‘I was trying to protect the public,’ says cop being tried for deaths caused by a joyrider

A police officer told a court he was trying to protect the public when he chased a joyrider who crashed into a child actor and his aunt, killing them both.

PC Edward Welch, 34, was pursuing Joshua Dobby, who careered down a 20 mph street at 60mph in a stolen a Ford Focus on 31 August 2016.

Dobby lost control, mounted the pavement crushed to death Rozanne Cooper, 34 and her nephew Makayah Dermott, 10.

A third child was also involved in the horrific crash and sustained serious injuries.

PC Welch told jurors how he used his lights and sirens to ‘alert members of the public, pedestrians and other road users as to what was going on.’

Defending Welch, Patrick Gibbs asked the officer ‘What about the visibility of the subject vehicle, are you intending to communicate anything to the subject?’

‘Yes’ replied the officer.

‘What would that be?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘That it’s a clear audible and visual sign that you have a marked vehicle behind you and to stop.

‘It’s a sign to everyone around you that this is going on and to be aware and to be alert’ PC Welch replied.

‘Apart from your lights and siren what do the public have to warn them of his approach?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Nothing,’ replied PC Welch.

‘Do you notice in real time, any other cars on the road responding to your lights and sirens?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Yes’ replied Welch.

‘What did you notice them to be doing?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘It was a positive reaction people slowing, moving to the side,’ PC Welch replied.

‘We can obviously all see it on the footage but what I’m asking is at the time did you notice the cars stopping and pulling to the side?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Yes’ replied PC Welch.

‘And what about pedestrians… were you aware in real time of the pedestrian responding to your lights and sirens?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Yes’ replied PC Welch.

‘In what way?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Eye contact looking at the vehicle or [looking at the] subject vehicle, stopping,’ replied PC Welch.

‘You’re distanced behind the Focus, its different distance at different times ,separation is measured in seconds… what considerations were you having to take into account about how close or how far to be within the focus?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘It’s a very difficult balance of being to close or too far’ replied PC Welch.

‘What are your considerations?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Being to close which would put pressure on the [subject] vehicle’ replied PC Welch.

‘As opposed to?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘Being too far away’ replied PC Welch.

‘If you are too far away what is the problem with that?’ asked Mr Gibbs.

‘The point of the pursuit is to protect the subject as well as the pedestrians, if I’m too far back I’m not going to be clearly audible or visible to the vehicle that has been made a hazard at the time’ said PC Welch.

Mr Gibbs then asked: ‘So how do you strike that balance?’

‘It’s a very delicate balance ….it’s a very fast moving fluid dynamic, it’s such a broad range’ replied PC Welch.

Shortly before he died Makayah had appeared in an Asda advert and had just landed a leading role in a major new television series when he was killed.

He also appeared in a production of Wizard of Oz with his sisters.

PC Welch, of Chatham, Kent, denies two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one of dangerous driving on 31 August 2016.

The trial continues.