On the night of 15 August 2019, Lissie Harper received a knock at her door that would shatter her life. Expecting her husband, PC Andrew Harper, to return home from his shift, she was instead met by uniformed officers who delivered the devastating news that the man she had married just four weeks earlier had been killed while on duty. The couple, who had been together for 13 years after meeting as teenagers, were childhood sweethearts who had been planning their honeymoon. In her eulogy, Lissie remembered Andrew as a "gentle giant with a heart of gold" who "wore his uniform with pride" and "treasured family above all else."
The case has recently returned to the public consciousness as two of the men responsible for his death—Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole—have become eligible for early release under government plans designed to address prison overcrowding. This development has reignited national anger, with the officer's family, fellow police officers, and the public expressing deep outrage. PC Harper had been nearing the end of a long shift when he and a colleague were called to a burglary. During the 2020 trial at the Old Bailey, the prosecutor noted that Harper was "going beyond the call of duty" when he confronted teenagers Henry Long, Bowers, and Cole in a dark country lane.
Haunting dashcam footage played during the trial captured the moment PC Harper disappeared from view. He had become entangled in a strap trailing behind a car driven by Long, which was being used to tow a stolen quad bike. PC Harper was dragged for over a mile and died on the road, with his police badge and stab vest found scattered along the route. While Long pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a jury convicted Bowers and Cole of the same charge, meaning they were not certain the killers knew they were dragging the officer. However, Mr Justice Edis described the case as "very close to a case of murder" in its severity.
Throughout the trial, the killers showed no remorse, often laughing and joking in court. Pictures of them smiling as they left the building further fueled public anger. Long was sentenced to 16 years, while Bowers and Cole were each given 13-year sentences. The judge explicitly rejected any contention that the teenagers had shown remorse. Following the trial, Lissie Harper launched a determined campaign to secure justice for her husband, eventually succeeding in the introduction of "Harper's Law," which mandates life sentences for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker while committing a crime.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, noted that the case never left the public consciousness because people felt they were "reliving the grief with the family." She described the prospect of early release for Bowers and Cole as "compounding injustice on injustice" and a significant test for the government. Although Prime Minister Andy Burnham paused the early release policy for a review following a public backlash, it was confirmed on Monday that Bowers and Cole remain eligible for release after serving half of their sentences, rather than the two-thirds usually required. Approximately 1,000 other prisoners were excluded from the scheme, but the killers of PC Harper were not among them.
Lissie Harper described the decision as "disgraceful and disgusting," and the officer's mother, Debbie Adlam, stated she was "devastated." A petition opposing their release has garnered more than 750,000 signatures. Tiffany Lynch, chair of the National Police Federation of England and Wales, emphasized that for rank-and-file officers, the situation "feels personal," noting that the public expects those who take a life in the line of duty to serve their full sentences. Stuart Blaik, the senior investigating officer, added that the early release would negatively impact police morale. Justice Secretary Alex Norris has apologized to the victims' families, citing the government's attempt to manage a "prison capacity crisis." As the seventh anniversary of his death approaches, the family continues to fight in his name, ensuring the memory of the officer who sacrificed his life remains honored.
"Everything I had known in my life to be true was robbed away. Every ounce of beautiful peace, gone," Lissie later said of the moment she was told.
Some 6,000 prisoners had been due to be let out early under a law aimed at making space in the prisons system.
