Lad killed by US wrong side driver, who's done a bunk...

[98elise]

poo at Paul's said:

All this talk of them being ‘spies’ is amusing. At the time of the incident, before the st hit the fan in the media, you could search their names and find tons of stuff on google, including his radio operators licence details, address, even the card details he paid for his licence with.
She came up with details of her Uk address, her college details in the US, details of where their kids went to school in Uk and where they had gone to school in the US, details of a similar driving offence in the US etc etc.

007 they ain’t!

Intelligence gathering is very different in the real world through. 007 is not a documentary.

For many it's just a branch specialisation in the Military. No more glamorous or exciting than any other role. If anything more mundane.

[youngsyr]

98elise said:

poo at Paul's said:

All this talk of them being ‘spies’ is amusing. At the time of the incident, before the st hit the fan in the media, you could search their names and find tons of stuff on google, including his radio operators licence details, address, even the card details he paid for his licence with.
She came up with details of her Uk address, her college details in the US, details of where their kids went to school in Uk and where they had gone to school in the US, details of a similar driving offence in the US etc etc.

007 they ain’t!

Intelligence gathering is very different in the real world through. 007 is not a documentary.

For many it's just a branch specialisation in the Military. No more glamorous or exciting than any other role. If anything more mundane.

From memory, isn't that base, and presumably therefore the accused and her husband, involved in monitoring electronic communications?

So very much not 007 type stuff.

[pquinn]

I think she's just been lucky she hasn't been dealing with the sort of relative who'd hop on a plane to Virginia, hire an SUV and return the favour one way or another.

[98elise]

youngsyr said:

98elise said:

poo at Paul's said:

All this talk of them being ‘spies’ is amusing. At the time of the incident, before the st hit the fan in the media, you could search their names and find tons of stuff on google, including his radio operators licence details, address, even the card details he paid for his licence with.
She came up with details of her Uk address, her college details in the US, details of where their kids went to school in Uk and where they had gone to school in the US, details of a similar driving offence in the US etc etc.

007 they ain’t!

Intelligence gathering is very different in the real world through. 007 is not a documentary.

For many it's just a branch specialisation in the Military. No more glamorous or exciting than any other role. If anything more mundane.

From memory, isn't that base, and presumably therefore the accused and her husband, involved in monitoring electronic communications?

So very much not 007 type stuff.

Monitoring comms is very much a typical intelligence role, and nothing like 007. I've no idea what they do there though.

[Fastpedeller]

MXRod said:

I wonder if she had stayed and faced the music instead of scuttling back across the pond hiding behind “diplomatic immunity “ she might not be treated as a pariah in the UK , there is little chance now she will ever return , or the US allowing her to be extradited .Special relationship ? humm

I may have missed something, but I find it inexcusable that UK Police didn't retain her passport! Would that have prevented her departure?

[vaud]

Fastpedeller said:

I may have missed something, but I find it inexcusable that UK Police didn't retain her passport! Would that have prevented her departure?

I don't think so.

I think (stress think) that her embassy would have issued her with an emergency passport anyway.

[youngsyr]

Did she not fly home on a USmilitary plane, from a US military base to a US military base?

If so, presumably no passport required.

[Earthdweller]

Fastpedeller said:

I may have missed something, but I find it inexcusable that UK Police didn't retain her passport! Would that have prevented her departure?

You find it inexcusable that the police didn’t do something they have absolutely no power to do ?

Assuming she was in possession of a “normal” passport then a Court could as part of bail/remand conditions in some circumstances but then if as seems likely she was in possession of a diplomatic passport there is absolutely nothing they could have done either

[nickfrog]

superlightr said:

Or a show of hands who have driven on the wrong side of a road and killed someone and then perverted the course of justice by fleeing the country?

Sadly I don't think she broke any UK laws by fleeing. Yes it's abhorent but technically I am not sure she has perverted the course of justice if she had DI.

[Gareth79]

nickfrog said:

superlightr said:

Or a show of hands who have driven on the wrong side of a road and killed someone and then perverted the course of justice by fleeing the country?

Sadly I don't think she broke any UK laws by fleeing. Yes it's abhorent but technically I am not sure she has perverted the course of justice if she had DI.

Yes, everything I've read is that her fleeing the country will not be considered in any trial. I think that if there weren't any bail conditions then it couldn't be held against her anyway.

[PurpleTurtle]

L1OFF said:

It's a show trial, she will plead guilty (but won't attend) . Ban and suspended sentence. Box ticked and move on, nothing to see here.

Entirely this.

Had she originally stuck around to face the music like any decent human being and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving I very much suspect she'd have got no more than that.

