Family plans civil action after officer in royal escort found not guilty
The Duchess of Edinburgh received difficult news while nearing the end of her Latin American visit, as the legal case linked to her police escort took another turn in the United Kingdom.
Although Sophie was not involved in the incident, her name has remained tied to the case since a police motorcyclist in her escort was accused of careless driving that led to the death of 81-year-old Helen Holland in 2023.
A jury cleared PC Christopher Harrison after just over two hours of deliberation. The verdict has deeply upset Holland’s family, who said they intend to bring a civil case. They stressed that their aim is not financial gain but clearing their grandmother’s name, insisting she had been crossing the road safely. They described her as someone who understood the risks and took great care, especially with something as routine as crossing a street.
Holland suffered severe injuries in the collision and died two weeks later from a fractured skull. One of her grandchildren shouted at the officer after the verdict, saying he had ruined their family without facing consequences.
While police officers are permitted to exceed speed limits when carrying out their duties, they are still expected to avoid putting the public in danger. Experts have noted that the officer’s 21 years of experience should have allowed him to prevent the crash.
Sophie has not issued a new statement but expressed her sympathies to the family at the time of the incident.
