Justice for my hero PC son, pleads mum
THE mother of PC Andrew Harper has vowed to fight on for justice her son deserves after his killers were convicted of manslaughter.
Debbie Adlam said: “We walked out from the court two weeks on the trot just feeling so let down. Andrew deserves so much better.
“And we can’t bring him back but all we can do is try and hope that there’s something better to give him the justice he deserves, and give us some kind of closure.”
Debbie spoke out after it emerged that PC Harper’s killers could have their jail terms extended in light of the Attorney General being asked to consider whether their sentences were too lenient.
A member of the public called on Suella Braverman to examine the matter under the “unduly lenient sentence” scheme.
Debbie added: “The case just hasn’t brought justice for him.The wider public has made that very obvious. They are very angry. Police officers deserve better than has been received in this case.”
Henry Long, 19, the driver of the car that dragged the police officer to his death, was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Friday.
The two other occupants of the car, 18-year-olds Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were each jailed for 13 years.
PC Harper, 28, died after he became entangled in a tow rope attached to the teenagers’ car and was dragged for more than a mile along the lanes of Berkshire.
A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said: “I can confirm that we have received a request for the cases of Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
“The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case.”
The Daily Express is campaigning for anyone who deliberately or recklessly kills a police officer to face life behind bars.
PC Harper’s widow, Lissie, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Lord Blunkett urging them “to ensure that Andrew is given the retrial that he unquestionably deserves”.
The Attorney General cannot order a retrial. Prosecutors would either need new and compelling evidence to apply for the acquittals to be quashed, or there would need to be proven interference with the jury. One juror was discharged after she was seen by a prison officer to mouth “Bye boys” to the teenagers in the dock.
But trial judge Mr Justice Edis said there was no evidence that the jury had been pressured.