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Jason Bye
Lissie Harper said the meeting with the Home Office was “urgent”
The widow of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in the line of duty, is set to meet Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Lissie Harper, 29, has set up the meeting as part of a campaign for those convicted of killing emergency service workers to be jailed for life.
PC Harper, 28, suffered catastrophic fatal injuries when he was dragged behind a getaway car in Berkshire.
The meeting with Ms Patel is due early next month, although the Home Office has not yet commented.
PC Andrew Harper had been married just four weeks before he was killed
The Attorney General’s Office said it had been asked to review the sentences and has until 28 August to decide if the Court of Appeal should review them.
PC Harper’s killers had been accused of murder but were convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Mrs Harper has raised 500,000 signatures as part of her campaign for a change in the law.
“We are delighted that the Home Office have been in touch to arrange the important meeting with Home Secretary Priti Patel. This is vital and it’s urgent,” she said in a statement.
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Thames Valley Police
Jessie Cole, Henry Long and Albert Bowers (L-R) were convicted of killing PC Harper
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Today, she said: “Our emergency service workers go out and do their jobs putting themselves at risk.
“I think if they’re going to a situation where somebody has committed a crime and as a result of that situation they lose their life, then they need to suitably dealt with and that’s just not happening at the moment…
“Ultimately we want a life sentence. We want something that reflects taking someone’s life, so that’s something we want to talk to the home secretary about and kind of get to the bottom of it and see what we can actually do.”
‘Put in danger’
She said she did not believe emergency workers are “more important”, but this new law would be directed at them because of the nature of their work.
“These people spend their days dealing with crime and with dangerous situations and they’re putting themselves in danger to protect the public so I think if anybody needs that sort of protection, it’s them,” she added.
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FamilyHandout
Lissie Harper has vowed to “fight for a change in the law in memory of her late husband”
The maximum sentence a judge can impose for manslaughter is life imprisonment but they must specify a minimum term to be served.