I do think she made an honest mistake (careless rather than dangerous driving) and having momentarily done exactly the same in the US myself I know how easily it can happen. Fortunately I did not even come close to hitting another vehicle or person.

Unless I have missed it, what has never been made clear is whether she herself instigated her return home to the US (and her superiors supported her), or did the US Military order her to return home because, for whatever reason, they can't allow one of their own to be prosecuted on foreign soil?

[R56Cooper]

PurpleTurtle said:

L1OFF said:

It's a show trial, she will plead guilty (but won't attend) . Ban and suspended sentence. Box ticked and move on, nothing to see here.

Entirely this.

Had she originally stuck around to face the music like any decent human being and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving I very much suspect she'd have got no more than that.

Yep, the whole diplomatic immunity thing was so poorly thought out. These kind of tragic motoring incidents happen up and down the country all the time and as someone else said, they barely even make the local rag. To end up with the POTUS directly involved is just insane.

[Dr Jekyll]

PurpleTurtle said:

Entirely this.

Had she originally stuck around to face the music like any decent human being and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving I very much suspect she'd have got no more than that.

I do think she made an honest mistake (careless rather than dangerous driving) and having momentarily done exactly the same in the US myself I know how easily it can happen. Fortunately I did not even come close to hitting another vehicle or person.

Unless I have missed it, what has never been made clear is whether she herself instigated her return home to the US (and her superiors supported her), or did the US Military order her to return home because, for whatever reason, they can't allow one of their own to be prosecuted on foreign soil?

She flew on a military flight so it's pretty clear the US govt ordered her to return home.

[Getragdogleg]

Everyone else's life would be put on hold while they were arrested and bailed and trialed, then they would have a punishment if guilty.

She's only different because the US have decided that they are more important than British justice.

But we all know if your rich or powerful you don't have to live by the rules.

Extradite her, try her and hopefully lock her up. Anything less is putting two fingers up at us all.

[Earthdweller]

Entered a guilty plea to death by careless driving according to reports

Appearing via video link from the US it seems

Be all done and dusted tomorrow

[Dr Jekyll]

jsf said:

Dr Jekyll said:

She flew on a military flight so it's pretty clear the US govt ordered her to return home.

Most grunts do, along with their cheap import cars. It's normal procedure.

She was a civilian though. She could hardly turn up at Mildenhall and say she fancied a trip home.

[Gareth79]

Earthdweller said:

Entered a guilty plea to death by careless driving according to reports

Appearing via video link from the US it seems

Be all done and dusted tomorrow

It was sent to crown court (The Old Bailey, presumably because it's a notable case) where presumably she will enter a plea, so it might take a while yet.

[Earthdweller]

Gareth79 said:

Earthdweller said:

Entered a guilty plea to death by careless driving according to reports

Appearing via video link from the US it seems

Be all done and dusted tomorrow

It was sent to crown court (The Old Bailey, presumably because it's a notable case) where presumably she will enter a plea, so it might take a while yet.

It’s an either way offence so presumably the lower court either didn’t think it could sentence sufficiently harshly or they were passing the buck

Not really surprising tbf not only is it high profile it’s also very highly political, can understand why Marjorie from the golf club wouldn’t want to make the decision

[PurpleTurtle]

Gareth79 said:

Earthdweller said:

Entered a guilty plea to death by careless driving according to reports

Appearing via video link from the US it seems

Be all done and dusted tomorrow

It was sent to crown court (The Old Bailey, presumably because it's a notable case) where presumably she will enter a plea, so it might take a while yet.

She's gone for guilty on careless driving but not guilty on dangerous driving, hence it going to Crown Court for the latter.

IANAL but I think if she'd stuck around to face the music then the CPS would've settled on the lesser charge alone.

By doing a runner she's made it a bigger story, a lot of media traction, massive upset from the family, national outcry, ergo the CPS need to be seen to be taking it seriously.

I doubt she'll ever set foot in this country again. Special Relationship my arse.

[Earthdweller]

PurpleTurtle said:

She's gone for guilty on careless driving but not guilty on dangerous driving, hence it going to Crown Court for the latter.

IANAL but I think if she'd stuck around to face the music then the CPS would've settled on the lesser charge alone.

By doing a runner she's made it a bigger story, a lot of media traction, massive upset from the family, national outcry, ergo the CPS need to be seen to be taking it seriously.

I doubt she'll ever set foot in this country again. Special Relationship my arse.

Righto I haven’t been following it tbf

Your last line is spot .. it really doesn’t make any difference what the U.K. courts do, if they sentence her to prison or fine her it’s all irrelevant in the scheme of things

I’m surprised they didn’t take her plea .. give her a massive fine, maybe a suspended sentence and have it done with