Ms Kent told a press conference: "A post-mortem was carried out on Andrew's body yesterday and the cause of death has been recorded as multiple injuries. 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. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. They were acquitted on the charge of murder. The jury went on to view the 10,000 red Honda quad bike parked in the drive outside its owner's period property, as it had been on the night it was snatched. Comments have been closed on this article. The type of strap has been variously identified as either a crane strap, List of British police officers killed in the line of duty, "PC Harper's mum adds name to petition on 'miscarriage of justice', "Family hails 'hero' PC as police fall silent", "College pays tribute to murdered officer", "PC Andrew Harper murder trial shown footage of search for police officer", "PC Andrew Harper murder inquiry: police search caravan site", "The emotional message PC Harper's widow wrote after Ride of Respect", "Widow thanks 5,000 bikers who joined PC's tribute", "PC murder trial hears quad bike owner's 999 call", "PC Harper dragged along more than a mile to his death, court hears", "Police release PC Andrew Harper's cause of death", "Dashcam footage from killed PC's car shown to jury", "PC Andrew Harper's body seen 'tumbling' in road, court hears", "Colleague 'could not recognise' killed PC", "Self-isolating jurors discharged in PC death trial", "Officer describes moment PC Andrew Harper was dragged by car", "PC was 'dragged behind car for more than a mile', "Police officer dragged behind car for more than a mile in 'completely senseless killing', court hears", "PC Andrew Harper: Ten remain in custody as traveller site is raided", "Family of seven about to lose their home on traveller site gain a day's reprieve", "Charges dropped against man accused of PC Andrew Harper murder", "PC Harper murder trial: Officer died in 'shocking circumstances', "CPS further update in relation to the investigation into PC Harper's death | The Crown Prosecution Service", "PC Andrew Harper murder trial: two admit plot to steal quad bike", "PC murder accused teens admit bike theft plot", "Three teenagers charged with murder of PC Andrew Harper", "PC Andrew Harper murder trial suspended", "PC Harper: Three teenagers who dragged newly married officer to his death show no remorse as they are jailed", "PC Andrew Harper murder trial: Case of 'utmost importance', court told", "PC Andrew Harper's widow writes to PM asking for retrial of killers", "Jury retires in police officer murder trial", "PC Andrew Harper: No truth jurors pressured, says judge", "Bid to increase PC Harper's killers' sentences", "Two of PC Andrew Harper's killers to appeal against convictions", "PC Harper's killers' sentences to be reviewed", "PC Andrew Harper: Henry Long to appeal against manslaughter sentence", "Killer of PC Andrew Harper 'should get life sentence', "Long & Ors v R. [2020] EWCA Crim 1729 (16 December 2020)", "PC Andrew Harper: Hundreds of mourners attend funeral", "Wife of fallen police officer accepts posthumous honour award in his memory", "Police horse named Harper after killed officer", "PC Andrew Harper's widow launches 'Andrew's Law' campaign", "Boost for public safety as four justice bills receive Royal Assent", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Andrew_Harper&oldid=1132311582, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 07:36. Earlier today we sought a 36 hour extension to their custody, and this was granted at Reading Magistrates Court. "He will never get to be called 'daddy' or hold his own child - we imagined this was not too far away in the future. Detectives investigating the death of a police officer have said he died of "multiple injuries", as they were given more time to question 10 suspects. [30] During this subsequently abandoned trial, Thames Valley Police said they had received intelligence suggesting possible jury intimidation. Along with colleague. They came round earlier and now theyre at my property in Stanford Dingley.. PC Andrew Harper Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper died while on duty on Thursday, August 15 after responding to reports of a burglary between Reading and Newbury. 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. Earlier, jurors had boarded a grey coach at the Old Bailey in central London and travelled to Berkshire for a first-hand view of key locations in the tragedy. By and Homeowner Peter Wallis called 999 to report a group stealing his quad bike in Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, at 11.17pm on 15 August last year. [24][25] On 19 September, the Crown Prosecution Service said that they had discontinued the case against a fifth defendant, a 20-year-old who had previously been charged with the murder. Deborah Adlam spoke after her son's killers Henry Long, 19 . [33], On 31 July, Long was sentenced to 16 years and both Bowers and Cole to 13 years in prison. The court convoy was flanked by police cars and more officers lined the curb of the busy A4, which was temporarily closed to allow the jury to cross. Harper's killing led to the passing of Harper's Law, which introduced a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for anyone convicted of killing emergency workers. Widow Mrs Harper told the court: "This is my third attempt at writing a statement. As news. "In answer to the question: how has Andrew's death impacted me? Harper's widow had made a victim impact statement and later released an open letter, in which she implored Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel to allow a retrial seeking a murder verdict. An Old Bailey jury acquitted all three defendants of murder on Friday, instead convicting Cole and Bowers of manslaughter. 