Police widow’s agony as cheering killers celebrate
Searing agony of PC’s widow as teenagers are found guilty of dragging him to death – but cleared of murder
A POLICEMAN’s widow has described how she was handed a ‘life sentence’ after her husband was dragged to his death by three teenagers who were cleared of his murder yesterday.
PC Andrew Harper’s wife Lissie said she was ‘immensely disappointed’ by the verdict which should have been ‘very different’.
The pair had been married for just four weeks before his death in August 2019.
Henry Long, 19, the driver of the vehicle, had earlier admitted manslaughter but was cleared of murder. Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, both 18, were cleared of murder but found guilty at the Old Bailey of manslaughter. Thames Valley officer PC Harper, 28, was killed when he was dragged more than a mile after his ankle became caught in a tow strap of a getaway car as he tried to stop the trio stealing a quadbike.
The teenagers cheered, punched the air and hugged when the verdicts were read out. Long wept on Bowers’ shoulder. The men could walk free in just a few years.
speaking outside court, Mrs Harper, 29, said of the lesser conviction handed down by the jury after 12 hours of deliberation: ‘I now have my own life sentence to bear and it will be a lot more painful, soul-destroying journey than anyone facing a meagre number of years in prison will experience.’
Her husband’s life had been ‘stolen’, she said, adding: ‘The results from this trial I had hoped would bring justice, but in reality make no difference to the heart-wrenching pain I will continue to feel for the rest of my life.
‘The way in which Andrew was robbed of his life we know to be barbaric and inexplicable. I am immensely disappointed with the verdict given today.’
Members of the policing community voiced outrage that the teenagers will avoid a murder sentence. Retired officer Norman Brennan, of the Protect the Protectors campaign group, said: ‘ Only those three boys know for sure if they have got away with murder or not, but I
‘Soul-destroying journey’
know many members of the policing community who feel that they have.’
Detective superintendent stuart Blaik, who led the inquiry, said the teens had tried to disrupt the investigation and ‘have shown no remorse’.
PC Harper’s injuries were so severe one witness mistook him for a ‘bloodied deer’. He and his partner, PC Andrew shaw, had been travelling back to drop off their BMW patrol car when they responded to a report of a quad bike theft at 11.17pm, having been due to finish their shift four hours earlier.
Long, Bowers and Cole, all members of the traveller community, had just stolen a £10,000 Honda TRX500 quad bike from a house in Bradfield southend, Berkshire. They were towing it away – with Long driving, Bowers alongside him and Cole riding the quad bike. The BMW and the seat met head on. PC Harper ran out and tried to grab Cole. Horrifying dashcam footage then shows PC Harper disappear from view as he is dragged behind the speeding getaway car.
A police helicopter tracked the seat to a traveller’s site and recovered the car, which was found to have an axe, three crowbars, some tape and a hammer inside.
The trio insisted they had no idea that PC Harper, who was 6ft tall and weighed 14 stone, was being dragged behind the car. Throughout the trial the trio were seen sniggering as evidence was given.
Mr Justice Andrew Edis adjourned sentence until next Friday.