The heartbroken family of 81-year-old great-grandmother Helen Holland, who was fatally struck by a police motorcyclist escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh have spoken out following the acquittal of the officer involved.
Helen Holland died in May 2023.
Duchess of Edinburgh escort crash
She was hit at a pedestrian crossing in Earl’s Court while the signal was green for pedestrians.
PC Christopher Harrison, the police motorcyclist who hit Helen Holland, was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving last week.
Family of gran killed by Duchess of Edinburgh escort speaks out after trial
In an emotional interview with ITV News, Helen’s brother Chris Holmes said the verdict effectively shifted blame onto his sister.
“If the policeman is not guilty of careless driving, then she’s guilty of careless walking. I feel there’s a terrible injustice,” he said, as reported by The Mirror.
Her granddaughter, Kelly Williams, was even more direct. “This is just an example of a two-tier justice system. The police are above the law.”
She added that Helen had crossed with the right of way.
“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.”
During the trial at the Old Bailey, the jury heard that PC Harrison, a veteran officer with the Met’s Special Escort Group, was travelling between 44 and 58 mph in a 30 zone.
Although he claimed Helen “just appeared” at the crossing, her family reject that entirely.
“He went through at speed and smashed my nan to pieces,” Kelly fumed.
Trial verdict is a ‘rotten closure’
Helen’s family say the verdict has left them feeling “cheated,” with Chris describing the aftermath as a “rotten closure.”
While they don’t blame the Duchess of Edinburgh personally, they are frustrated by what they see as an unnecessary use of high-speed driving for a non-emergency escort.
They feel that the crash could have been avoided if the escort guiding the Duchess of Edinburgh had been driving slower.
“She was on her way back to Windsor for tea,” Chris said. “What was the necessity for speed?”
Following the devastating crash, Helen’s family are now calling for reform.
They are pleading for a maximum age for high-speed escort drivers.
“He should not have been doing that job,” Kelly said of the 68-year-old officer. Chris, now 80, echoed the concern. “I don’t think you should be driving high-powered motorbikes at that age.”
They also believe VIP convoys should follow normal traffic speeds when not in emergencies, and that pedestrian safety must come first, even when it comes to the royals.
Meanwhile, Commander Adam Slonecki said changes have been made since the incident, including installing bullhorns on escort motorcycles to better alert pedestrians.
Helen Holland’s family call for change
Despite this, the force have defended their internal standards.
They believe that age is not a barrier to service.
The force insisted that PC Harrison met all required assessments. This deemed him fit for the job.
“[He] was fully compliant,” a Met spokesperson said.
The family has confirmed plans to sue the Metropolitan Police.
They are not doing so for financial compensation though. Instead their goal is to earn recognition that Helen “did nothing wrong.”
Royal Insider has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
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