'The three, effectively acting together as one, were determined to make good their escape at whatever the cost and regardless of the harm that anybody standing in their way may come to.'. The 28-year-old's death, in Berkshire, left the country stunned and has this week. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? Mrs Harper said "the messages, support and kind words" had been "overwhelming". 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. 21:19 EST 01 Jul 2020. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. In August 2019, Andrew went to a property in Berkshire to respond to reports of a stolen quad bike, despite it being four hours after his shift was supposed to have finished. [48] Harper's Law did not affect the sentences of the three men already imprisoned for killing Andrew Harper.[50]. An officer has shared the moment he made the gruesome discovery of PC Andrew Harper who was lying gravely injured in a country lane. Long has admitted manslaughter but denies intending to harm the 28-year-old officer. Chilling footage from the police car played to jurors showed the moment PC Harper left the vehicle to chase the thief. Fellow officers have been laying flowers at the scene of the death throughout the morning. 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. This has been impossible for us to get our heads around. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. They were acquitted on the charge of murder. He approved measures to provide a private room for jurors to use throughout the trial and ordered that anyone using the public gallery must provide photographic identification. Media reported that in total, 10 males aged between 13 and 30 had been arrested. ", He responds: "There's all sorts of pieces of wood out there, they can pick up anything. Instead, he came across what turned out to be PC Harper's stab vest in the road, which had been torn from him. The jury was shown footage of the incident, recorded on a camera attached to the officers' unmarked police car. 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. "Andrew was such a good man, a brave, a caring person, funny and uplifting. 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. 2023 BBC. 'Tragically, at that very moment and still in the act of chasing Jessie Cole down, PC Harper must have quite unwittingly stepped, with both feet, into the loop made of the strapping trailed behind the SEAT. But while his colleagues mourned the death of one of their own, detectives were required to push emotions aside for the murder investigation. The abandoned quad bike can be seen rolling slowly behind the police car while PC Harper pursued Jessie Cole towards the getaway car. 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. The Telegraph 2.99M subscribers Three teenagers have been convicted of killing Pc Andrew Harper as they evaded arrest. A Gannett Company. Video report by ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's She said the teenagers who were found not guilty of murder "took more than one life away that day, they stole the person I used to be". These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Police officers launched a murder probe following a "serious incident" which took place at around 11.30pm near to the crossroads of Ufton Lane and Lambdens Hill, near Sulhampstead between Reading and Newbury. and 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". 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. Pc Shaw told jurors he set off in the car to find his colleague and came across his stab vest further down the lane. Bowers, of Moat Close, Bramley, and Cole, of Paices Hill near Reading, confirmed they were passengers in the Seat, but denied ever seeing the police officer. The killers have been jailed for a total of 42 years. The buses negotiated narrow country roads to get to the picturesque village of Stanford Dingley, snaking their way through high hedgerows and grassy verges dotted with wild summer flowers. [14] In a separate operation, a 20-year-old man from Pingewood was arrested on suspicion of murder. hometown of Wallingford in Oxfordshire decorated shop windows with ribbons representing the "thin blue line". One tribute, accompanied by an image of PC Harper smiling with a friend, said: "Harps, I am truly gutted. ", After a pause, he adds: "F*** me they've already taken it.". "[That] is consistent with our current belief that Andrew was caught between a vehicle and the road and then dragged for a distance.". 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. 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 . Colleagues of PC Andrew Harper will be giving evidence on day four of his murder trial at the Old Bailey. 