MoD Documents: UK Police Should Not Have Let US Take Over Airbase Trial of Pilot Accused in Sarah Steele Case

Ministry of Defence officials privately criticized Cambridgeshire police for handing over the investigation of US Air Force Captain Jacob Wulfson to American military authorities, according to documents obtained by the Guardian. Wulfson was accused of sexually assaulting and strangling Sarah Steele in his Cambridge flat. The MoD documents suggest the police breached a US-UK agreement by allowing US military police to quickly assume control of the case. This transfer of jurisdiction could have significant implications for how crimes involving US personnel on British soil are handled, raising questions about legal accountability and the rights of UK victims. The case highlights tensions in the special relationship when military agreements intersect with local law enforcement. The outcome may influence future protocols for cross-border criminal investigations involving visiting forces.