uknip247 
The family of a young man who died after being hit by a police patrol car have expressed their shock and disappointment after charges against the officer involved were dropped at the last minute.
PC Christopher Corker, 40, had been due to face trial at the Old Bailey in London on Monday for causing the death of Arthur Holscher-Ermert by dangerous driving in Peacehaven. It was alleged PC Corker deliberately steered on the wrong side of the road towards the 27-year-old pedestrian in a “misguided and dangerous attempt to stop him running away.”
The Incident
Mr Holscher-Ermert died when he was struck by a police car on April 30, 2022. The case against PC Corker was based on graphic video footage from the police car and a passing motorist, showing the incident just after 11:10 pm.
However, on Monday, the court heard that two expert reports had since agreed that PC Corker’s manoeuvre would have avoided a collision had the victim not also changed direction. Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC offered no evidence, and PC Corker was formally cleared of two charges – of causing death by dangerous driving and careless driving.
Court’s Decision
Judge Richard Marks KC expressed his condolences to the family, saying, “It appears to have been a tragic accident.” As PC Corker, from Worthing, left the court, one of those present shouted at him: “You are still responsible for killing Arthur. Never forget his name. Never. Dirty b*****d.”
Family’s Response
In a statement after the hearing, the family said: “Instead of attending trial today, we as a family have had to process the sudden news that the CPS are discontinuing criminal proceedings against PC Corker. This is incredibly upsetting and disappointing; it has been over two years since Arthur died. We were hoping to start to get answers about what happened to Arthur and why on April 30, 2022. We are shocked to now find out that PC Corker isn’t going to be held criminally accountable for what he has done. Our fight for the truth and accountability goes on. We now look ahead towards Arthur’s inquest.”
Details of the Case
Earlier, Mr. Sandiford explained the decision by the CPS to drop the charges. He said: “The Crown’s case against this defendant was that the collision was caused by him deliberately steering his vehicle on the wrong side of the road towards the deceased.” It had been alleged the manoeuvre was a “misguided and dangerous attempt to stop the deceased from running away,” he added.
Following the crash, the defendant had given a prepared statement but no explanation for what happened, the court was told. The two experts had since concluded that PC Corker’s actions would have avoided a collision had the victim not also changed course. Mr. Sandiford said: “It would appear he may have had the same intention as the officer in the sense he was changing direction to try to run behind the police vehicle and ran in front of it. Unfortunately, because the officer had already reacted there was a collision.”
Official Statements
Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: “We acknowledge the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to offer no evidence in the case against PC Corker and the not guilty verdict subsequently returned by Judge Richard Marks KC today. We welcome the outcome reached by the court, and in particular, the Judge’s comments that the collision appears to have been a tragic accident. My thoughts remain with Mr Hölscher-Ermert’s family and also the officer who has faced criminal proceedings over the last 20 months. While today concludes the criminal investigation, we await an update from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on any potential misconduct proceedings and urge this decision to be made swiftly. As such, we will not be commenting further at this time.”
An IOPC spokesman added: “We’ve been advised by the CPS that, after considering further evidence received, it decided to offer no evidence at the trial for PC Corker, resulting in the judge recording a not guilty verdict today. We will now consider how this further evidence impacts our decision that two officers should face gross misconduct hearings for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour, following our investigation which concluded in April 2023. We will liaise with the force about this in due course and will ensure that Arthur Holscher-Ermert’s family are kept updated.”