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. All three were standing trial for murder, but the jury found them guilty. As Pc Harper tried to apprehend one the suspects, his ankles got caught on a tow rope attached to their Seat Toledo and he was dragged to his death. Pc Shaw turned his vehicle around, expecting to find PC Harper waiting for him. Pc Shaw later discovered his colleague's body. Both the Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Justice Secretary Dominic Raab credited Lissie Harper's campaign with convincing them to pass the law. '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. 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. In an update given near the scene, Thames Valley Police spokesman Jack Abell said an emergency call was made reporting a burglary at a residential property at 11.18pm on Thursday. She added: "Every ounce of beautiful peace - gone. In one picture the couple can be seen smiling as they cut their wedding cake with a sign next to them reading "happily ever Harper". Mrs Harper said her husband was the "kindest, loveliest, most selfless person you will ever meet". Mr Laidlaw said the defendants attached a strap between their SEAT Toledo and the handlebars of the quad bike. "[48] The law was added to the statute book on 28 April 2022[49] and is now law. Mr Wallis told the Thames Valley Police operator: "I've got four masked men outside my house and they've got weapons. [10][11] Harper and fellow constable Andrew Shaw, who were finishing a surveillance shift in Reading,[5] responded to the call in their unmarked BMW police 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. Chief Constable John Campbell said the death of PC Harper had left the entire force "shocked and saddened". [26] The trial, which was being held during the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed on 19 March after two of the jurors were discharged because they were self-isolating. 'Almost naked by this point, PC Harper was left as you can imagine with the most appalling of injuries, from which he died there on the road. A small circle of blue and white painted stones had been laid on the verge in tribute to the officer, with one saying 'when your heart stopped beating a part of me died'. As their sentences for conspiracy to steal and for manslaughter were to run concurrently, their overall sentences were not affected. With the strapping laying loose on the ground, Cole then tried to get into the SEAT car but was unable to, he said. Long had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Long has admitted manslaughter but denies intending to harm the officer. On 16 December 2020 the Court of Appeal dismissed: I cant begin to tell you how we feel. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [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". 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Relatives of PC Harper have also paid tribute on social media to the "loveliest person that you will ever meet". Grieving officers lay tributes for killed newlywed colleague Pc Andrew Harper. The A4 Bath road was also closed again yesterday (August 17) while police officers carried out searches. 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We continue our appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to contact police by visiting our website or calling 101. Pc Harper and his crew mate Pc Andrew Shaw responded to Mr Walliss report, even though their shift had ended. "I search around for words to express my heartbreak, but each word is inadequate.". [31], A retrial began on 23 June following changes to the UK's COVID-19 lockdown. The body of PC Andrew Harper's was 'too damaged' for his family to see, his mum revealed in a heartbreaking victim impact statement. Andrew Harper death: Man charged with newlywed PC's murder PC Andrew Harper's wife Lissie says her "heart is broken" after the death of her "darling boy". Jurors were shown harrowing footage of the incident recorded on camera attached to the officers unmarked BMW patrol car. I have no motivation or even daily routine - chores or cooking a meal, it just feels pointless now. He will be loved forever.". 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. It was a decision that would cost PC Harper his life. "That's the reason in particular this question defeats me - unless you have stood in my shoes, lost a soulmate, a beloved partner you intended to spend your life with - how is this grief possible to describe? Please report any comments that break our rules. Finally, our thoughts remain with Andrews friends, family and colleagues.. PC Shaw told jurors he set off in the car to find his colleague and came across his stab vest further down the lane. [3] He was educated at The Henley College, where he showed an ambition for joining the police. Jurors were shown harrowing video footage of the incident recorded on a camera attached to the officers unmarked BMW patrol car. His funeral was. ', The comments below have not been moderated, By "I have sat in the mortuary of my son's covered body, too damaged for me to see. