(1) the Attorney-General's application for permission to refer the sentences as unduly lenient; As PC Harper tried to apprehend one of the suspects, his ankles got caught on a tow rope attached to their Seat Toldeo and he was dragged to his death. On 15 August 2019, 28-year-old English police constable Andrew Harper was killed near Sulhamstead, Berkshire, England in the line of duty.Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car for a mile (1.6 km), causing his death.In July 2020, three teenage males were found guilty of manslaughter and received sentences of 16 and 13 . Mrs Harper told the court she felt "robbed" of her future with her husband, the 28-year-old Thames Valley Police officer she married four weeks earlier. ", After a pause, he adds: "F*** me they've already taken it.". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. However, how he came to be between the vehicle in the first place is unknown at this point. Our love goes to his lovely wife, mum and dad, brother and all of his family and friends. The Thames Valley Police officer, 28, died after being dragged for more than a mile along . Police search the scene, where Thames Valley Police officer Pc Andrew Harper, 28, died following a 'serious incident'. Read about our approach to external linking. In an update given near the scene, Thames Valley Police spokesman Jack Abell said an emergency call was made reporting a burglary at a residential property at 11.18pm on Thursday. Later, other officers could be seen gathered around what appeared to be a black hatchback car inside the Four Houses Corner caravan site. On Wednesday, a jury in their retrial retraced the route the thieves took, walking the final leg across the A4 to view the place where PC Harper died. In a frantic 999 call just before 11.17pm Peter Wallis told the operator: 'I've got four masked men outside my house and they've got weapons Handheld things * handheld piece of wood or something.'. In July 2020, three teenage males were found guilty of manslaughter and received sentences of 16 and 13 years imprisonment. and
Fellow officers have been laying flowers at the scene of the death throughout the morning. Police community pay tribute to Thames Valley officer Andrew Harper killed in Berkshire, Police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while on duty, She added: "The circumstances as to how Andrew came to be out of his vehicle and then caught under the suspect vehicle is unknown.". ", He responds: "There's all sorts of pieces of wood out there, they can pick up anything. He spoke as detectives confirmed they have been granted an extra 36 hours to question ten males aged between 13 and 30 over the death of Pc Harper, a newlywed police officer killed after being dragged along by a vehicle in the village of Sulhamstead in Berkshire. As Pc Harper tried to apprehend one the suspects, his ankles got caught on a tow rope attached to their Seat Toledo and he was dragged to his death. Chef, Sarah and Harry.". We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. His wife,. A great cop, a great man, a great friend. PC Andrew Harper died after being struck with a car as he attended a burglary report three weeks ago. The buses negotiated narrow country roads to get to the picturesque village of Stanford Dingley, snaking their way through high hedgerows and grassy verges dotted with wild summer flowers. [47], On November 24, 2021, the Ministry of Justice announced that they would introduce "Harper's Law", a bill extending mandatory life sentences to "anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty including police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics while carrying out another crime unless there are truly exceptional circumstances. PC Harper slid and lost his footing 'as if while water ski-ing' before being whipped forward by his ankles, prosecutors claim. He was pulled along winding country roads for more than a mile at speeds of some 42mph before he became detached in Ufton Lane off the A4. "Unwittingly" stepping with both feet into the trailing tow-strap, the officer became "lassoed" to the vehicle as it sped off and dragged him just over a mile before he became detached from the vehicle and died in the road. Ms Kent told a press conference: "A post-mortem was carried out on Andrew's body yesterday and the cause of death has been recorded as multiple injuries. Recommended PC Andrew Harper's killer 'should be. I sincerely hope that IF convicted the judge involved throws the book at him and jails him for the rest of his life. On Saturday, forensics officers were seen searching a caravan site on Padworth Road around three miles away from the scene, with two vans appearing to block the entrance. Mr Laidlaw said: 'Henry Long continued to drive at speed for the next mile or so and he drove in a manner calculated to dislodge or shake the officer free from the strapping. His wife described him . "I love and miss him daily with every passing moment. "In answer to the question: how has Andrew's death impacted me? "I search around for words to express my heartbreak, but each word is inadequate.". "Andrew was such a good man, a brave, a caring person, funny and uplifting. Bungling helicopter pilot blows over stadium roof injuring eight, BBC Breakfast celebrates forty years of hilarious bloopers, Ken Bruce will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio family in April, As it happened: UK Government blocks Scotland's new gender law, Royal Family will find it 'impossible' to compromise with Sussexes, Extinction Rebellion douse the Home Office building in black paint, Harrowing moment woman begs father not to kill himself, Motorists slowly drive down snowy hill in treacherous conditions, Shamima Begum never considered turning back during journey to ISIS, Kamala opts out of kneeling with Biden for Warriors photo op. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. He said: 'What we suggest will become clear to you from the evidence was that this was not some sort of opportunistic or spur of the moment theft committed by these three young men. [22], On 17 August, Thames Valley Police's Major Crimes Unit stated that a post mortem performed the previous day gave Harper's cause of death as "multiple injuries", which was congruent with their theory that he had been "caught between a vehicle and the road, and then dragged for a distance". ", Ms Kent continued: "In respect of our investigation, we are interviewing those in custody, carrying out house-to-house inquiries, obtaining and reviewing CCTV footage, undertaking extensive forensic examination and taking witness statements.". Mum and dad's first grandson And was married two weeks ago at a dream wedding. The best way he could describe it was like a waterskier, he said: Feet whipped forward and you land on your back thats how Harps fell.. Video report by ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson. Mrs Harper said her husband was the "kindest, loveliest, most selfless person you will ever meet". [12] The post mortem also showed that Harper had sustained a "very severe" brain injury;[23] a pathologist stated that it was likely Harper lost consciousness when he fell to the ground. The cause of death is consistent with our current belief that Andrew was caught between a vehicle and the road, and then dragged for a distance. