Terror response police driver made split-second error

PC Paul Fisher travelled at speeds of up to 90mph (145km/h) before the crash

An armed policeman who crashed while racing to the scene of the Streatham terrorist attack has told a court that he "failed due to split-second error" and "let people down".

PC Paul Fisher travelled at speeds of up to 90mph (145km/h) before the crash on 2 February 2020.

His unmarked BMW lost control and hit three other vehicles and a house in Streatham, south London, injuring three people.

PC Fisher denies dangerous driving.

An image taken from body-worn camera footage of police approaching the prone body of Sudesh Amman

The police car did not have its blue lights on at the time because they had accidentally been switched off by one of the occupants, his trial at Southwark Crown Court heard.

The vehicle, which did have its siren on, had been switched to "arrival mode" and only had flashing rear red lights displayed, the jury heard.

PC Fisher was responding to the stabbing spree, along with two other armed officers, which was carried out by Sudesh Amman in February 2020.

Amman, 20, grabbed a large kitchen knife from a hardware store on Streatham High Road and stabbed two members of the public at random. Both survived.

Little over a minute later, he was shot dead after pivoting to charge at two undercover police officers.

PC Fisher was on a surveillance operation at the time of the crash, monitoring Amman after his release from jail 10 days earlier.

The drivers of the two vehicles PC Fisher's car collided with, a man and a woman, were left with minor injuries, the court heard.

The female officer travelling in the back of the police car suffered a cut head, and PC Fisher was left bleeding from the ear after the crash.

PC Fisher's passengers did not have time to fasten their seatbelts, jurors heard.

The officer described the moment he found out the terrorist had begun stabbing people as "pandemonium".

PC Fisher raced to the scene from Gipsy Hill police station, reaching speeds of more than 80mph, before his vehicle crashed on a bend, the court heard.

Sudesh Amman stabbed members of the public while wearing a fake suicide vest

He said: "I remember there was dust everywhere which had come from the airbags. The vehicle was still moving and there was a second impact.

"I was, and still am, annoyed with myself. I failed due to split-second error."

Giving evidence, PC Fisher said: "At no point did my colleagues turn around and say, 'Paul, you're driving too fast.'

"If my colleagues had said 'you're driving too fast', I would have stopped.

"It was my mistake, I failed that day. I let people down and I can only apologise for that."

Asked by prosecutor Ben Lloyd if he had wanted to get to the scene of the stabbing at "whatever cost", PC Fisher replied: "I do not accept that."

He added: "The whole way through the drive I had images of someone attacking people on Streatham High Road."

The trial continues.