Police pursuit 'fell far below safety standards' before fatal crash

Lewis Johnson died from injuries sustained when he swerved to avoid a van and hit a pole, the court heard

A Met Police officer's pursuit of a moped before a fatal crash "fell far below" the safety levels expected of him, prosecutors have alleged.

PC Paul Summerson, 44, pursued Lewis Johnson who was on a moped, and his pillion passenger Louis Kyriacou, both 18, through Stoke Newington in 2016.

Mr Johnson died from injuries sustained when he swerved to avoid a van and hit a pole. Mr Kyriacou was badly injured.

The officer from Colchester denies causing death by dangerous driving.

During the chase both vehicles reached speeds of more than 50mph (80 km/h) as they weaved in and out of traffic, with the police BMW briefly on the wrong side of the road while the moped mounted a footpath.

The prosecution alleges Mr Summerson's flashing lights and siren caused the van to move suddenly and his pursuit was too close behind.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford QC told Kingston Crown Court the way Mr Summerson drove the vehicle fell "far below what was expected of a careful and competent" driver.

He said although Mr Summerson has been described as a "well thought-of police man" and "a family man", his motives were "irrelevant" if his driving put people at risk.

He added the public could not rely on Mr Johnson to stop but they should have been able to rely on an experienced police officer.

But Alisdair Williamson QC - who is defending Mr Summerson - said all driving involved risks.

"It is not an offence to do your duty and to do your best in a dangerous and difficult job," he said.

"It is not an offence any more than it is an offence for the ambulance man who speeds to save a child or the fire engine hurtling to the scene of a burning home."

He said Mr Summerson was an "excellent long-serving police officer" who was driving "carefully and competently" within the standards expected of an emergency services worker.

He added that the fact CCTV footage of the chase did not feature alarmed onlookers showed his driving did not seem out of the ordinary for a police chase, and responsibility for the crash lay with the teenage moped driver.

Mr Summerson, who also denies causing serious injury by dangerous driving, previously told the court he stayed close to the moped to protect it and that he felt "absolutely devastated" by the incident.

The trial continues.