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? [26] Bowers and Coleboth minors at the time of the offence and originally protected by Section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal a quad bike[15] but denied manslaughter. Grieving officers lay tributes for killed newlywed colleague Pc Andrew Harper. He said there was no evidence Bowers or Cole attempted to persuade Long to stop the vehicle. [33], On 31 July, Long was sentenced to 16 years and both Bowers and Cole to 13 years in prison. The court convoy was flanked by police cars and more officers lined the curb of the busy A4, which was temporarily closed to allow the jury to cross. Pc Harper joined as a special constable in 2010 before becoming a police officer a year later, serving in the Roads Policing Proactive Unit based at Abingdon Police Station. Her campaign proposes that those convicted of manslaughter over the death of a blue-light worker while committing a crime should . Three teenagers have been convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, who died in Berkshire last year, after being dragged for a mile along a country . "It's been really emotional for people that knew him, but we didn't realise how much other people felt the same grief," he told the BBC. He added that he set off in his car to find PC Harper, and came across his stab vest further up the road. After being arrested during raids in the early hours of 16 August, the three teenagers denied being involved, before changing their stories when faced with compelling evidence. Read about our approach to external linking. But while his colleagues mourned the death of one of their own, detectives were required to push emotions aside for the murder investigation. 10 male suspects, aged between 13 and 30 were arrested on suspicion of murder within an hour of the incident. "I have sat in the mortuary of my son's covered body, too damaged for me to see. Detective Superintendent Ailsa Kent of the Major Crime Unit said: Our complex investigation into the death of PC Andrew Harper continues and I want to take this opportunity to provide an update. Now his devastated wife of just 28 days has released a heartbreaking tribute to her . Initially 10 males, aged between 13 and 30, were arrested at the Four Houses Corner caravan site, before Long, Bowers and Cole went on trial accused of murder at the Old Bailey in March. On the night of 15 August 2019, PC Harper responded with a colleague to a 999 call about a quad bike theft, despite it being four hours past the end of their shifts. The jury went on to view the 10,000 red Honda quad bike parked in the drive outside its owner's period property, as it had been on the night it was snatched. PC Harper death: Officer recalls 'gruesome discovery' of colleague's body, A quad bike is seen attached to a Seat car which was stopped by PC Andrew Harper. As news broke of the 28-year-old's death, a wave of grief and love spread across the country for the officer, who had recently married his childhood sweetheart Lissie. "You obviously did your best to attend to PC Harper. 'With his ankles caught in a strap that was trailing behind a car being driven along a country lane, he was dragged at speed for over a mile along the road surface, swung from side to side like a pendulum in an effort to dislodge him. "Broken, distraught, beaten, a void, an empty shell. By
Andrew James Harper (22 March 1991 15 August 2019)[1][2] grew up in Wallingford. Media reported that in total, 10 males aged between 13 and 30 had been arrested. hometown of Wallingford in Oxfordshire decorated shop windows with ribbons representing the "thin blue line". he did not know PC Harper was attached to the vehicle. The policemen switched their blue and white emergency lights on, and PC Harper ran to intercept Cole - coming 'pretty close' to grabbing the suspect - before Cole 'dived' through one of the windows. As news. Chilling footage from the police car played to jurors showed the moment PC Harper left the vehicle to chase the thief. Long had pleaded guilty to, and Bowers and Cole were found guilty of, manslaughter. PC Harper's colleagues have been laying floral tributes at the scene, with one message describing the officer as "Thames Valley's finest". It was a decision that would cost PC Harper his life. Reply 21 13 slipperman GCM Please report any comments that break our rules. [27] Long, who was driving the SEAT,[11] had previously admitted manslaughter and conspiracy to steal a quad bike. A group of officers could be seen gathered around floral tributes reading messages to their fallen colleague. Pc Harper, who has been described by his uncle as the "loveliest person that you will ever meet", married his wife Lissie just four weeks ago. 'During the course of that high-speed journey, and until at last he became disentangled, his police uniform was quite literally ripped and stripped from his body. A tragic series of events that led to the gruesome discovery of Pc Andrew Harper lying catastrophically injured in a country lane has been played out in court. We are devastated. Colleagues only realised it was one of their own who had been killed due to his police uniform, prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC said. Ten males aged between 13 and 30 have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Something went wrong, please try again later. "[48] The law was added to the statute book on 28 April 2022[49] and is now law. Comments have been closed on this article. It's clear he has a catastrophic series of injuries and there's nothing that can be done for him.". Photographs of the pair on their wedding day at Ardington House, a Georgian manor in Oxfordshire, have been released. However, the circumstances as to how Andrew came to be out of his vehicle and then caught under the suspect vehicle and dragged, is unknown. Mr Laidlaw said Pcs Harper and Shaw, in an unmarked BMW, drove onto Admoor Lane where they came face-to-face with the SEAT Toledo, driven by Long. On 16 December 2020 the Court of Appeal dismissed: PC Andrew Harper was "doing no more than his job" when he was dragged for more than a mile to his death after his feet got caught in a strap trailing behind a suspect's getaway car. Asked if he was home alone, Mr Wallis said: Yeah. But theyre not taking my damn bike. 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