", 999 caller 'saw masked men before PC's murder', PC killed in 'truly shocking circumstances', Widow leads 5,000 bikers in tribute to killed PC, Family hails 'hero' PC as police fall silent, Killed PC's hometown turns blue in his honour, Slough's SEND service: "Slow & steady" progress to tackle failings, Here's when new Thai restaurant will open in Bracknell town centre, Police step in to move on illegal encampment at Reading industrial estate, Increase in number of people being given disabled parking in Bracknell after review, Businesses and residents 'absolutely furious' over Broadway car park closure, councillor says, Holocaust Memorial Day to be marked by documentary about local hero, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises. Long has admitted manslaughter but denies intending to harm the 28-year-old officer. A domestic violence victim told him the officer had given her the confidence to come forward about her abusive partner. My God we will miss you. [33], On 31 July, Long was sentenced to 16 years and both Bowers and Cole to 13 years in prison. Our love goes to his lovely wife, mum and dad, brother and all of his family and friends. hometown of Wallingford in Oxfordshire decorated shop windows with ribbons representing the "thin blue line". Reply 21 13 slipperman GCM His fellow officers "desperately tried to save him" but he had. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. At 11.17pm on August 15 last. Both the Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Justice Secretary Dominic Raab credited Lissie Harper's campaign with convincing them to pass the law. The 'endless loop' tow rope, which Pc Harper got caught in, had been re-attached to the rear of the Seat for the jury to see. Sign up to the Daily Star's newsletter. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? 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. "I thought maybe he slipped on something. PC Andrew Harper, 28, was dragged to his death by a car in Berkshire, prosecutors say 'The report, which was made by the homeowner, Peter Wallis, indicated that three or four masked and. 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. [3] He was educated at The Henley College, where he showed an ambition for joining the police. Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, said he had received messages from members of the public whom PC Harper had helped. Security around the first trial into PC Harper's death was stepped up after police uncovered a plot by "associates of the defendants to intimidate the jury". In a frantic 999 call just before 11.17pm Peter Wallis told the operator: 'I've got four masked men outside my house and they've got weapons Handheld things * handheld piece of wood or something.'. [31], A retrial began on 23 June following changes to the UK's COVID-19 lockdown. I cant begin to tell you how we feel. His grandmother Maureen Shrimpton wrote: "Just a really horrible day. As the documentary recalled. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Ten males aged between 13 and 30 have been arrested on suspicion of murder. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please On 16 December 2020 the Court of Appeal dismissed: It's clear he has a catastrophic series of injuries and there's nothing that can be done for him.". PC Andrew Harper died in August last year, Police officers at the scene in Berkshire where PC Harper was killed, Artist impression of Henry Long (L) Albert Bowers (C) and Jessie Cole (R) at the Old Bailey. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. PC Andrew Harper was killed while responding to a report of a quad bike being stolen by masked men, PC Harper married his childhood sweetheart Lissie four weeks before his death, Wallingford turned blue for Andrew Harper, Hundreds of motorbikes packed out RAF Benson to pay tribute to PC Harper, Officers lined the streets as the cortege travelled through Oxford, Henry Long, Albert Bowers, and Jessie Cole (l-r), all from travelling families, left school well before they were 16 and had a long history of stealing, The strap PC Harper got caught in was attached to a Seat Toledo, PC Harper was dragged for more than a mile by the car, PC Harper died after his ankles became entangled in a tow-strap attached to a car. [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. Mrs Harper said her husband was the "kindest, loveliest, most selfless person you will ever meet". Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car down a country road, making him to sustain injuries that led to his death . Proceedings were halted to discuss measures to safeguard jurors after someone in the public gallery was seen pointing at them. 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. His uncle Dale Shrimpton posted: "He's my oldest Nephew. He added that they had "hand-held things" and were "all masked" during the call that was played out in court, in which he asked the operator to send someone round to his house. Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC said: "What then follows, you leave the car and had the gruesome discovery that body is your colleague. Detective Superintendent Ailsa Kent, of Thames Valley Major Crime Unit, said the 28-year-old died of multiple injuries while responding to a burglary. The Thames Valley Police officer, 28, died after being dragged for more than a mile along . (2) Long's application for permission to appeal against his sentence; and POLICE detectives have revealed the cause of death of PC Andrew Harper following the murder investigation which launched on Thursday night (August 15). VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. Mr Laidlaw said all three defendants should have known the consequences of their actions. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [3][11][12] At 23:28, Shaw and Harper happened upon a SEAT Toledo towing the stolen quad bike on Admoor Lane near Bradfield Southend. Harper, a 28-year-old Thames Valley police officer, was . She confirmed that the arrests were made at a council-run caravan and mobile home site, Four Houses Corner, in Reading Road near Burghfield Common. "Pc Harper was a beautiful young soul. They were acquitted on the charge of murder. Relatives of PC Harper have also paid tribute on social media to the "loveliest person that you will ever meet". The newlyweds had been looking forward to their honeymoon in the Maldives. "So proud of him. Recommended PC Andrew Harper's killer 'should be. Witness Jack Whittenham, who was driving on the same road at the time, described seeing the body of PC Harper being dragged along the road and hitting the curb, before becoming detached from the vehicle. 'He was barely alive and PC Harper died soon after where he lay in Ufton Lane in the company of fellow officers who had tried desperately to save him. Mr Laidlaw said Long drove at an average speed of at least 42.5mph down the windy road. "Andrew was such a good man, a brave, a caring person, funny and uplifting. [37], On 4 August, the Attorney General's Office confirmed that it had received a request to review the sentences under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. However, the circumstances as to how Andrew came to be out of his vehicle and then caught under the suspect vehicle and dragged, is unknown. 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. Police officers raided a council-run travellers' site, Four Houses Corner in Reading near Burghfield Common on Friday night (August 16). But while his colleagues mourned the death of one of their own, detectives were required to push emotions aside for the murder investigation. Read about our approach to external linking. Her campaign proposes that those convicted of manslaughter over the death of a blue-light worker while committing a crime should . Det Supt Blaik said PC Harper "paid the ultimate price" for going beyond the call of duty, but added "that is what police officers do up and down the country, day in and day out". The pair. The Seat driver, Henry Long, 19, and passengers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, both 18, from near Reading, are charged with his murder. [14] In a separate operation, a 20-year-old man from Pingewood was arrested on suspicion of murder. A police officer called to the aftermath of the death of PC Andrew Harper saw his body tumbling in the road, a court has heard. You obviously did your best to attend to Pc Harper. On Saturday, forensics officers were seen searching a caravan site on Padworth Road around three miles away from the scene, with two vans appearing to block the entrance. "He will never get to be called 'daddy' or hold his own child - we imagined this was not too far away in the future. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The pair were childhood sweethearts and had been in a relationship for 13 years. "I have used every word possible to describe this torture - indescribable trauma I have been forced to endure these past 11 months. The men were on their way home - they didn't have to respond - but they made a decision to go beyond the call of duty. 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. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. PC Harper, who became a regular officer in 2011 after joining as a special constable a year earlier, had attended the reported break-in at about 23:30 BST with a fellow officer. "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. After four weeks of evidence and 12 hours, 22 minutes of deliberations, jurors acquitted all three defendants of murder. 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. 2023 BBC. It looked like a rag doll.". A MAN has been charged with the murder of PC Andrew Harper as he investigated a burglary in Berkshire last week. 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. He was pulled along winding country roads for more than a mile at speeds of some 42mph before he became detached in Ufton Lane off the A4. [13] The SEAT, with Harper still being dragged behind, arrived at the lane's junction with the A4 Bath Roadapproximately 1 mile (1.6km) from where the police came upon the suspects. 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. [22], On 17 August, Thames Valley Police's Major Crimes Unit stated that a post mortem performed the previous day gave Harper's cause of death as "multiple injuries", which was congruent with their theory that he had been "caught between a vehicle and the road, and then dragged for a distance". The driver of the car, Henry Long, 19, and passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, from near Reading, have all admitted conspiracy to steal the quad bike, but have denied the murder of PC Harper. Its clear he has a catastrophic series of injuries and theres nothing that can be done for him.. "Nobody's been given a script it just seemed to take hold," said PC Harper's friend Andy Ledbury, who put up a blue ribbon outside his plant nursery. "I simply find myself in a lost and endless world. [12] The post mortem also showed that Harper had sustained a "very severe" brain injury;[23] a pathologist stated that it was likely Harper lost consciousness when he fell to the ground. 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