were “decimated” when they were recently told that there were human remains on the possessions. The spokesman said this was discovered when the police were getting the items ready to give back to the family.

Charlotte Charles said: “I honestly do not know why we have been treated so poorly as a family from the moment Harry died. What did we do to deserve all this?

“I am devastated that we have been deprived of his belongings for all this time totally unnecessarily. It has really hit me hard and I’ve had to go back on antidepressants.

"As if that wasn’t bad enough, as the items of clothing were being returned, some of Harry’s tissue was also discovered on his clothing and we only found that out a couple of weeks ago, again through Radd who had a call from the police. We are now therefore having to go through a second cremation service on Friday and we all are all retraumatised. It just all feels so unfair.”

"We want to make sure this does not happen again. We want lessons to be learned,” Radd added.

Northamptonshire Police has confirmed that anything that comes from the investigation will be “shared with the family and enacted”.

A force spokeswoman said: “Harry’s clothing, helmet and bike were removed from the original collision site in 2019. Recently, police examined the items in order to re-patriate 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 February 7 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, added: “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.”

A spokeswoman for the commissioner said: “The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has asked the chief constable to commission a full, end-to-end investigative review of the case.

"Stephen Mold said that he is determined that any lessons to be learned from Harry Dunn’s death will be used to improve how the service given to families in similar circumstances.”