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Category: Criminal Justice

  • Lissie Harper – 2020 Letter to the Prime Minister on her Husband’s Trial

    Lissie Harper – 2020 Letter to the Prime Minister on her Husband’s Trial

    The letter sent by Lissie Harper, the wife of the murdered police officer PC Andrew Harper, to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary on 29 July 2020.

    Dear Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, David Blunkett and any other person in which has the power, moral value and sheer strength of character to right such a despicable wrong for our Country…

    I am sure you are acutely aware of the details of the recent trial for the conviction of my late husband PC Andrew Harper’s killers. Not only was this the second of two trials as the first one eventually had to be cancelled due to Covid-19, but it was also an utter injustice. Not only were the three remorseless men found Not-guilty by a possibly influenced jury of 11, but the way in which the trial was conducted, the suspected interference with the jury and the manner in which the defendants behaved was a total disregard for any legal justice system. Myself among what appears to be almost the whole country are frankly outraged and determined to have this miscarriage of justice overturned.

    After the worst possible year any person can face I am immensely drained and devastated, More to the point I am not even sure if there is realistically anything that can be achieved by this letter. However what I will say is that if there is even the slightest chance that this abominable injustice can be rectified then I will do everything I possibly can to ensure that it is.

    Not only was my husband brutally killed in the most savage and cruel way but he was also an on duty devoted police officer coming to the aid of an innocent member of the public whilst the defendants attempted to commit crimes as they admit without guilt that they do as a lifestyle.

    There are many, many details in which made this recent trial atrociously below board including the fact that one member of the jury was dismissed well into the trial due to being over friendly with the defendants as well as their families, in addition to making inappropriate comments to the defendants in court in which was witnessed by members of the prison service. On top of this following the first trial it was suspected that there could be jury interference and was therefore necessary for the jury to be given special protection by the police after detectives had intel to suggest that family of the defendants were making plans to intimidate them. This alone in our eyes should be enough grounds for a retrial.

    Further to this there had been moments in which the jury seemed to be behaving questionably, for example smiling up at the defendants families, as well as being seen to run out of court very quickly during lunch breaks possibly in order to avoid the swarms of traveller families camped out outside the court.

    Believe me, I could go on and on about all of the aspects of this case that quite frankly have not been considered. It is important to note that the Police and detectives had left no stone unturned in order to provide a wealth of evidence against the defendants to show how culpable they are for the murder of my husband. The prosecution barristers made our case spectacularly and with clarity, dignified in the truth.

    On the other side of things laid barely a defence whatsoever. Even the reconstruction in which to so many showed clearly that at least Henry Long would have known that he was dragging a heavy person behind his car played heavily to a conviction of murder. The jury by all accounts had a very clear journey to follow, a story of indisputable facts and detail was right there in front of them for all to see. These are the reasons that leave the entire country shocked and mystified as to how this could have possibly been a trial of honest and equitable decision.

    The horrific details of the way in which my husband was killed need no repetition, once heard leave a devastating imprint on the minds of anyone who hears them. So for those who have sat day after day seeing footage and photos more horrifying than any they had probably ever had the misfortune of seeing before, for those who have sat whilst coroners divulge the senseless and heartbreaking injuries that Andrew received that night back in August, how is it at all possible to come to any conclusion other than a guilty verdict of murder?

    I am very aware that myself and our families are of course biased, we will always know the truth, and in honesty if this had been a fair trial I may have been more inclined to leave it be and try to accept the verdict that has been reached. However along with the whole world it seems to me, we can all see as plain as day that it clearly has not been a fair trial whatsoever.

    So whomever it may be that I must speak to, whoever the correct person, establishment or government body that has the power to help me to claim justice for an innocent man robbed of his life, to ensure that these three immoral, barbaric and shameless men are made to pay for their crimes, not only for Andrew but also for our whole country. I will keep fighting on behalf of Andrew, the future that was stolen from us and also the victims who find themselves in this unjustly situation in the future.

    After all, who are we if we allow our legal system to fail us? What is this country if it does not provide justice for the innocent? What does it say to the public and the Police officers, old and new if every day they go out and put themselves at risk to detain these criminals just to witness them be treated so exceptionally lightly in the eyes of the law? It says that we are weak, that we will roll over to the despicable thieves and vile miscreants of this world and literally let them get away with murder.

    In total honesty I could write and write until my fingers hurt, I could pour my heart further into this letter, I could scream and shout and stand with fierce determination in the eyes of opposition over this crucial matter. After all what else can I do for my husband now? My heart bleeds for the life that was so selfishly taken from us, but yet in arduous restraint I will not go on any further.

    So I implore you to hear my words, see the facts that are laid out before us, and I ask with no expectations other than hope that you might help me to make these changes be considered, to ensure that Andrew is given the retrial that he unquestionably deserves and to see that the justice system in our country is the solid ethical foundation that it rightly should be. Not the joke that so many of us now view it to be.

