A police motorcyclist who hit and killed a pensioner while escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh in May 2023 was not driving to the expected standard, a court has heard.
Metropolitan Police officer Pc Christopher Harrison, 68, who has pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving, drove through a red light and collided with pensioner Helen Holland, 81, on a pedestrian crossing on West Cromwell Road in west London.
The mother-of-four suffered a skull fracture, bruising to her arms, legs, and body, plus fractures to her lower legs. She died two weeks later, with the post-mortem examination confirming the cause of death as complications from a severe head injury.
### Incident Details
The Old Bailey heard that Pc Harrison was allegedly travelling between 44mph and 58mph on a 30mph road as he approached the red light. As part of a designated police escort team, officers are legally allowed to exceed speed limits, pass red lights, and drive on the wrong side of the road to keep the convoy moving. However, these actions must be done safely and with minimal risk to the public.
Mr. Harrison was part of the convoy motorcycle outriders escorting Duchess Sophie as she left the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in King Charles Street just after 3 pm. The two escort motorcycles ahead of Mr. Harrison had already passed the crossing by the time he arrived.
As he approached the red light, Ms. Holland was already 2.9 metres onto the crossing when the collision occurred; she had not just stepped off the kerb.
### Expert Testimony
Johnathan Moody, Lancashire Police’s deputy chief training instructor, who was called to review the incident, told the court:
“It is not what I would expect a competent rider to do.”
He added that “the majority” of the escort “was done as I would expect of a competent rider trained to the appropriate levels,” except for “the last few seconds at that crossing.”
Mr. Moody further commented:
“I would have expected him to have controlled that crossing by stopping at the red light.”
### Prosecution’s Case
The prosecution maintains that Mr. Harrison’s driving was careless and that he is guilty of causing death by careless driving.
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said:
“Mrs. Holland was entitled to be crossing then. Mr. Harrison knew that the light for traffic, for him, was red, and so he should have taken care when driving through the red light. But he did not stop and he did not see Mrs. Holland, which is why he drove straight into her. He should have seen her, he should have expected there to be pedestrians, and thus modified his driving somehow, but he didn’t. That is why the prosecution say he was driving carelessly at that point.”
### Duchess Sophie’s Statement
The tragic accident took place on 10 May 2023. At the time, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that a police motorcycle had collided with a pedestrian. Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene. The woman, later identified as Helen Holland, was taken to hospital where she remained in critical condition.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said the Duchess’s “thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.” They added:
“She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments. Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.”
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/866919/court-hears-update-on-duchess-sophie-royal-escort-crash-that-killed-pensioner/