Related Articles
A police motorcyclist who hit an Essex pensioner while escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh through London has been cleared of causing death by careless driving. Helen Holland, 81, died two weeks after she was sent flying through the air while at a pedestrian crossing in West Cromwell Road, west London, on May 10 in 2023.
Metropolitan Police officer Christopher Harrison, 68, was travelling at between 44mph and 58mph as he approached the crossing, which had a 30mph speed limit at the time, the trial at the Old Bailey previously heard. A jury acquitted PC Harrison on Thursday (November 13) after deliberating for two hours and 25 minutes.
After the verdict was returned, a person shouted from the public gallery: “You ruined our family with no consequences”. 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 backup 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, from Birchanger in Essex, 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 after the verdict: “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.”
