Life in jail for killing police, firefighters, paramedics and nurses: Harper's Law triumph of tougher sentences for campaigning widow after she watched the killers of her PC husband smirking in the dock.
- Killing a police officer or 999 worker is to be punished with a mandatory life sentence, it was announced last night
- The legal change is a major victory for the widow of hero PC Andrew Harper, who was killed responding to a burglary
- Lissie Harper, 30, was left outraged after the trio who caused his death escaped with sentences as low as 13 years – and smirked in the dock
Killing a police officer or 999 worker is to be punished with a mandatory life sentence, it was announced last night.
The legal change is a major victory for the widow of hero PC Andrew Harper, who was killed responding to a burglary.
Lissie Harper, 30, was left outraged after the trio who caused his death escaped with sentences as low as 13 years – and smirked in the dock.
‘Harper’s Law’ will apply to any killer of an on-duty police officer, fireman, paramedic or prison officer – and also to a criminal who kills medics providing NHS care.
The change is expected to make it on to the statute book early next year via an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Lissie Harper, 30, was left outraged after the trio who caused her husband's death escaped with sentences as low as 13 years – and smirked in the dock
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab today pays tribute to Mrs Harper, saying she suffered a ‘burning sense of injustice’. Writing exclusively for the Daily Mail, he adds: ‘We all owe a debt of gratitude to our dedicated emergency workers. I want them to know we’ve got their backs.
‘I pay tribute to Lissie’s determination to change the law, so that the families of those killed while simply doing their jobs get the justice they deserve.’
He also praises Mrs Harper for her ‘remarkable’ 15-month campaign backed by the rank-and-file Police Federation.
‘Emergency service workers require extra protection. I know all too well how they are put at risk – and into the depths of danger – on a regular basis on behalf of society. That protection is what Harper’s Law will provide and I am delighted that it will soon become a reality.
‘I would like to thank my incredible Harper’s Law team as well as the public for their unstinting support for such an important campaign – those who believed that the right thing is worth doing despite the hurdles and challenges that we needed to overcome.
‘And for the families of those that this law will provide justice for, we’re almost there. Your continued support has kept me pushing forward.’
On August 15, 2019, four hours after the end of his shift, PC Harper, 28, responded to reports of a stolen quad bike at Stanford Dingley in Berkshire.
As he approached the suspects, his legs became entangled in a strap attached to a Seat Toledo driven by Henry Long, then 19. Long accelerated away.
PC Harper’s colleague, PC Andrew Shaw, later described how the officer fell and disappeared from view, like a waterskier with his ‘feet whipped forward’. The newlywed was dragged for more than a mile for 91 seconds, at an average speed of 43mph, before his body was dislodged.
After a trial, Long was sentenced to 16 years. He could be freed after serving two-thirds of the sentence – or ten years and eight months.
Passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both then 18, will be entitled to automatic release after serving eight years and eight months of their 13-year terms.
The Court of Appeal rejected a bid by the attorney general to increase their sentences, and the three have received more than £780,000 in legal aid. Long told police he ‘didn’t give a f*** about any of this’ when he was initially charged.
Mr and Mrs Harper had married only a month before his death and were yet to go on their honeymoon.
Mrs Harper has previously condemned the sentences as ‘inadequate’ punishment for the ‘brutal and criminal way’ in which her husband was killed.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘Those who seek to harm our emergency service workers represent the very worst of humanity and it is right that future killers be stripped of the freedom to walk our streets with a life sentence.’
The new penalty will be introduced as soon as possible, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said. Judges will be allowed to waive the minimum life term in only the most exceptional cases.
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