A jury has been presented with video evidence capturing the moment a police motorcycle outrider ran a red light at double the speed limit in west London, colliding with an 81-year-old woman who subsequently passed away.

Christopher Harrison, 67, was part of the motorcade for the Duchess of Edinburgh when he struck Helen Holland as she crossed West Cromwell Road in May 2023.

Harrison, who is pleading not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, was told by the prosecution at the Old Bailey that he “should have seen her and anticipated the presence of pedestrians.”

Typically, outriders are permitted to disregard red lights and exceed speed limits; however, Michelle Heeley KC argued that at the moment of impact, Mr. Harrison was driving recklessly.

He was one of four motorcycle outriders escorting the Duchess and her convoy from a function at the Foreign Office.

Due to security protocols, VIP motorcades usually do not halt, and the outriders’ responsibility is to maintain the convoy’s movement rather than stopping and restarting.

As the convoy approached the traffic signals, they shifted from green to red, while Ms. Holland was lawfully crossing the street.

According to Mr. Heeley, she had entered the crosswalk about three meters when Harrison’s motorcycle struck her.

He noted, “He should have noticed her and recognized that pedestrians would be present, necessitating a modification of his driving; however, he failed to do so, which is why the prosecution claims he was driving carelessly at that moment.”

The incident was recorded by officers equipped with body cameras.

In the footage shown to the jury, the prosecution argued that, despite the road’s speed limit being 20 mph, Mr. Harrison was traveling at speeds ranging from 44 to 54 mph.

Following the event, Mr. Harrison acknowledged during an interview that he had not seen Ms. Holland, stating that “she appeared from nowhere,” as presented in court.

The trial, anticipated to last approximately a week, is ongoing.