Recently unveiled body-camera footage reveals the tragic moment when a great-grandmother was fatally struck by a police officer who was escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh to Windsor. As the family of Helen Holland grapples with their loss, they are preparing to file a lawsuit over what they describe as a “terrible injustice.”
The family is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police, arguing that the acquittal of PC Christopher Harrison suggests that officers are “above the law.” Helen Holland, aged 81, succumbed to her injuries in the hospital two weeks after being hit at a pedestrian crossing in Earl’s Court in May 2023. The incident occurred while a royal convoy was making its way out of London.
The footage shows PC Harrison, now 68, accelerating past his colleagues and nearing a red traffic light just as Ms. Holland stepped into the road. The scene is a stark reminder of the risks pedestrians face, even in seemingly routine circumstances.
Last week, a jury at the Old Bailey delivered a verdict, finding Harrison not guilty of causing death by careless driving. The decision came after just over two hours of deliberation. The ruling was met with immediate outrage; a voice from the public gallery cried out, “You ruined our family with no consequences.”
This case continues to fuel a debate about accountability and justice, particularly when it involves law enforcement officers. As the family seeks answers and resolution, the incident remains a poignant example of the complexities surrounding such legal proceedings.
The ruling immediately sparked anger in the public gallery, where someone shouted: ‘You ruined our family with no consequences.’
Family members left the court in tears, convinced accountability had slipped away. Ms Holland’s brother Chris Holmes and granddaughter Kelly Williams told ITV News the verdict pushed blame onto Ms Holland even though she had crossed on a green man.
Chris said: ‘If the policeman is not guilty of careless driving, then she’s guilty of careless walking. I feel there’s a terrible injustice.’
Kelly called the outcome ‘a two-tier justice system. The police are above the law.’
She warned the public to take extra care when crossing legally, adding: ‘More people will die at the hands of the police because they can just go through a red light, kill a pedestrian when it’s their right of way.’
They are now calling for an upper age limit for officer carrying out high-speed escort duties – the officers was 66 at the time of the incident.
Last week, a jury at the Old Bailey found PC Christopher Harrison not guilty of causing death by careless driving, returning its decision in just over two hours.
Ms Holland died in hospital two weeks after being hit at a pedestrian crossing in Earl’s Court in May 2023 while the royal convoy was heading west out of London
The family of grandmother Helen Holland, who was killed by a police motorcyclist escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh after he sped through a red light, say they are suing the Metropolitan Police to prove she ‘did nothing wrong’
PC Harrison told the court Ms Holland ‘just appeared’ in front of him – a claim her family reject
During the trial, jurors heard the experienced escort rider was travelling between 44mph and 58mph in a 30mph zone as he approached the controlled crossing, which was showing red for traffic.
He told the court Ms Holland ‘just appeared’ in front of him – a claim her family reject.
Other witnesses described a devastating impact, with one telling the court the pensioner landed ‘like a ragdoll’ after being thrown into the air.
Ms Holland, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, had set off just minutes earlier from her sister’s flat to return to Essex when she was struck.
She was nearly three metres into the carriageway when the bike hit her. The convoy had already been warned the lights had turned red, the court heard, but PC Harrison rode through around 18 seconds later.
Although escort officers are permitted to drive through red lights and exceed speed limits, prosecutors said they ‘still had a duty to drive carefully’. The road has since been reduced to a 20mph limit.
PC Harrison, a Met escort rider for more than two decades, became emotional while giving evidence, telling the jury: ‘As soon as I had vision of Mrs Holland, I braked. She was just there in front of me – she just appeared.’ His motorcycle was later found to have no faults.
Outside court after the not-guilty verdict, Ms Holland’s son Martin said: ‘The public want to be very careful when they cross at a green light because the police could kill them.’
The Met released a statement saying its ‘thoughts and sympathies’ remained with the family and insisted it was ‘deeply sorry’.
Ms Holland was nearly three metres into the carriageway when the bike hit her
Dorothy, the 88 year old sister of Helen Holland (81), struck by a motorcycle outrider escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh along West Cromwell Road
Mr Harrison, of Billericay, Essex, became emotional when he gave evidence this week as he recalled the moment he crashed into Mrs Holland in Earl’s Court in 2023
Relatives of Helen Holland, 81, insist the acquittal proves the justice system treats officers differently and claim the verdict has left them shattered
Commander Adam Slonecki said changes had been made, including fitting motorcycles with bullhorns to improve warnings.
The police watchdog has said PC Harrison may still face a gross-misconduct hearing.
But Ms Holland’s relatives say that is not enough and they now plan to sue the Met. Martin told The Times the family’s fight is not about money but accountability: ‘We’re not in the slightest bit interested in compensation – it’s about proving that mum did nothing wrong.
‘She would never take a risk. Certainly crossing a road was one of the big risks that was important to her.’
