Bearbeiten von „Andrew Harper apos;s Widow Demands Tougher Sentences For His Killers“

Andrew Harper's widow Lissie has called for tougher sentences for her husband's teenage killers and said that 'the whole country stands with her' in a moving speech outside the High Court.   <br>Henry Long, 19, was jailed for 16 years and Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18 were each jailed for 13 years in July for the manslaughter of Thames Valley Police traffic officer PC Harper, 28, last year, just weeks after he married Lissie.<br>The teenagers, all members of the travelling community, were convicted following a five-week trial when the court heard that after stealing a quad bike in Berkshire, their getaway car dragged PC Harper to his death after his ankle became caught in its trailing tow rope. <br>Today, the government's top lawyer, Attorney General Suella Braverman, appeared at the High Court and appealed for tougher sentences to be given to the killers, slamming the ones previously handed to them for being 'unduly lenient'. <br>And, speaking at the end of today's hearing, heartbroken Lissie added: 'I have every respect to the Attorney General for reaching the right decision in referring this case for review, I know that the majority of our country stands with her and with me in wanting change.<br>'Perhaps this may now go to show at the very least the urgency in which we need to be tougher and more prepared to shield our heroes from the atrocities that they continue to face.'<br>         Lissie Harper speaking outside the High Court this afternoon. The widow of PC Andrew Harper has called for  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-le-hoi-yen-tu-chua-ba-vang-quang-ninh-du-lich-yen-tu-tu-ha-noi.html tour chùa yên tử] tougher sentences to be given to her husband's killers<br>              Lissie Harper (left) said 'the majority of our country stands with me in wanting change' as she opened up about the loss of her husband (right) and her anger at the sentences given to his killers <br>         Lissie said that despite her sorrow, she was proud to continue the fight for justice for her beloved husband<br>After hearing details once again of how PC Harper was killed, Lissie said: 'Today has been as harrowing as you can all expect, however we leave this court with at least a sense of balance.<br>'Reaching a step closer to a fair outcome is something that I have strived towards for a long time.<br><br>We have all hoped and prayed that our beloved boy's death will not go improperly punished.'<br>Lissie said that despite her sorrow, she was proud to continue the fight for justice for her beloved husband.<br>She declared: 'I stand before you today with my heart as heavy as it was those many months ago when I stood feeling let down and angry outside the Old Bailey.<br>   RELATED ARTICLES  [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next]     [/news/article-8999033/Mairead-Philpott-freed-halfway-17-year-sentence-killing-six-children-fire.html  Pictured: Mairead Philpott is seen for the first time since...] [/news/article-9001223/Council-puts-100-000-unveiling-Margaret-Thatcher-statue.html  The Bronze Lady: Council defends spending £100,000 on...]    <br><br><br><br>Share this article<br>Share<br><br><br>'Yet today I feel pride in myself for not settling for something that I see as unacceptable. Proud to fight for my heroic husband Andrew as I continue to push for the safety and justice of his fellow emergency services protectors in the future.'<br>Referring to her campaign for Harper's law, which would impose automatic life sentences on those who kill emergency workers, Lissie said: 'As so our battle to achieve Harper's Law-as a fitting legacy and tribute to Andrew-will continue unabated as we await the outcome of today's hearing.'<br>She spoke outside court after [/news/suella-braverman/index.html Suella Braverman] addressed the court herself in an unprecedented move to appeal against the sentences handed down to the trio for the horrific killing of PC Harper, claiming that they were 'unduly lenient', and caused 'widespread public concern'.<br>         Henry Long, 19 (left), was jailed for 16 years and Jessie Cole (centre) and Albert Bowers (right), both 18 were each jailed for 13 years in July for the manslaughter of Andrew Harper<br>         [http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/results.aspx?searchwords=Attorney Attorney] General Suella Braverman addressed the court herself in an unprecedented move to appeal against the sentences handed down to the trio for the horrific killing of PC Harper, claiming that they were 'unduly lenient'<br>She also argued that as a result, public confidence in the judicial system had been dented, describing PC Harper's killing as 'truly terrifying and sickening.' <br>Ms Braverman, 40 told three High Court judges that Long should have been convicted to life imprisonment while his two accomplices should have faced longer prison sentences.<br>She said: 'Having correctly found that the first offender was dangerous and that this was a case of manslaughter very close to a case of murder in its seriousness the Judge was wrong not to impose a life sentence on the first offender (Long).'<br>She added: 'Seriousness of an offence is very important criteria in sentencing.<br><br>The fact is that they caused the death of a police officer acting in the course of his duties. These men put their lives at risk every single day.<br>'PC Harper paid the ultimate price for his bravery and this should be reflected in the sentencing.<br>A life sentence for Long would have been appropriate in a case like this.'<br>Ms Braverman, who does not normally appear in court in her role as Attorney General described Long, Cole and Bowers as career criminals who committed a crime 'that was close to murder.'<br>       Referring to the convictions of Cole and Bowers, she told the High Court that they should have been sentenced to imprisonment for longer because they killed a police officer on duty.<br>She also argued that their sentences were incorrectly reduced because the judge took into account their age and learning difficulties, which she claimed was 'excessive.'<br>Tom Little QC, who appeared in court alongside the Attorney General, told the court that all three men must have known that PC Harper was being dragged by their car as they tried to escape.<br>He added: 'The slalom like road markings was evidence of the driver trying to get rid of PC Harper who was being dragged from behind.<br>'They looked behind and saw PC Andrew Harper.<br><br>From the moment they pulled away they must have known that they were dragging a police officer.'<br>The High Court was told that even the Old Bailey judge at the trial of the three agreed that they must have known that somebody was being dragged by their car and that the jury should have found them guilty of murder based on this.<br>Mr Little added: 'We say that this sits unhappily with what the jury decided.'<br>Lawyers for the three convicted men argued against the Attorney General's case, claiming that they had no intention of killing or hurting anybody when they set out to steal the quadbike and described PC Harper's killing as a 'freak accident.'<br>They also claimed that the sentences imposed on them were 'anything but lenient.'<br>         PC Harper's heartbroken wife Lissie attended the High Court appeal hearing today.<br><br>They had been married just four weeks when he was killed<br>The case was referred for appeal by Ms Suella Braverman under the scheme which allows crime victims, their families, prosecutors or the public to ask for a review of sentences they believe are too low.<br>PC Harper's heartbroken wife Lissie attended the High Court appeal hearing, which was heard before Dame Victoria Sharp, the president of the Queen's Bench Division, Lord Justice Holroyde and Mr Justice William Davis.<br>PC Harper and his wife had been married for just four weeks when he and a Thames Valley Police colleague responded to a late-night burglary in Berkshire last August. <br>The court heard that when the officer's body was discovered by his colleagues after he had fallen away from the sling, he was completely naked except for his socks.<br>A snaking trail of blood behind him marked the course of his body down the lane.<br>When he was arrested at the Four Houses Corner travellers' site in Ufton Nervet, Berkshire, Long claimed he had been watching a Fast and Furious DVD at the time of the killing.<br>He complained police were unfairly targeting [http://www.healthynewage.com/?s=travellers travellers] and said:  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-le-hoi-yen-tu-chua-ba-vang-quang-ninh-du-lich-yen-tu-tu-ha-noi.html tour yên tử ba vàng] 'I don't give a f*** about any of this,' when he was charged.<br>