Lammy Presses US Over Pilot's 6-Month Sentence in UK Strangulation Case

Q: A US pilot strangled a woman in Cambridge. Why was he judged by a US military court?

He was judged by a US military court because Cambridgeshire police agreed to hand the case to the US Air Force, allowing the Americans to take “investigative primacy” and prosecute Capt Jacob Wulfson by court martial rather than through the English courts. That was possible under the legal framework for foreign troops stationed in Britain, chiefly the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951 and the UK’s Visiting Forces Act 1952. In general, for an off-duty, off-base alleged crime against a British civilian, the UK would normally have the primary right to prosecute. But the agreement also allows the US to request that Britain waive that right, and UK authorities often give such requests “sympathetic consideration.” In this case, the USAF said it “negotiated jurisdiction” under NATO rules, and Cambridgeshire police accepted that arrangement in December 2023. The force later said its approach was “victim-led,” based on information from the USAF that Sarah Steele did not want contact from local police. Steele disputes that account, saying British police did not consult her at the time and she never said she did not want to speak to them. The result was that Wulfson, although accused over an incident in Cambridge while off duty, was tried at RAF Lakenheath by a US court martial panel of Air Force officers. The case has since triggered criticism because legal experts and MPs say the UK, not the US military, should ordinarily have retained jurisdiction in such circumstances.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 30

David Lammy told parliament he is raising with Washington the case of Sarah Steele, saying officials across government are seeking the full facts after a US pilot avoided an English trial.
Captain Jacob Wulfson was court-martialed at RAF Lakenheath in April for an off-duty assault in Cambridge, convicted of strangling an intimate partner, acquitted of sexual assault and sentenced to six months.
The case has focused scrutiny on why Cambridgeshire police ceded the investigation and prosecution to the US military even though the alleged crime occurred on English soil outside a US base.
Sarah Steele called the US military process distressing and degrading, while MPs from the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives said victims of crimes in England should see justice in English courts.
The dispute is widening concern over US jurisdiction in Britain, where more than 12,000 American personnel are stationed across at least 15 bases and facilities.

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6 Sources

Did police prioritize a military pact over a British victim's right to justice in her own country?

A US pilot strangled a woman in Cambridge. Why was he judged by a US military court?

Justice on Trial: The 2026 Wulfson Case, US Military Courts, and the UK’s Urgent Jurisdictional Reforms

Overview

The US military court martial of Captain Jacob Wulfson in April 2026, for a serious violent crime, triggered significant public and political controversy in the UK. Outrage grew over the perceived leniency of his sentence and the decision to let an all-male panel of US Air Force officers, rather than the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service, handle the case. Concerns intensified when reports revealed that Wulfson’s combat record was used as mitigation. This controversy led to urgent calls for a review of jurisdictional practices, highlighting the need for clearer guidance and better protection for UK victims in cases involving US military personnel.

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