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. (2) Long's application for permission to appeal against his sentence; and Det Supt Blaik said the defendants made a "conscious decision" "not to assist the police" and said their family and friends had tried to "frustrate" the investigation. After a lunch break, the jury slowly followed the route the SEAT took, as it left a bloody trail of Pc Harper's clothes and body matter. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Bowers was in the car as a passenger when PC Harper was killed. 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. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Deborah Adlam spoke after her son's killers Henry Long, 19, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, where convicted of manslaughter. Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article. [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. 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. His fellow officers "desperately tried to save him" but he had. They then spent half an hour examining the thieves' battered silver Seat parked nose to nose with PC Harper's dark grey police car in a reconstruction of their 'confrontation' in Admoor Lane. PC Andrew Harper from the roads policing unit at Abingdon Police Station was attending a reported burglary and was killed while performing his duties. In August 2019, PC Andrew Harper was just 28 years old and almost one month in to his marriage to new wife Lissie, the love of his life and his partner for the previous 13 years. PC Andrew Shaw can be seen steering the vehicle in reverse while flashing blue lights before his colleague comes into view in the BMW's rear window. "Broken, distraught, beaten, a void, an empty shell. 'How could he possibly survive if the car continued to be driven away and for some distance?'. Pc Andrew Harper, 28, was killed during a "serious incident" near the A4 Bath Road, between Reading and Newbury, at the village of Sulhamstead in Berkshire. On August 15 last year, PC Harper attended reports of a quad bike theft in Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, at about 11.17pm. The Old Bailey heard how Mr Wallis had confronted the thieves earlier that day and was at home when they returned under the cover of darkness wearing masks and gloves. The cause of death is consistent with details that PC Harper was caught between a vehicle and the road and dragged under it for a distance. "We go towards trouble, we don't run away from it," he said. HP10 9TY. The prosecution's case was that it would have been "obvious" to the defendants they were dragging PC Harper behind, but they decided not to stop. 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. On the night of 15 August 2019, PC Harper responded with a colleague to a 999 call about a quad bike theft, despite it being four hours past the end of their shifts. 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. 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. ", Police 'shocked and saddened' Video, 00:03:06Police 'shocked and saddened', 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, Ukrainian ministers killed in helicopter crash, We need to end this war, says Zelensky, after fatal helicopter crash, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years. Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC said: "What then follows, you leave the car and had the gruesome discovery that body is your colleague. Harry Howard The defendants have admitted conspiring to steal the quad bike but have denied Pc Harper's murder. 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. "My life often feels bleak, hopeless, irreparable. '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. 2023 BBC. He then learned that another officer had reported a "body in the road" near the A4. (1) the Attorney-General's application for permission to refer the sentences as unduly lenient; Mrs Adlam said her "first born had been ripped" from her, adding: "I haven't been able to work for fear of breaking down, my mind just isn't in the right place, my anxiety is overpowering. The father of Pc Andrew Harper has said the family are "devastated" following his death. [20] On 19 August, the 20-year-old was charged with murder. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. PC Harper slid and lost his footing 'as if while water ski-ing' before being whipped forward by his ankles, prosecutors claim. "I will spend every day for the rest of my life with a hole that will never be filled. "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. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. A post-mortem revealed the devastating effect of even the initial injuries, thought to have been sustained when the back of PC Harper's head struck the ground. [27] All three defendants denied murder. It's clear he has a catastrophic series of injuries and there's nothing that can be done for him.". 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. PC Andrew Harper died a hero in the line of duty. Long was acquitted of murder at the Old. 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.'. The pair. "We are shocked and saddened by the death of our colleague". Andrew James Harper (22 March 1991 15 August 2019)[1][2] grew up in Wallingford.