    Please feel able to share my letter far and wide to whomever you see to be appropriate and impactful.

    Kindest regards
    Lissie Harper

  • Kit Malthouse – 2020 Comments on the Safer Streets Fund

    Kit Malthouse – 2020 Comments on the Safer Streets Fund

    The text of the comments made by Kit Malthouse, the Crime and Policing Minister, on 28 July 2020.

    Persistent street crime and burglary have a corrosive effect on a neighbourhood, leaving people apprehensive about leaving their homes, and afraid of what they might encounter when they return.

    But simple modifications like better street lighting or CCTV can do a lot to prevent crime.

    So alongside more focussed thief-taking by the police, these projects should have a big impact on the communities hardest hit by burglars, robbers and villains in general.

  • Robert Buckland – 2020 Comments on Nightingale Courts

    Robert Buckland – 2020 Comments on Nightingale Courts

    The text of the comments made by Robert Buckland, the Lord Chancellor, on 19 July 2020.

    Our action to keep the justice system running throughout the pandemic has been globally recognised, with these Nightingale Courts being the latest step in this effort.

    They will help boost capacity across our courts and tribunals – reducing delays and delivering speedier justice for victims.

    But we won’t stop there. Together with the judiciary, courts staff and legal sector, I am determined that we must pursue every available option to ensure our courts recover as quickly as possible.

  • David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Chaos in Criminal Justice System

    David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Chaos in Criminal Justice System

    The text of the comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, on 19 July 2020.

    The government clearly does not recognise the scale of the crisis in our justice system.

    The backlog in criminal cases was in the tens of thousands before the pandemic began, Coronavirus has only made an existing problem worse. The fact that several of the new ‘Nightingale’ courts are former courts which the government closed down exposes the cost of ten years of cuts to the justice system.

    The government must do much more to ensure victims of crime are no longer denied justice because of delay.

  • Sarah Jones – 2020 Comments on ONS Crime Statistics

    Sarah Jones – 2020 Comments on ONS Crime Statistics

    The text of the comments made by Sarah Jones, the Shadow Minister for Policing and Fire, on 17 July 2020.

    These statistics show the continued impact of police cuts, with deeply worrying rises in violence across the country.

    The nature of lockdown means there’s likely to be a fall in some types of violence, although worryingly not in areas such as domestic abuse. However, none of the issues that drive violence on our streets have been addressed and the economic fallout is likely to make many of them even worse.

    The government urgently need to provide the funding so the officers they have promised can be delivered, to try and help repair the terrible damage they have done to policing since 2010.

  • Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Low Sentences

    Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Low Sentences

    The text of the comments made by Michael Ellis, the Solicitor General, on 16 July 2020.

    The ULS scheme allows anyone, including victims of crime, to ask for a review of certain sentences they believe are too low.

    A sentencing exercise is not an exact science. In the vast majority of cases, judges get it right. While we are seeing fewer complaints about sentences, the scheme is still important to ensure that certain cases can be reviewed where there may have been a gross error in the sentencing decision. This brings comfort to many victims and their families.

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    Priti Patel – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    The text of the comments made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 13 July 2020.

    Our police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers go above and beyond every single day – running towards danger to protect us all.

    They are our frontline heroes who put their lives on the line every single day to keep us safe, and yet some despicable individuals still think it’s acceptable to attack, cough or spit at these courageous public servants.

    This consultation sends a clear and simple message to the vile thugs who assault our emergency workers – you will not get away with such appalling behaviour and you will be subject to the force of the law.

  • Robert Buckland – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    Robert Buckland – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    The text of the comments made by Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, on 13 July 2020.

    Being punched, kicked or spat at should never be part of the job for our valiant emergency workers who put their lives on the line to keep the public safe.

    Now more than ever they must be able to do their extraordinary work without the fear of being attacked or assaulted, which is why we’re determined to look at how our laws can protect them further.

    We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics – and ensure those who seek to harm them feel the full force of the law.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    The text of the comments made by Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Shadow Home Secretary, on 13 July 2020.

    We will look closely at the full details of what the Ministers bring forward. However, if the Government had listened to Labour MPs like Chris Bryant and Holly Lynch in 2018 the principle of a two-year sentence for attacks on frontline workers would already be in place.

    Police officers have faced some appalling attacks in recent weeks while going about their work to keep people safe – this is unacceptable and we should do all we can to protect them, including tougher sentences for those who attack them.

  • David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Sentencing for Assaults on Emergency Workers

    The text of the comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, on 13 July 2020.

    Emergency workers put themselves in danger to keep the rest of us safe. It is right that anyone who assaults a firefighter, prison officer, paramedic or police officer should face the full force of the law.

    We will look closely at these proposals, but recognising the bravery of emergency workers requires more than just increasing sentences for those that assault them. After a decade of austerity, the Government should promise to end the cuts that have left our emergency services understaffed and overworked even before this crisis began.