Met Police motorcyclist found not guilty of causing death by careless driving

A Metropolitan Police motorcyclist has been found not guilty of causing death by careless driving following the death of a pensioner in London

81 year old Helen Holland died two weeks after the collision on a pedestrian crossing in west London in May 2023

68 year old PC Christopher Harrison had been part of an escort for the Duchess of Edinburgh. The court heard he was travelling at between 44mph and 58mph as he approached the crossing, which had a 30mph speed limit at the time.

A jury acquitted Pc Harrison on Thursday after deliberating for two hours and 25 minutes.

Mr Justice Martin Chamberlain then told Pc Harrison he was free to leave.

On the day of the incident, Pc Harrison was among the team of convoy motorbike outriders that was escorting Sophie as she left the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in King Charles Street just after 3pm, jurors were told.

The car that the duchess was in and a police back-up vehicle were also part of the convoy.

The defendant, who had 21 years of experience in the specialist escort group, said he "couldn't put it into numbers" how many times he had undertaken the journey and that he was "very familiar" with the route.

Ms Holland was 2.9 metres onto the crossing when Pc Harrison's motorbike hit her, the court heard.

She suffered a skull fracture, bruising to her arms, legs and body, plus fractures to her lower legs.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as complications from a severe head injury.

Pc Harrison, who became emotional while giving evidence during the trial, told jurors the collision was a "tragic accident" which occurred in circumstances that he had "no control over".

Under cross-examination, he accepted he forgot to switch on his body-worn camera and did not use his whistle as he approached the pedestrian crossing but insisted he had not been complacent that day.

"She was just there in front of me," he told jurors.

"She just appeared, between the kerb line and the point of collision.

"At no point did I see her on the island, I'm sorry."

Commander Adam Slonecki, Specialist Operations, said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Mrs Holland’s family, and we are deeply sorry for their loss in these circumstances.

"While nothing we can say or do can make up for this loss, we have worked to safeguard against future tragedies regardless of today’s outcome.

“Escort riders now have bullhorns fitted to their motorcycles to ensure public safety. They use these in addition to their whistles to warn people they are approaching.

“While it is crucial police actions are scrutinised, PC Harrison has waited two-and-a-half years for today’s outcome, while Mrs Holland’s family have had to grieve through a protracted period of uncertainty.

“We have been lobbying for quicker and fairer accountability processes to lessen the impact on all involved. We will now consider any misconduct matters for PC Harrison as soon as possible.”

Following the collision, the matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who began a criminal and misconduct investigation. A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, who made the decision to charge.

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