In respect of our investigation, we are interviewing those in custody, carrying out house to house enquiries, obtaining and reviewing CCTV footage, undertaking forensic examination, and taking witness statements.". 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. Almost a year on from his death, three teenagers - Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole - have been convicted of the manslaughter of PC Harper. Three teenagers are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of murder over an incident in Berkshire last August. The prosecution's case was that it would have been "obvious" to the defendants they were dragging PC Harper behind, but they decided not to stop. [11][15], The SEAT was later found at Four Houses Corner travellers' site[20] near Burghfield Common[21] by a police helicopter using thermal imaging. PC Harper's widow Lissie described being in "a lost and endless world" after her husband was killed in the line of duty, a month after their wedding day. PC Andrew Harper from the roads policing unit at Abingdon Police Station was attending a reported burglary and was killed while performing his duties. [5][13] Shaw arrived at the location to find another officer tending to Harper,[19] who was pronounced dead by paramedics at 23:45. "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.". Mum and dad's first grandson And was married two weeks ago at a dream wedding. In the call, Mr Wallis added: Theres all sorts of pieces of wood out there, they can pick up anything. (1) the Attorney-General's application for permission to refer the sentences as unduly lenient; Something went wrong, please try again later. PC Andrew Harper: Prosecutors explain circumstances of death An officer has shared the moment he made the "gruesome discovery" of PC Andrew Harper who was lying gravely injured in a country lane. 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. Their sentences in respect of the manslaughter convictions were not altered. [44], On 27 October 2019, 5,000 motorcyclists took part in a "ride of respect" between RAF Benson and Abingdon Airfield. The prosecutor said Pc Andrew Shaw, Pc Andrew Harper's colleague, 'quickly realised something was very wrong' when PC Harper disappeared from view while trying to apprehend the suspect. Andrew Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car causing his death. Pc Harper and his crew mate Pc Andrew Shaw responded to Mr Walliss report, even though their shift had ended. Following a pause, he continued: F*** me, theyve already taken it.. It looked like a rag doll.". Mrs Harper said her husband was the "kindest, loveliest, most selfless person you will ever meet". [12][18] The SEAT crossed the A4 into Ufton Lane near Sulhamstead, and Harper became disentangled. PC Harper slid and lost his footing 'as if while water ski-ing' before being whipped forward by his ankles, prosecutors claim. [36] Harper's MP, John Howell, had said that he intended to ask for a review of the sentences. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. Lists of casualties sustained by the New Zealand forces in the recent fighting on the western front were telegraphed b 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. 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. "[48] The law was added to the statute book on 28 April 2022[49] and is now law. '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. PC Harper's colleagues have been laying floral tributes at the scene, with one message describing the officer as "Thames Valley's finest". Pc Harper was pulled. But he said there would have been nothing from the appearance of the BMW to tell the defendants that there were two police officers inside. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? He then learned that another officer had reported a body in the road near the A4. Harper's widow had made a victim impact statement and later released an open letter, in which she implored Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel to allow a retrial seeking a murder verdict. However, as PC Harper attempted to apprehend one of the suspects, his ankle became caught on a tow rope attached to their car, and he was dragged to his death. Comments have been closed on this article. Detective Supt Ailsa Kent added: "I can confirm that the males were arrested from a local authority-run caravan and mobile home site, Four Houses Corner, in Reading Road near Burghfield Common. [27] All three defendants denied murder. I quickly realised it was a person. The Seat driver Henry Long, 19, and his passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, from near Reading, have admitted conspiring to steal the 10,000 quad bike but have denied Pc Harpers murder. US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial, Ukrainian ministers killed in helicopter crash, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Celebrities who say their children will get no inheritance, Baby among six killed in possible cartel hit in US, Polar bear kills woman and boy in Alaska village. [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. Andrew James Harper (22 March 1991 15 August 2019)[1][2] grew up in Wallingford. Video report by ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson. The newlyweds had been looking forward to their honeymoon in the Maldives. By PC Harper's crew-mate described the moment that the officer appeared to fall and slip away from view during a robbery. Another read: "Such a shocking, mindless, horrific act of brutality. "There will always be a part of my heart missing now. For the first time, jurors heard the details of PC Harper's brutal killing - many of which were too graphic for publication. Pc Andrew Harper, 28, was killed during a "serious incident" near the A4 Bath Road, between Reading and Newbury, at the village of Sulhamstead in Berkshire. She said the teenagers who were found not guilty of murder "took more than one life away that day, they stole the person I used to be". Love from Nan and Bubba xxx". PC Andrew Harper was responding to a reported theft four hours past the end of his shift when his ankles got caught in a tow rope attached to the suspects' getaway car. NSW ZEALAND CASUALTIES. But while his colleagues mourned the death of one of their own, detectives were required to push emotions aside for the murder investigation. [13] In doing so, he was caught in a strap[a] that had been used to tow the quad bike. PC Andrew Harper died a hero in the line of duty. PC Shaw, giving evidence, described the moment that his crew-mate appeared to fall over and disappeared from view, saying it was like a water-skier. However, the trial collapsed due to the coronavirus lockdown. Mr Laidlaw said Long drove at an average speed of at least 42.5mph down the windy road. So proud of him. Pc Shaw turned his vehicle around, expecting to find PC Harper waiting for him. "I will spend every day for the rest of my life with a hole that will never be filled. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? "I search around for words to express my heartbreak, but each word is inadequate.". His wife,. A few locals out walking dogs in the light drizzle were seen stopping to stare as the convoy went by. Proceedings were halted to discuss measures to safeguard jurors after someone in the public gallery was seen pointing at them. Since his death, Lissie has launched the Harper's Law campaign in memory of her husband - a new law that would see those who kill emergency workers jailed for life. [40], The Attorney-General's application for permission to refer and the defendants' applications for permission to appeal were heard by the Court of Appeal on 30 November 2020, the Attorney-General Suella Braverman appearing personally. "I want to be angry that your job took you away from us but I know you loved it and always wanted to keep everyone safe, especially me," she said. We continue our appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to contact police by visiting our website or calling 101. In the next 15 seconds Cole removed the loop of strapping from the handlebars of the quad bike, Mr Laidlaw told the court. Long has admitted manslaughter but denies intending to harm the 28-year-old officer. His uncle Dale Shrimpton posted: "He's my oldest Nephew. A 999 call, played in court, heard how owner Peter Wallis said four masked men were outside his home with weapons and how he asked for someone to attend. Jurors in the PC Andrew Harper murder case were today shown the alleged quad bike thieves' battered Seat with a tow rope that dragged the officer to his death. Police 'shocked and saddened' Video, 00:03:06, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, Baby among six killed in possible cartel hit in US, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident. "Four weeks was all I had with my husband - four weeks to be called his wife. I have no motivation or even daily routine - chores or cooking a meal, it just feels pointless now. The vehicle, surrounded by police tape and a floodlight, was partially visible through a gap in the fence. HP10 9TY. [37], On 19 August 2020, Bowers and Cole made applications for permission to appeal against their convictions for manslaughter, and against the sentences that they had received. My God we will miss you. Det Supt Ailsa Kent told a press conference: "A post-mortem was carried out on Andrew's body and the cause of death has been recorded as multiple injuries. The Old Bailey heard how Mr Wallis had confronted the thieves earlier that day and was at home when they returned under the cover of darkness wearing masks and gloves. PC Andrew Harper: Teenage driver who killed police officer should have been given life term, attorney general says Henry Long was driving the vehicle that dragged the 28-year-old to his death on a rural road in Berkshire last year. Read about our approach to external linking. 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 . [46], In August 2020, Harper's widow launched a campaign for a new law which would require life imprisonment for criminals whose actions result in the death of any police officer, prison officer, firefighter, nurse, doctor, or paramedic. On 15 August 2019, 28-year-old English police constable Andrew Harper was killed near Sulhamstead, Berkshire, England in the line of duty. 'Henry Long, sped off, PC Harper was lassoed around his ankles by the loop of the strap. Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC said: What then follows, you leave the car and had the gruesome discovery that body is your colleague. Det Supt Stuart Blaik, the senior investigating officer in the case, said his team didn't have an "awful lot to go on in the very early stages". As their sentences for conspiracy to steal and for manslaughter were to run concurrently, their overall sentences were not affected. Harry Howard Please report any comments that break our rules. Chilling footage from the police car played to jurors showed the moment PC Harper left the vehicle to chase the thief. "We go towards trouble, we don't run away from it," he said. "I have used every word possible to describe this torture - indescribable trauma I have been forced to endure these past 11 months. The trio had been undeterred by the presence of the homeowner when they returned to Privett House hours later, the court heard. "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. An officer on duty with Pc Harper was not physically injured but is being provided with emotional support, he added. The 28-year-old was killed when he was dragged behind a car. The victim was likely knocked unconscious from the moment he hit the ground with a post-mortem revealing 'very serious injury to the brain,' the court heard. He said there was no evidence Bowers or Cole attempted to persuade Long to stop the vehicle. PC Harper, 28, was dragged for more than a mile along the country lanes of Berkshire when he became entangled in a tow rope attached to the teenagers' getaway car. They were acquitted on the charge of murder. Football teams held silences before kick-off and the officer's hometown of Wallingford in Oxfordshire decorated shop windows with ribbons representing the "thin blue line". 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. 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. 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. But theyre not taking my damn bike. The 12 men and women were accompanied by barristers, the trial judge and members of the press for the trip held under strict social distancing rules. After four weeks of evidence and 12 hours, 22 minutes of deliberations, jurors acquitted all three defendants of murder. Sentences were not affected while his colleagues mourned the death of one of their own detectives! - four weeks was all I had with my husband - four was... 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