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PC Andrew Harper killing: sentences referred to attorney general PC Andrew Harper killing: sentences referred to attorney general
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Attorney general’s office to consider whether the sentences given to three teenagers who killed a police officer were too lenientAttorney general’s office to consider whether the sentences given to three teenagers who killed a police officer were too lenient
The jail terms handed to three teenagers who killed a police officer as they tried to escape the scene of a crime have been referred to the attorney general, who will consider claims they are unduly lenient.The jail terms handed to three teenagers who killed a police officer as they tried to escape the scene of a crime have been referred to the attorney general, who will consider claims they are unduly lenient.
The ringleader, 19-year-old Henry Long, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper in August 2019, while his accomplices, 18-year-olds Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were each jailed for 13 years at a hearing at the Old Bailey last week. The ringleader, 19-year-old Henry Long, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper in August 2019, while his accomplices, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, were each jailed for 13 years at a hearing at the Old Bailey last week.
The latter two could be released on licence after serving less than nine years behind bars and Long could be out in less than 11 under legislation that requires each to serve two thirds of their sentence before becoming eligible for release. The latter two could be released on licence after serving less than nine years behind bars and Long could be out in less than 11 years, under legislation that requires each to serve two-thirds of their sentence before becoming eligible for release.
On Tuesday, the office of the attorney general for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, confirmed it had been asked to consider whether the jail terms were unduly lenient. “The attorney general’s thoughts are with the family and friends of PC Andrew Harper at this difficult time. On Tuesday, the office of the attorney general for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, confirmed it had been asked to consider whether the jail terms were unduly lenient. “The attorney general’s thoughts are with the family and friends of PC Andrew Harper at this difficult time,” a spokesman for the office said.
“I can confirm that we have received a request for the cases of Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case,” a spokesman for Braverman’s office said. “I can confirm that we have received a request for the cases of Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case.”
Harper was killed trying to catch the three teenagers as they attempted to steal a quad bike. He got tangled in a strap dangling from the back of their Seat Toledo as they sought to escape at high speed.Harper was killed trying to catch the three teenagers as they attempted to steal a quad bike. He got tangled in a strap dangling from the back of their Seat Toledo as they sought to escape at high speed.
The officer’s mother, Deborah Adlam, said Harper’s relatives had “walked out from the court two weeks on the trot just feeling so let down”. The officer’s mother, Deborah Adlam, said Harper’s relatives “really felt” the sentence had been unduly lenient.
She said: “Andrew deserves so much better. And we can’t bring him back but all we can do is try and hope that there’s something better to give him the justice he deserves, and give us some kind of closure.” She said: “I think because there were so many years knocked off for being of a certain age and for admitting manslaughter early on - the years they are going to do once they have taken out their allowances ... to me that’s criminal.”
Adlam said she did not believe justice had been served, adding: “The wider public has made that very obvious – they are all very angry and police officers deserve better than has been received in this case. Adlam added: “Andrew deserves so much better. And we can’t bring him back but all we can do is try and hope that there’s something better to give him the justice he deserves, and give us some kind of closure.”
“We’ve lost our son, we’ll never see our son again and they are still going to be young men able to come out and continue to live in the way they choose.” After the verdicts were reached, the victim’s widow, Lissie Harper, expressed disappointment that her husband’s killers were convicted of manslaughter, not murder, by a jury that found it had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the teenagers knew the police officer was being dragged behind their vehicle.
After the verdicts were reached, the victim’s widow, Lissie Harper, expressed disappointment that her husband’s killers were convicted of manslaughter, not murder, by a jury which found it had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the teenagers knew the police officer was being dragged behind their vehicle.
The attorney general has no power to order a retrial, and prosecutors would either need new and compelling evidence to apply for the acquittals for murder to be quashed, or there would need to be proven interference with the jury.The attorney general has no power to order a retrial, and prosecutors would either need new and compelling evidence to apply for the acquittals for murder to be quashed, or there would need to be proven interference with the jury.
Measures were put in place to protect the jury and one female juror was discharged after she was seen by a prison officer to mouth “Bye boys” to the teenagers in the dock.Measures were put in place to protect the jury and one female juror was discharged after she was seen by a prison officer to mouth “Bye boys” to the teenagers in the dock.
But the trial judge, Mr Justice Edis, told the sentencing hearing there was no evidence the jury had been pressured. He told the Old Bailey: “It may be believed in some quarters that the jury was subject to some improper pressure. To the best of my knowledge and belief, there is no truth in that at all.”But the trial judge, Mr Justice Edis, told the sentencing hearing there was no evidence the jury had been pressured. He told the Old Bailey: “It may be believed in some quarters that the jury was subject to some improper pressure. To the best of my knowledge and belief, there is no truth in that at all.”