A police officer has denied charges over the death of a pedestrian who was hit by a patrol car.

PC Christopher Corker, 40, is accused of knocking down and killing 27-year-old Arthur Hölscher-Ermert on the A259 near Bramber Avenue in Peacehaven.

Mr Hölscher-Ermert was struck by the vehicle just after 11.10pm on April 30, 2022, and was confirmed dead at the scene.

On Friday, Corker, of Shandon Road, Worthing, appeared at the Old Bailey in London.

He pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

The Sussex Police officer, who is on unconditional bail, faces a two-week trial at the Old Bailey from August 5.

The Argus: Arthur Hölscher-Ermert and his father Professor Jens HölscherArthur Hölscher-Ermert and his father Professor Jens Hölscher (Image: Family handout)

Sussex Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after the incident in April 2022.

A spokeswoman for the IOPC said: “We began our investigation on May 1, 2022, after we received a mandatory referral from Sussex Police. We completed our investigation in April 2023 and then prepared a file for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which has authorised the charge.

“The CPS has decided not to charge a second officer who was under criminal investigation for the offence of perverting the course of justice.

“Our thoughts remain with Mr Hölscher-Ermert’s family and everyone affected by this tragic incident.

“It is important now that criminal proceedings are able to run their course. We would reiterate the importance of not reporting, commenting or sharing information online which could in any way prejudice those proceedings.”

A year after Arthur’s death, his family and friends gathered to pay tribute to him near the scene of the crash.  

Friends and family lay bouquets of flowers on a bench near to where Arthur died alongside a picture frame which read “Arthur, we will always miss you”.

On May 1, 2023, Karl Hölscher-Ermert, Arthur’s older brother, told The Argus: “Today is a really strange day for all of us, but rather than mope about we thought we should all get together and talk about what Arthur has missed over the past year.”