PC Harper's widow feels he was 'totally let down' and wants Harper's Law to protect emergency service workers

PC Andrew Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, is calling for a new law to protect emergency services workers because she feels as though her late husband has been "totally let down" by the justice system. 

28-year-old PC Andrew Harper was killed on duty while responding to a burglary in 2019 and now his wife is campaigning for a mandatory minimum term for anyone convicted of murdering emergency workers.

More than 600,000 people have so far signed a petition supporting Harper’s Law, which she hopes will offer "a deterrent but also some form of justice" for emergency workers "should the worst happen to them."

"With Harper’s Law I want to create a brand new law that sees our emergency service workers protected for the job that they do," she said. "They go out every day and put themselves in harm’s way and we don’t really offer them the protection that they need."

"When it comes to the court case, you do just think, 'this is going to be hard but we’ll get through it and at the end of it Andrew will have some justice' – for that not to happen is heart-breaking," she added.

"I felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment for him because I thought he’d been totally let down. That’s what brings me to creating this new law, something to make a change, that we all can see really needs to happen."

She also spoke about the men convicted of her husband's manslaughter and said she wasn't "overly surprised" that they had chosen to appeal their sentences.

"But I’m pretty appalled that these people, having shown no remorse throughout the whole trial, think it’s within their right to appeal that. Already the sentences are far too lenient and they think: Let’s give it a go and see if we can get off'. That feels totally wrong to me. Hence why this campaign is so important."

Speaking of Andrew, she said: "He always wanted to look after people and protect them. That’s what he did in his normal life and his work life. Our protectors are there to protect us ultimately, and that's what he did all the time. The support that has been shown for him is amazing. I think it’s about time we all really appreciated what our emergency services do."

Of Harper’s Law she said: “It’s a fitting legacy.”