Police actions cleared in fatal bike chase

NSW coroner Paul MacMahon has found a police officer, who started a fatal pursuit in 2013, followed procedure.

A 44-second police chase that ended in a 16-year-old motorcyclist's death has highlighted the need for the force's pursuit policy to be reviewed, a NSW deputy coroner found.

William James Robson-Pearce was caught travelling at 121km/h in a 50km/h zone on his motorbike on a Muswellbrook street in the NSW Hunter region in 2013.

A highway patrol vehicle began a brief pursuit, which finished after Robson-Pearce lost control of his motorbike and crashed, suffering fatal head injuries.

Robson-Pearce was riding the 650cc motorbike with a friend on the back along Queen St on February 18, 2013.

After he was caught speeding, he pulled over to let his passenger off, before driving off with a police car with lights and sirens on in tow.

Robson-Pearce lost control, crashed into a fence and was thrown from his bike.

The apprentice mechanic died at the scene.

Evidence presented to an inquest showed the police car reached 135km/h during the chase.

The inquest also heard Robson-Pearce didn't stop for police because he was frightened about losing his licence and in turn, his job.

The inquest, overseen by deputy state coroner Paul MacMahon, looked into whether the police actions were appropriate.

In findings delivered on Tuesday, Mr MacMahon found Sergeant Ray Holmes's decisions throughout the pursuit were in line with police procedure.

"There is also no evidence before me to suggest that the actions of Sergeant Holmes and Constable (Glen) Donnelly directly caused the collision that resulted in Will's death," he found.

However, the inquest came on the back of two similar cases involving fatal police motorbike cases.

Those inquests placed the spotlight on reviewing the NSW police's safe driving procedure, which outlines when and how a pursuit should be handled.

Mr MacMahon noted that Will's case added to that.

"The circumstances that resulted in this tragedy serve to emphasise the need for such review as ... particularly where motorcycles are involved," Mr MacMahon wrote.


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