Seven years ago this month, PC Andrew Harper was dragged to his death along a country lane in Berkshire. He had been married for just four weeks.
In 2020, Gareth met his widow, Lissie. She had every reason to step away from public life. Instead, she spent two years campaigning tirelessly for a change in the law so that anyone who kills a police officer, paramedic or firefighter faces life imprisonment.
Harper’s Law became law in 2022. It was a proud moment for everyone who had fought alongside Lissie to see justice done.
Yet under this Government’s new Sentencing Act, two of the three men convicted of Andrew’s murder are now eligible for early release in October.
Following public pressure, Andy Burnham has exempted some offenders from the scheme. But, unbelievably, Andrew Harper’s killers have not been exempted.
The Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police has described the decision as “demoralising for police officers”, rightly pointing out that if Andrew’s killers were sentenced today, under the law that bears his name, they would be serving life.
Lissie Harper says the justice system has added insult to injury. She is right.
We must end early release for the most serious offenders. If you take a life, you should serve your sentence — not a fraction of it.
