Family of Harry Dunn submits formal complaint against disgraced former Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable

Harry, 19, was killed in 2019 when his motorbike was hit by a car being driven on the wrong side of the road near RAF Croughton. The driver, American citizen Anne Sacoolas, left the UK shortly after. She was later convicted of causing death by careless driving.

Last week, police issued a 118-page review which found “clear and significant shortcomings” by the force, including poor communication, a lack of oversight, and failures in leadership.

Now the family’s spokesman, Radd Seiger, has filed an official complaint to Northamptonshire Police, saying the findings about the now sacked Mr Adderley were “truly appalling and shocking”. The complaint has been escalated to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

In the complaint Radd wrote: “The story is scarcely believable. Justice was ultimately done despite him, not because of him and due to the skill and perseverance of the investigation team and the CPS.”

The complaint lists serious concerns about Mr Adderley’s actions, including giving false information to the media, bypassing the investigation team by contacting the family’s adviser directly, and failing to declare the crash a critical incident.

The complaint continues: “He had failed to appreciate that the family had formally appointed me [Radd] as their spokesperson under the victims code and that I was simply their neighbour stepping up to help them, the police having told the family they had no chance of getting justice.

“His unprofessional conduct very nearly derailed the case entirely.”

Radd also criticised the lack of leadership and documentation during the investigation.

He wrote: “Different parts of the organisation were acting independently of one another. This absence of accountability and transparency is a breach of basic policing standards.”

Although Mr Adderley was dismissed earlier this year over unrelated misconduct, the Dunn family is calling for a formal investigation into his handling of their case.

Radd said: “These actions, errors and omissions are not only unprofessional and unethical but constitute serious breaches of the standards expected of any police officer, let alone the Chief Constable.”

Following the publication of the review, Assistant Chief Constable Emma James, who oversaw the review, said: “First and foremost, on behalf of Northamptonshire Police, I want to apologise to Harry’s family for what is now clear was a failure on our part to do the very best for the victim in this case, Harry, and his family who fought tirelessly in the years that followed to achieve justice for him.”

She added: “The picture which emerges is one of a Force which has failed the family on a number of fronts, and we hope the findings, which are troubling in several respects, will provide some answers to questions which the family will have wanted to know in the years that have passed.”

A spokesperson for the Office of Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said: "A complaint received last week about former Chief Constable Nick Adderley’s actions during the investigation into the road traffic collision leading to the death of Harry Dunn.

"This complaint has been reviewed and we have now referred it, as is mandatory, to the IOPC.”