Officer weeps as he is cleared over pursuit death

A police officer burst into tears as he was cleared of killing a motorist during a high-speed pursuit of another driver.

PC Matthew Pike, 40, was on trial for causing the death of Dr Keryl Johnson by dangerous or careless driving in Bristol city centre in November 2021.

Pike was driving an unmarked Avon and Somerset Police car during a pursuit when the vehicle he was chasing collided with Johnson's car in Newfoundland Circus. The 35-year-old died in hospital 11 days later.

Judge Edward Burgess KC directed the jury at Bristol Crown Court earlier to return not guilty verdicts due to insufficient evidence in what he called a "difficult, incredibly sad and tragic case".

The court heard Pike travelled at speeds of up to 93mph (149km/h) as he pursued Lewis Griffin on 4 November 2021.

Griffin, 23, of Fanshawe Road in the Hengrove are of Bristol, was jailed for eight years in February 2024 after admitting causing Johnson's death by dangerous driving. He will also have a driving ban for 10 years from the date of his release.

Griffin's conviction could not be reported until now due to restrictions put in place by the courts.

The judge in Pike's case told the court earlier that he had considered the evidence and law with counsel on both sides before concluding there was not sufficient evidence for Pike to be found guilty of driving dangerously or carelessly.

He told the jury: "This is because prosecution expert witness told you that, in his opinion as an expert in police pursuits, training and driving, Matthew Pike did not drive dangerously and did not drive carelessly at any stage during the pursuit."

He further said that, "put simply", Matthew Pike "did his job as he was trained to".

During the trial, the jury was told Pike was trained to the most advanced level of police driving, had received all relevant refresher training, and was authorised for pursuit driving.

"This is a dreadfully difficult, incredibly sad and utterly tragic case," the judge added.

Det Supt Larisa Hunt, head of the professional standards department at Avon and Somerset Police, said in a statement: "Our thoughts and sympathies are first and foremost with the family of the victim of this collision, who've been through an unimaginable ordeal.

"The circumstances of this collision were investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which resulted in the Crown Prosecution Service deciding to bring a criminal charge against a serving police officer."

She said the force would be having "direct conversations" with the IOPC to discuss the next steps.

"The officer has been waiting for the outcome of this criminal investigation for four years and it's right to say this delay has had a significant impact on him," added Hunt.

"We'll continue to ensure he has the support he needs in place."

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