A new documentary airing tonight on ITV details the tragic death of PC Andrew Harper and the efforts to change the law in the wake of what happened – with his widow Lissie saying the film is a ‘hard watch’ but tells a ‘powerful’ story.
In August 2019, Andrew went to a property in Berkshire to respond to reports of a stolen quad bike, despite it being four hours after his shift was supposed to have finished. Along with colleague PC Andrew Shaw, he tracked down the thieves and got out of his vehicle to give chase on foot, but got caught in the tow rope of the getaway car. After being dragged for more than a mile at speeds of more than 40mph, he died at the scene.
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Three teenagers were charged with murder, but were later found guilty of manslaughter – with Henry Long, who was 19 at the time, jailed for 16 years, and Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, sentenced to 13 years each.
Andrew’s widow, Lissie, had only been married to her husband for four weeks before his untimely death, but has bravely channelled her grief into fighting for new legislation in his memory. In November last year, the government announced that it would introduce ‘Harper’s Law’, which means those who kill an emergency worker in the course of their duty will receive mandatory life sentences.
The new documentary, fronted by Trevor McDonald, sees Lissie recall the moment there was a knock at her door in the middle of night, when her life changed forever.
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The Killing of PC Harper: A Widow’s Fight for Justice also examines how the newlywed had to deal with the death of her husband in the glare of the media spotlight, and how her anger evolved into her drive for the Harper’s Law campaign.
Ahead of the documentary, Lissie admitted it had been difficult to share her ‘trauma’, but said she wanted others to know about the courtroom ‘wrongdoings’ that led to her pushing for the law change.
In a Facebook post, she said: “At the beginning of 2021 I was approached with the idea of being part of a documentary to tell the story of my battle for justice after my Husband was killed in 2019. I considered this for a long time but ultimately decided it was a way to help my Harper’s Law campaign to achieve change and justice. So after many full on months of filming, many days in which I wanted to throw in the towel, feeling drained from the pain you endure when telling your personal story of trauma, it is finally time for the show to air.”
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Lissie continued: “The documentary itself is a hard watch but tells a powerful story. I felt the need to show to the world the wrongdoings that went on in those court rooms. The hard work that is involved in changing a Law and the dedication and love I have given for Andrew and for those who may find themselves in that heartbreaking position in the future.”
She added: “Some of you may watch, some of you may not. Either way this is a culmination of blood, sweat and tears over the past two years, I want to thank my team and all of the support I have received from my amazing family, friends and strangers…This is the final media push before Harper’s Law receives its royal assent, which I hope will happen very soon.”
Watch The Killing of PC Harper: A Widow’s Fight for Justice on ITV at 9pm tonight (Tuesday 15 March).
Topics: TV and Film
Jess Hardiman