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The leader of the group of teenagers who killed PC Andrew Harper should have been sentenced to life in prison instead of the 16 years he received, while his accomplices should have also increased their jail terms to 13 years each, one has heard. court.
The attorney general argued that the sentences handed down to Henry Long, 19, and Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, 18, were unduly lenient, during an appeals court hearing on Monday.
“PC Harper paid the ultimate price for his bravery and this should be reflected in the sentence,” Suella Braverman QC said in a written communication. “These are rulings that have caused and continue to cause widespread public concern. It seems to me that the sentences handed down against the offenders were unduly lenient. “
Braverman said at the hearing in London’s Royal Courts of Justice that Long’s sentence did not reflect the seriousness of the crime he committed and was contrary to the interests of justice.
“A life sentence was the appropriate sentence for the first offender, who was and still is dangerous … if not in a case like this, when?” he told the three appellate court judges.
The attorney general also argued that the sentencing judge “granted too great a reduction” to Bowers and Coles’s sentences “for their age and learning disabilities.”
The attorneys representing the trio, who appeared via video link from Belmarsh Prison, are expected to request permission to appeal against the length of their sentences, arguing that the length of their sentences was “manifestly excessive”.
Harper was dragged to death on August 15, 2019 after becoming entangled in a tow strap attached to the back of the teens’ getaway car. The Thames Valley police officer had been called after reports that teens were trying to steal a quad bike. The 28-year-old had married his partner, Lissie Harper, just a few weeks earlier.
Long, who was driving, admitted homicide, while Cole and Bowers were convicted at their trial in July. All three were acquitted of murder by the jury, which deliberated for more than 12 hours.
The police officer’s wife has campaigned for a “Harper’s law,” which would mean that those who kill emergency workers are jailed for life. This month he met with Home Secretary Priti Patel and Attorney General Robert Buckland.
The hearing continues before Dame Victoria Sharp, Lord Justice Holroyde and Mr Justice William Davis.
