PC’s widow: No ifs or buts, 999 killers must get life term
ANYONE who kills an emergency worker should spend the rest of their life behind bars, “No ifs. No buts”, PC Andrew Harper’s widow declared last night.
Lissie, 29, has vowed never to give up until she has secured the change and said she has been overwhelmed by the nationwide support for her Harper’s Law campaign.
She said the first anniversary of her husband’s death on Saturday has made her even more determined to see emergency service killers jailed for life.
PC Harper, 28, was killed after he and a colleague went to investigate the theft of a quad bike in a remote country lane in Berkshire.
Broken
As he chased after the three teenage thieves, his ankles were caught in a towing strap dangling from their getaway car and he was dragged to his death.
Last month, the killers were cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter at the Old Bailey.
The driver was jailed for 16 years and his two accomplices for 13 years each.
Harper’s Law calls for the killers of emergency services workers to spend the rest of their lives in jail.
Mrs Harper said: “Our justice system is broken. And we need Harper’s Law to help fix it.
“I have witnessed first-hand the lenient and insufficient way in which the justice system deals with criminals who take the lives of our emergency workers.
“Sadly nothing I do will bring Andrew back – but I know he would be proud of me for seeking to bring about a law change, which will hopefully act as a deterrent to anyone considering doing to one of his fellow emergency service workers the terrible thing that happened to him.”
The Harper’s Law campaign, which is being supported by the Daily Express, begins in earnest today when Mrs Harper meets her Conservative MP John Howell.
She is hoping for talks with Home Secretary Priti Patel soon.
Mrs Harper added: “I have been overwhelmed by the thousands of people from across the country who have publicly backed our campaign and I would like to thank everyone for their support.
“We will continue to need public backing as we progress.” She is now calling it Harper’s Law instead of Andrew’s Law to avoid confusion with a campaign of that name in the US.
She added: “What hasn’t changed is the aim of the campaign and what we are fighting for: Anyone killing a police officer, firefighter, nurse, doctor, prison officers or paramedic should spend the rest of their lives behind bars. No ifs. No buts.”
Mrs Harper recalled the horror of seeing her husband’s killers laugh and joke in the dock. She said: “They looked over at us a lot, but not with any kind of sorrow I could see.
“I sensed they were trying to get a reaction from us. Like this was just a game.
“I’d expected my tears to come in buckets. Yet, when my eyes met theirs, my only thought was: how could these hollow people have taken such a beautiful life away?
“All I could think of was Andrew, how he hadn’t got the justice he deserved. I thought of how these people had robbed us all of such love and life, how they had practically tortured my husband and basically got away with murder.
“Andrew and I had been inseparable from the age of 16, and I think the only way my brain and body could cope with his death was by numbing me to some of the pain.
“Doing things for Andrew is what has kept me going this past year.”
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the envelope with “Harper’s Law”. We will then present the coupons to the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice urging them to introduce life sentences for those convicted of killing emergency service workers.