'This had all been very carefully planned and thought through. With his ankles caught in a strap that was trailing behind a car being driven at speed along a country lane, he was dragged for over a mile along the road surface, swung from side to side like a pendulum in an effort to dislodge him. The pair, who were both wearing uniform, answered the call to the reported theft of the quad bike although it was past the end of their shift. Follow updates from the PC Andrew Harper trial sentencing here. But PC Harper and his colleagues came across the gang driving towards them on narrow Admoor Lane. PC Harper died from multiple injuries after he responded to reports of a vehicle being stolen and ended up caught in a strap behind the vehicle near Sulhamstead, Berkshire on August 15 last year. Driver Henry Long, 18, allegedly swerved from side to side in an attempt to free the officer, causing him to hit hedgerows and other items in the lane. Neither were found to have a mobile phone on them or in the caravan. Mr Altman said: 'He noted a lack of reaction when Long and one other were told a police officer had died and that they were being arrested on suspicion of murder. ` `2. He was declared dead by paramedics at the scene. Long, of Mortimer, Reading, also admits manslaughter. It was a decision that was to cost Andrew Harper his life.". Relatives described the day as a "dream wedding". 'This evidence further demonstrates the defendants' determination to escape and not get caught at all costs.'. An examination of the officer's Mitsubishi Outlander later showed no evidence it had made any contact to PC Harper's body. He added that the officer "only married four weeks ago". "Mr Whittenham saw that the rope had a body attached to it. The court heard the defendants had made off with the expensive Honda quad bike, secured to their Seat Toledo getaway car by a tow rope tied around its handlebars, but came face-to-face with the police on Admoor Lane. A judge cleared the three defendants of murder. "To his right he saw out of the corner of his eye something moving and tumbling in the road. Ten males aged between 13 and 30 have been. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Mr Hall concluded that at times Long had steered vigorously from side to side in an attempt to dislodge 'whatever the driver perceived was being dragged by the car', the court heard. Something went wrong, please try again later. Mr Laidlaw QC added: "The snaking trail of marks, abrasion and scuff marks, blood and body matter left behind on the road surface by this course of driving, as well as the clothing that was ripped from PC Harper as he was dragged to his death, illustrates that a deliberate attempt was made to dislodge him from the strap.". 'It ended with the killing of a young police officer. Jurors have been told the case is being re-tried after the original trial, which began in February, was abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Daily Star's newsletter. The trial continues and is due to last up to five weeks. He was still on duty with crew mate PC Andrew Shaw at 11.17pm, and they were driving in an unmarked police BMW fitted with emergency lights. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. PC Andrew Harper was responding to a report of a quad bike theft in Berkshire A police officer who was dragged behind a car sustained such severe injuries one of his colleagues "could not. 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Another read: "Such a shocking, mindless, horrific act of brutality. PC Harper, known as "Harps" to his colleagues, was part of Thames Valley's Roads Policing Unit, and had been due to work a 10am to 7pm shift that day. "He described his injuries [as] utterly catastrophic injuries. Asia Pacific; EMEA; Latin America; UK Solicitors; UK Bar; United States Detective Superintendent Stuart Blaiksaid the defendants had shown no remorse or helped police piece together what happened during the investigation. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. 'Trapped by his ankles, mercifully probably rendered unconscious from the start, so that he knew nothing about it, he was dragged by Long's driving for over a mile to his death. 'The fact that neither Long nor the other two defendants had planned for or even wanted PC Harper to become caught in the strap is neither here nor there. He denied hearing or noticing anything being dragged behind the car. "He died totally naked apart from his socks and boots, and some shredded remnants of the trousers he was wearing. Read about our approach to external linking. Thames Valley PC Andrew Harper was "swung from side to side like a pendulum" and "died totally naked" after he was dragged down a country lane behind a speeding car, the Old Bailey heard this morning. On Monday, the two 17-year-olds, who cannot be named due to their age, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal a quad bike. 11.30pm: PC Harper's body is found by Pc Christopher Bushnell in Ufton Lane. "So proud of him. Chef, Sarah and Harry.". You can get the latest news for Berkshire straight to your mobile or tablet when you download the free BerkshireLive app. He has been dragged just over a mile for 91 seconds before he is dislodged on the other side of the A4. An eyewitness initially thought the Seat was towing "the carcass of a bloodied deer", but quickly he realised it was a person trapped by both ankles being dragged around the road and striking the kerb, Mr Laidlaw said. 'During the night-time sortie, we know the brake and rear side lights had been deliberately disabled to effect an escape in the dark along unlit country lanes. PC Harper attended a suspected burglary with a colleague in a marked car at 11.30pm on Thursday, August 15, 2019. opened the case against the three teenagers at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday (June 23). He was dragged for more than a mile of winding country road with his uniform gradually stripped from his body. As PC Harper tried to stop him, the officer's feet were encircled in the crane strap, and he was dragged along as Long drove off. PC Harper, who became a regular officer in 2011 after joining as a special constable a year earlier, had attended the reported break-in at about 23:30 BST with a fellow officer. Henry Long, 18, is on trial for his murder. Chief Constable John Campbell said the death of PC Harper had left the entire force "shocked and saddened". tell the story j far better v , than words . "The cause of death is consistent with our current belief that Andrew was caught between a vehicle and the road and then dragged for a distance. Title Directed by Written by Original air date; 4 " Ruling Passion " Gareth Davies: Malcolm Bradbury: 14 June 1997 (): After being kept late by "The Fat Controller", as Ellie so bluntly puts it, Pascoe and his wife finally head out on their romantic weekend break to meet up with some old friends, only to find a house full of dead bodies and his best friend nowhere to be found. Long, of Mortimer, Reading, admits manslaughter and conspiracy to steal but denies murder. When they came across PC Harper and his colleague, the youth on the bike unhitched the strap and tried to get into the Seat, jurors heard. Karanka has previously shown a preference to naming a settled side, an approach which could lead to the same Birmingham XI this weekend. PC Andrew Harper had such 'horrific' and 'catastrophic' injuries on the night of his death that his colleague did not recognise him, a court has heard. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? 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On 15 August 2019, 28-year-old English police constable Andrew Harper was killed near Sulhamstead, Berkshire, England in the line of duty.Harper and a fellow officer were responding to a report of a burglary, after which Harper was dragged behind a car for a mile (1.6 km), causing his death.In July 2020, three teenage males were found guilty of manslaughter and received sentences of 16 and 13 . "He heard a bang, and he thought he might have screamed due to the shock of what he had just seen. Eight seconds later, Long mounts the verge as he drives around the police car. 'At 5pm I can't remember exactly where I was but I got to 4 Houses caravan site about 8.30pm and I stayed there all evening until police came and arrested me. Our love goes to his lovely wife, mum and dad, brother and all of his family and friends. He recalled both being very quiet and calm and neither appeared particularly shocked or surprised by what was being said.'. 20-year-old man charged with murder of PC Andrew Harper, Artist impression of Henry Long (L) Albert Bowers (C) and Jessie Cole (R) at the Old Bailey, PC Andrew Shaw was working with PC Harper on the night, The tragic incident took place on a country lane. On Saturday, police and forensic teams searched a caravan and mobile home site, Four Houses Corner, about three miles from where PC Harper died. PC Andy Kemp, who responded to the quad bike theft report, told the jury he saw a car come "straight through the junction" of Lambdens Hill with the A4. 'I do not believe that I have been in a beige SEAT Toledo number plate GK53..