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. Football teams held silences before kick-off and the officer's hometown of Wallingford in Oxfordshire decorated shop windows with ribbons representing the "thin blue line". When he told the operator he was going outside to stop the thieves, he was told not to - but Mr Wallis continued to refuse. Long had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. "It's been really emotional for people that knew him, but we didn't realise how much other people felt the same grief," he told the BBC. His grandmother Maureen Shrimpton wrote: "Just a really horrible day. His funeral was. It will be obvious to you all that none of the defendants could possibly have intended that that should happen. Finally, our thoughts remain with Andrews friends, family and colleagues.. PC Andrew Harper was "doing no more than his job" when he was dragged for more than a mile to his death after his feet got caught in a strap trailing behind a suspect's getaway car. ', He continued: 'The prosecution's position is that the idea that they did not know that it was the policeman who had become entangled in the strap and was being dragged down that country lane behind their speeding car can be resoundingly rejected.'. Detective Superintendent Ailsa Kent of the Major Crime Unit said: Our complex investigation into the death of PC Andrew Harper continues and I want to take this opportunity to provide an update. "Unwittingly" stepping with both feet into the trailing tow-strap, the officer became "lassoed" to the vehicle as it sped off and dragged him just over a mile before he became detached from the vehicle and died in the road. Proceedings were halted to discuss measures to safeguard jurors after someone in the public gallery was seen pointing at them. The body of PC Andrew Harper's was 'too damaged' for his family to see, his mum revealed in a heartbreaking victim impact statement. The officer had been married for just four weeks. 'But the prosecution case is that it must have been very quickly clear to Henry Long, who was after all at the wheel of the car, that the vehicle was now dragging somebody behind it.'. 'During the course of that high-speed journey, and until at last he became disentangled, his police uniform was quite literally ripped and stripped from his body. "Our grandson Andrew was killed last night while doing his police work. "He was clearly a man who, in his short time, touched many lives," Mr Barber added. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 'The officer would be killed. Andrew Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car causing his death. 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. Pc Andrew Harper Thames Valley police Monday 15 August 2022, 3:49pm PC Andrew Harper died of multiple injuries after attending to reports of a burglary in Berkshire. "I have used every word possible to describe this torture - indescribable trauma I have been forced to endure these past 11 months. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. [27] Long, who was driving the SEAT,[11] had previously admitted manslaughter and conspiracy to steal a quad bike. You can be satisfied I am now a shadow of the person I once was. His wife,. 'Of one thing the prosecution will say you can be sure is this: at whatever the cost, these three defendants were quite determined that they should get away without being caught.'. Editors' Code of Practice. His wife described him . PC Andrew Harper was killed while attending a reported burglary in a rural area of Berkshire. He said: 'The snaking trail of marks, abrasion and scuff marks, blood and body matter left behind on the road surface, as well as the clothing that was ripped from PC Harper as he was dragged to his death, illustrates that a deliberate attempt was made to dislodge him from the strap. Long had previously admitted the same offence. Initially 10 males, aged between 13 and 30, were arrested at the Four Houses Corner caravan site, before Long, Bowers and Cole went on trial accused of murder at the Old Bailey in March. On 15 August 2019, 28-year-old English police constable Andrew Harper was killed near Sulhamstead, Berkshire, England in the line of duty.Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car for a mile (1.6 km), causing his death.In July 2020, three teenage males were found guilty of manslaughter and received sentences of 16 and 13 . [38], On 21 August, the Attorney-General applied for permission to refer the killers' sentences to the Court of Appeal on the basis that she considered them to be "unduly lenient". Thames Valley Police said on Saturday it had been granted an extra 36 hours to question the suspects. Pc Shaw told jurors he set off in the car to find his colleague and came across his stab vest further down the lane. A Gannett Company. 'Henry Long, sped off, PC Harper was lassoed around his ankles by the loop of the strap. Det Supt Ailsa Kent told a press conference: "A post-mortem was carried out on Andrew's body and the cause of death has been recorded as multiple injuries. The Thames Valley Police officer, 28, died after being dragged for more than a mile along . [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. Detective Superintendent Ailsa Kent, of Thames Valley Major Crime Unit, said the 28-year-old died of multiple injuries while responding to a burglary. Joe Middleton For Mailonline For the first time, jurors heard the details of PC Harper's brutal killing - many of which were too graphic for publication. Jurors were shown harrowing video footage of the incident recorded on a camera attached to the officers unmarked BMW patrol car. Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car for a mile (1.6km), causing his death. BerkshireLive email updates: We . PC Andrew Harper was responding to a reported theft four hours past the end of his shift when his ankles got caught in a tow rope attached to the suspects' getaway car. [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. One tribute, accompanied by an image of PC Harper smiling with a friend, said: "Harps, I am truly gutted. PC Andrew Harper: Police officer's father backs call for life sentences for killers of emergency service workers, Two of PC Harper's killers launch appeals against their convictions, PC Andrew Harper's widow says he would have been proud of her for calling for law change, The operator told him officers were on their way, saying: "You can't go out there if they've got a weapon, you are going to be hurt. PC Shaw, giving evidence, described the moment that his crew-mate appeared to fall over and disappeared from view, saying it was like a water-skier. "Broken, distraught, beaten, a void, an empty shell. It's clear he has a catastrophic series of injuries and there's nothing that can be done for him.". "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.". The 12 men and women were accompanied by barristers, the trial judge and members of the press for the trip held under strict social distancing rules. Oh, they are stealing my quad bike, Im going out there now., The operator told him not to go out, but Mr Wallis said: I dont care, Ive got to protect that bike., The operator said officers were on their way, adding: You cant go out there if theyve got a weapon, you are going to be hurt., He responds: Theres all sorts of pieces of wood out there, they can pick up anything. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. Police release update on PC Andrew Harpers death, READ MORE: Murder investigation launched as policeman killed in line of duty, READ MORE: Family release image of newlywed policeman PC Harper, READ MORE: Police raid travellers' site as part of murder probe. Grieving officers lay tributes for killed newlywed colleague Pc Andrew Harper. An Old Bailey jury acquitted all three defendants of murder on Friday, instead convicting Cole and Bowers of manslaughter. [5][13] Shaw arrived at the location to find another officer tending to Harper,[19] who was pronounced dead by paramedics at 23:45. [26] Bowers and Coleboth minors at the time of the offence and originally protected by Section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal a quad bike[15] but denied manslaughter. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. PC Harper, known as Harps, and his colleague PC Andrew Shaw, were in the area in an unmarked police BMW when they responded to the 999 call, more than four hours after their shift was due to end. Members of the public lined the streets to watch the funeral procession,[43] and over 800 people attended the service including Home Secretary Priti Patel and Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moranboth of whom later paid respect to Harper in the House of Commons. The court heard homeowner Peter Wallis had reported masked thieves making off with the valuable Honda quad bike from his house in Bradfield Southend, near Reading, at 11.17pm. It looked like a rag doll.. 2023 BBC. In a murder trial reconstruction on Wednesday, more than a dozen uniformed police officers stood silent guard as jurors visited the place, in Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, where PC Harper died in the line of duty. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's The trio admitted conspiring to steal a quad bike along with Thomas King, 21, from Basingstoke. However, how he came to be between the vehicle in the first place is unknown at this point. On August 15 last year, PC Harper attended reports of a quad bike theft in Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, at about 11.17pm. 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 . Since his death, Lissie has launched the Harper's Law campaign in memory of her husband - a new law that would see those who kill emergency workers jailed for life. "There will always be a part of my heart missing now. A MAN has been charged with the murder of PC Andrew Harper as he investigated a burglary in Berkshire last week. PC Harper, who got married four weeks ago, was killed on the A4 Bath Road. POLICE detectives have revealed the cause of death of PC Andrew Harper following the murder investigation which launched on Thursday night (August 15). Police search the scene, where Thames Valley Police officer Pc Andrew Harper, 28, died following a 'serious incident'. Now his devastated wife of just 28 days has released a heartbreaking tribute to her . Tributes from Pc Harper's family have been left on Facebook with his grandmother, Maureen Shrimpton, writing: "Just a really horrible day. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Lissie broke down twice as she read from her victim impact statement at the Old Bailey. Read about our approach to external linking. Harry Howard As Long drove around the police car to escape, PC Harper got out of his vehicle and tried to apprehend Cole, who had unhitched the bike and was running behind the Seat driven by Long. [22] A fourth male, a 21-year-old from Basingstoke, was charged with conspiracy to steal a quad bike and subsequently pleaded guilty to the charge. Paramedics pronounced PC Harper's death at 23:45 on August 15 2019. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. Cole ran directly past the police car and dived through the backseat passenger window after the officer came close to catching him in the interception at around 11.38pm, jurors were told. It was a killing that sparked tributes across the world and an "outpouring of love" for a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. Mr Laidlaw said: ' Despite it being well beyond the end of their shift, because they were close and because thought they could help, they responded to the call. Chef, Sarah and Harry.". "Andrew will never grace us with his smile - his compassion and selfless generosity. (3) Bowers and Cole's applications for permission to appeal against their convictions. The body of PC Andrew Harper's was 'too damaged' for his family to see, his mum revealed in a heartbreaking victim impact statement. "I simply find myself in a lost and endless world. Long had pleaded guilty to, and Bowers and Cole were found guilty of, manslaughter. Det Supt Stuart Blaik, the senior investigating officer in the case, said his team didn't have an "awful lot to go on in the very early stages". The Seat driver, Henry Long, 19, and passengers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, both 18, from near Reading, are charged with his murder. Mr Laidlaw said the defendants attached a strap between their SEAT Toledo and the handlebars of the quad bike. The widow was speaking before her husband's teenage killers were sentenced following their manslaughter conviction last week. Almost a year on from his death, three teenagers - Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole - have been convicted of the manslaughter of PC Harper. They were acquitted on the charge of murder. Eyewitness Jack Whittenham, who had been driving on the A4, described seeing Pc Harpers body being dragged on the road and hitting the curb, before he became detached from the Seat. Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car for a mile at 50 to 70mph, causing his death. 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