The family of Helen Holland, who died following a collision with a motorbike ridden by a protection officer for the Duchess of Edinburgh, is preparing to sue the Metropolitan Police.
PC Christopher Harrison was found not guilty at the Old Bailey, which was met by one of Mrs Holland's 10 grandchildren shouting: "You ruined our family with no consequences."
The victim had been crossing the road with the green man signal when she was killed by the motorbike, travelling between 44mph and 58mph as Mr Harrison approached the red light.
PC Harrison said Mrs Holland, 81, "just appeared, between the kerb line and the point of collision. At no point did I see her on the island".
The Duchess of Edinburgh's protection officer's team are set to be sued
|GETTY
For the pensioner's family, the verdict was heartbreaking, with the 81-year-old being described by her son Martin, 59, as the "glue" of their family.
He said: "That’s the reason the grandchildren are taking it so badly, because they would see her every single Sunday, she'd do a bit of food for them, go for a beer down the road in the local village.
"She kept the whole family together."
They have decided to sue the Metropolitan Police because they want an acknowledgement that Mrs Holland "did nothing wrong".
Helen Holland passed away from head injuries following the collision
|FAMILY HANDOUT
The son of the victim said: "We are suing them just to make sure it's recognised. 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. She knew how to cross a road."
Mr Harrison joined the Met in 1982 and had been part of its special escort group for VIPs for over two decades, with the court hearing he was proud to have been the main outrider in front of the hearse at Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.
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The victim's family are preparing to sue the Met Police
| GETTYThe collision occurred on May 10, 2023, when the duchess had attended a briefing at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Sophie is thought to have been journeying to evensong at St George's Chapel, Windsor, being escorted across London in a convoy of two cars and four motorcycle outriders.
The collision occurred on the West Cromwell Road in southwest London at 3.20pm.
Michelle Heeley KC, for the prosecution, told the Old Bailey: "Mrs Holland was entitled to be crossing then. He should have seen her. He should have expected there to be pedestrians and thus modified his driving somehow, but he didn't."
The protection officer was found not guilty at the Old Bailey
| PAPC Harrison accepted that he had forgotten to switch on his body-worn camera and did not use his whistle as he approached, but insisted he had not been complacent that day.
He told jurors the collision was a "tragic accident" which occurred in circumstances that he had "no control over".
Since Mrs Holland was killed, escort riders have had bullhorns "fitted to their motorcycles to ensure public safety", the Met said after Mr Harrison was cleared.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) are now pushing for PC Harrison to face disciplinary proceedings.
Amanda Rowe, director of the IOPC, said: "At the end of our 12-month investigation, we determined there was sufficient evidence to indicate he may have breached the police standards of professional behaviour in relation to his manner of riding.
"The officer had also failed to activate his body-worn video camera prior to the escort, in breach of Special Escort Group policy.
"He, therefore, had a case to answer for gross misconduct, and we will now liaise with the force about disciplinary proceedings."
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