Pc’s mother calls for ‘Andrew’s Law’

‘Tougher jail terms for killers of officers’

CRIME: The mother of Pc Andrew Harper has launched a campaign for a “mandatory” 20year minimum prison term for killers of police officers – calling it ‘Andrew’s Law’.

Debbie Adlam said “something needs to change” after those responsible for her son’s death were handed 16-year and 13year sentences on Friday.

THE MOTHER of Pc Andrew Harper has launched a campaign for a “mandatory” 20-year minimum prison term for killers of police officers – calling it “Andrew’s Law”.

Debbie Adlam said that “something needs to change” after those responsible for her son’s death were handed 16-year and 13-year sentences at the Old Bailey on Friday.

Pc Harper was killed as he tried to stop three thieves fleeing after they stole a quad bike in Stanford Dingley, in Berkshire, on August 15 last year.

Thames Valley Police officer Pc Harper was caught in a crane strap dangling from the back of a Seat Toledo driven by Long, and dragged to his death.

Henry Long, 19, and 18-yearolds Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced for the 28-year-old newly-wed’s manslaughter.

Pc Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, expressed bitter disappointment that her husband’s killers were cleared of murder

and instead found guilty of manslaughter.

Speaking about the campaign which was launched yesterday, Mrs Adlam said: “We want to bring in something called Andrew’s Law – we want to change this so that you are sentenced to a proper amount of time and that defines the crime that you’ve committed.

“I don’t think there’s any sentence that will help us – we will never get past losing him.

“I have sat and watched what started out as a reasonable sentence – our judge was very good and he did everything he could, given the verdict – but then he started making reductions for age and early plea to manslaughter.

“So we’re looking to bring in a minimum term – 20 years. No parole, no reductions.”

Mrs Adlam has also called for reductions in sentences granted to younger offenders to be scrapped, saying it “pulls the rug from under what the sentence should be”.

She added: “We’ve come to realise that, with the outcome of the trial as it stands, something needs to change.

“He is worth much more than this and we’ve been thinking for some time that something needs to be brought in to protect our police officers.

“There’s nobody looking out for them and we aim to change that.”