PC Harper's Widow Condemns Plans to Free His Killers Early

Lissie Harper, the widow of PC Andrew Harper who was killed in a horrific incident in 2019, has spoken out strongly against reports that two of the three men convicted in connection with her husband's death could be released from prison early under the government's early release scheme.

Harper said the prospect of early release for the men was 'deplorable' and renewed her long-running campaign for tougher sentencing for those who kill emergency service workers.

The Death of PC Andrew Harper

PC Andrew Harper, a Thames Valley Police officer, died in August 2019 after being dragged along a road by a vehicle driven by teenagers who had been attempting to steal a quad bike. He was just 28 years old and had been married to Lissie for just four weeks at the time of his death.

Three youths — Henry Long, Jessie Cole, and Albert Bowers — were convicted of manslaughter in July 2020. Long received a 16-year sentence, while Cole and Bowers each received 13-year sentences. The convictions followed the acquittal of all three on murder charges, a verdict that triggered widespread public anger.

Harper's Law

Following the trial, Lissie Harper launched a high-profile campaign calling for a new law that would impose mandatory life sentences on anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker. The campaign, known as Harper's Law, gained significant public support and was eventually enacted in England and Wales in 2021, requiring courts to impose life sentences in such cases — a landmark legislative change.

These men killed a police officer and were convicted. The idea that they could walk free early is deplorable. We must make it clear that those who kill our emergency workers will face the full force of the law.

Early Release Controversy

The government has been operating an early release scheme for some prisoners as part of efforts to reduce severe overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons, a crisis that has been building for several years. The scheme has attracted controversy for the categories of prisoner it encompasses, with victims' families and campaigners arguing that it risks undermining public confidence in the justice system.

Lissie Harper's case illustrates the profound tension between the practical pressures on the prison system and the expectations of victims and their families that sentences handed down by courts will be served in full.