PC Andrew Harper killing: ‘Unduly lenient’ jail sentences of three teenagers to be reviewed

The sentences of three teenagers jailed over the killing of PC Andrew Harper will be reviewed to decide if they were “unduly lenient”.

Henry Long, 19, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, both 18, were jailed last month for manslaughter after being acquitted of murder.

PC Harper, 28, died in August last year – just one month after his wedding – as the trio fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.

The Thames Valley Police traffic officer got his ankles caught in a crane strap attached to the back of a car driven by Long.

He was dragged, to his death, behind the car for a mile along dark country lanes.

Long was sentenced to 16 years in prison, while Bowers and Cole were given jail sentences of 13 years.

Attorney General Suella Braverman has now referred their sentences to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

“This was a horrific crime which resulted in the death of a much-respected police officer while he was on-duty, protecting his community,” Mrs Braverman said.

“Having personally considered the details of this shocking case, I have decided to refer the sentences of PC Andrew Harper’s killers to the Court of Appeal.

“Attacks made against emergency workers will not be tolerated and offenders should be punished with the greatest severity for such heinous crimes.”

The ULS scheme allows victims of crime, their families, prosecutors or the public to ask for sentences to be reviewed if they believe them to be too low.

The attorney general can only ask the Court of Appeal to review a sentence under the scheme if she considers the sentence to be unduly lenient.

In such cases, she acts independently of government and as a “guardian of the public interest”.

Earlier this week, Bowers and Cole lodged applications with the Court of Appeal seeking permission to challenge their convictions and their prison sentences.

PC Harper’s widow, Lissie, has been campaigning for a minimum sentence of life in prison for anyone convicted of killing a police officer, firefighter, doctor, prison officer or paramedic.

She welcomed the attorney general’s decision to refer the sentences of PC Harper’s killers to the Court of Appeal as “great news”.

“The sentences for Andrew’s killers did not match their heinous crime,” she said. “It was not justice and it needs to be addressed.

“Police officers need to be properly protected by the judicial system. And there must be appropriate punishments for those who would kill police officers.

“We now await the outcome with interest and in the meantime we will continue to campaign for Harper’s Law – which is calling for those who kill emergency services workers to spend the rest of their lives in prison.

“I would also like to thank the public for their continued and unstinting support.”

The mother of PC Harper, Debbie Adlam, said: “My family and I know that the whole nation stands with us in outrage at the sentences handed down to my son’s killers.

“We can only hope that a fairer outcome is reached by the Court of Appeal to deliver the justice that Andrew deserves.

“As a family we will not stop campaigning until our blue light heroes are safer as they step out each and every day to protect us as a society.”

A date is yet to be set for the Court of Appeal hearing.

(c) Sky News 2020: PC Andrew Harper killing: ‘Unduly lenient’ jail sentences of three teenagers to be reviewed