Royal outrider acquitted over pensioner road death

A police motorcyclist who crashed into a pensioner while escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh to London has been found not guilty of causing death by careless driving.

Helen Holland, 81, died two weeks after the crash on West Cromwell Road in west London on May 10, 2023.

The Old Bailey was told that PC Christopher Harrison, 68, was traveling at between 70km/h and 58mph, within the 30mph speed limit, as he approached the red light which Miss Holland had passed.

PC Harrison told the Old Bailey he “never saw him on the pavement as he approached”.

The court stated that the team in front was allowed to exceed the speed limit, run red lights and drive on the wrong side of the road, but this had to be done safely.

After the verdict was announced, one person from the public gallery shouted: “You destroyed our family with no consequences.”

His Honor Judge Martin Chamberlain then told PC Harrison he was free to go.

Jurors were told that on the day of the incident, PC Harrison was among a team of convoy motorcyclists who escorted the Duchess of Edinburgh as she left the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on King Charles Street just after 3pm.

The car in which the duchess was traveling and the police support 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 into numbers” how many times he had made the journey and that he was “very familiar” with the route.

Ms Holland was 2.9 meters from the pedestrian crossing when she was struck by PC Harrison’s motorbike, the court heard.

He suffered a skull fracture, bruises to his arms, legs and body, as well as fractures to his lower legs.

The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was serious head trauma complications.

PC Harrison, who became emotional as he gave evidence during the trial, told jurors the collision was a “tragic accident” that occurred in circumstances “over which he had no control”.

Under cross-examination, he acknowledged that he had forgotten to turn on his body-worn camera and that he had not used his whistle as he approached the pedestrian crossing, but insisted that he had not been complacent that day.

“He was there, right in front of me,” he told jurors.

“It appeared between the curb line and the point of impact.

“I never saw him on the island, I’m sorry.”