Harry Dunn death: Anne Sacoolas faces possible trial in absentia – The Guardian

‘The attorney general for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, is considering trying the wife of a US intelligence officer in her absence on a charge of causing the death by dangerous driving of the teenager Harry Dunn.’

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The Guardian, 25th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Novichok inquest to examine possible responsibility of Russian state for the death of Dawn Sturgess – 2 Hare Court

‘The poisoning of the former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March 2018 was a truly shocking event. It was another throwback to the Cold War with the nerve agent, Novichok, playing the deadly role assumed by radioactive polonium in the 2006 assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London.’

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2 Hare Court, 6th August 2020

Source: www.2harecourt.com

Novichok inquest quashed – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 27th, 2020 in coroners, families, human rights, inquests, inquiries, news, Russia, unlawful killing by sally

‘The High Court has today [24 July] handed down a judgment quashing a coroner’s decision on the scope of the inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess: R (GS) v HM Senior Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon [2020] EWHC 2007 (Admin).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 24th July 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Harry Dunn death: Family drop legal action against Northamptonshire Police – BBC News

‘The parents of a young man whose death in a crash sparked an international diplomatic row have dropped their legal action against Northamptonshire Police.’

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BBC News, 26th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Immunity rule changed in wake of Harry Dunn death – BBC News

‘The UK and the US have agreed to amend an “anomaly” that allowed Harry Dunn death suspect Anne Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity.’

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BBC News, 22nd July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess’ daughter challenges coroner – BBC News

Posted July 15th, 2020 in bereavement, coroners, families, inquests, news, Russia, unlawful killing by tracey

‘The daughter of a woman killed by a nerve agent wants her mother’s inquest to consider whether senior members of the Russian state were responsible.’

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BBC News, 14th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dunn v FCO — the opening skirmishes – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In R (Dunn) v The Foreign Secretary and the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire [2020] EWHC 1620 (Admin) the Divisional Court dismissed two applications made in anticipation of the forthcoming rolled up judicial review arising out of the death of Harry Dunn.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th July 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Why victims can sometimes inherit from their abusers- even if they kill them – OUP Blog

‘It is a basic rule of English law that a person who kills someone should not inherit from their victim. The justification behind the rule, known as the forfeiture rule, is that a person should not benefit from their crimes and therefore forfeits entitlement. Many other jurisdictions have the same basic rule for fundamental reasons of public policy, including the need to avoid incentivising homicide. Importantly, however, Parliament passed the Forfeiture Act 1982 to give courts in England and Wales discretion to modify the application of the rule in certain cases, so that some people could inherit from those they had killed after all. Such modification is also possible in some other jurisdictions: It allows judges to consider individual circumstances where the blanket application of a forfeiture rule would cause injustice.’

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OUP Blog, 3rd July 2020

Source: blog.oup.com

‘Rough sex’ defence will be banned, says justice minister – BBC News

‘The so-called “rough sex gone wrong” defence will be outlawed in new domestic abuse legislation, a justice minister has told MPs.’

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BBC News, 16th June 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Racism campaigners call for police watchdog to be abolished – The Guardian

‘Black families in the UK whose loved ones have died in incidents involving the police have called for the abolition of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates the police, and the immediate suspension of officers involved in deaths as part of a new plan to address systemic racism and unlawful killings.’

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The Guardian, 14th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

There have been no successful prosecutions for deaths in British police custody since 1969 – here’s why – The Guardian

‘Black people account for 3% of the population, but 8% of deaths in custody. As a former chief prosecutor, I know this is only the end point of a system that disproportionately suspects, arrests, convicts and imprisons BAME people.’

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The Guardian, 11th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mark Duggan police shooting: can forensic tech cast doubt on official report – The Guardian

‘The police shooting of Mark Duggan is a highly contentious case that has been widely cited by Black Lives Matter protesters in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 10th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Relief from Forfeiture following Manslaughter: Challen v Challen [2020] EWHC 1330 (Ch) – Hardwicke Chambers

‘In this recent case, described by the presiding judge HHJ Matthews as “extraordinary [with] a fatal combination of conditions and events”, relief from forfeiture was granted despite the applicant having pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a resulting sentence of over nine years of imprisonment.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 29th May 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Coronavirus: Death of Belly Mujinga ‘not linked to spit attack’ – BBC News

Posted June 1st, 2020 in assault, coronavirus, news, unlawful killing by sally

‘The death of a railway worker who was spat at by a man claiming to have coronavirus was not linked to the attack, police have concluded.’

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BBC News, 29th May 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

COVID-19 : a murderous virus? – Church Court Chambers

Posted May 19th, 2020 in causation, coronavirus, murder, news, prosecutions, unlawful killing by sally

‘Notwithstanding the seriousness of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and a global effort to fight the same, some individuals have taken it upon themselves to exacerbate the horror of the virus by spitting at others, purporting to have coronavirus. The Criminal Justice System is sadly accustomed to dealing with offences that involve threats to spread disease via bodily fluids; these offenders are often seeking to cause psychological terror and harm, rather than physical harm. However in circumstances such as this, the immediate psychological fear caused by the concern that the victim may have contracted the virus, may then be sadly outweighed by the pain and suffering of contracting the virus and subsequent death.’

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Church Court Chambers, May 2020

Source: churchcourtchambers.co.uk

Interpol Red Notice issued against Anne Sacoolas – is prosecution in the UK possible? – 5SAH

‘Last December, Anne Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving following a road traffic accident in which 19-year-old Harry Dunn lost his life. It is alleged that she was driving on the wrong side of the road at the time. Mrs Sacoolas’ husband was employed in some official capacity at a United States Air Force communication station based at RAF Croughton.’

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5SAH, 13th May 2020

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

Car owner killed vandal caught damaging wing-mirror – BBC News

Posted April 24th, 2020 in alcohol abuse, news, sentencing, suspended sentences, unlawful killing by sally

‘A car owner who fatally injured a vandal caught damaging his wing-mirror has been given a suspended sentence.’

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BBC News, 23rd April 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Harry Dunn death: diplomatic immunity for Anne Sacoolas ‘illogical’ – The Guardian

‘Britain agreed to let Anne Sacoolas, the driver charged with killing 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn, return to the US on the basis of an “apparently illogical” interpretation of the law on diplomatic immunity, according to the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office.’

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The Guardian, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Portbury Hundred shooting: Spencer Ashworth lawfully killed, jury says – BBC News

Posted March 18th, 2020 in firearms, inquests, news, police, unlawful killing by sally

‘A man shot dead by police after firing an air pistol at an officer was lawfully killed, a jury has found.’

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BBC News, 17th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester officers face investigations into death of unarmed man – The Guardian

Posted March 13th, 2020 in firearms, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct, unlawful killing by tracey

‘Six officers including the former assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police will be investigated for misconduct following an inquiry into the death of a man shot by armed police.’

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The Guardian, 12th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com