Andrew Harper's murder trial: what happened on day 1

PC Andrew Harper, who had just joined Thames Valley Roads Policing Team, died on August 15 after responding to a call for burglary – hours after his shift had ended.

He and his crewmate PC Andrew Shaw, who was driving, were due to finish at 7pm that evening but on their way back to base decided to take the 999 call about an ongoing burglary in Berkshire.

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The report had been made by a homeowner Peter Wallis, who said that three or four masked and gloved men ‘who had weapons’ had got out of a silver Seat car and managed to make off with his new, 2019 registered, Honda quad bike.

At the Old Bailey yesterday, the prosecution team said that those three men were the trio sitting in the dock accused with his murder.

Henry Long, 18, and two 17-year-old boys are all charged with his murder – which they deny.

Prosecutor Brian Altman said: “Despite it being well beyond the end of their shift, because they were close and thought they could help, they responded to the call.

“It was the decision that was to cost Andrew Harper his life.”

The crew left the M4 motorway at Junction 12 and drove along Lambdens Hill until they stopped head-on in front of the same car used for theft of the quad bike along Admoor Lane – about 20ft in front.

Long was driving and one of the teenagers was a passenger in the front seat.

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The other teenager was riding the stolen quad bike that was freewheeling behind the car, attached by a crane strap to the boot.

When they approached PC Harper’s unmarked BMW police car, the 17-year-old got off the quad bike and unhooked it from the car.

Prosecutors say that he tried to get into the back seat of the Seat as the car was moving but failed.

Simultaneously PC Harper got out of his side of the car and tried to run after the car and intercept the teenager who was now attempting to get into the front seat though the window.

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But as Long, the driver, tried to make a speedy getaway with all three now inside the car, PC Harper was ‘lassoed’ around his ankles by the strap, the court was told.

Prosecutor Brian Altman told the jury of 12: "With his ankles caught in a strap that was trailing behind a car being driven at speed along a county 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, losing items of his police uniform along the way, with the rest of his uniform being quite literally ripped and stripped from his body."

"When at last they became disentangled, he was left with the most awful injuries, from which he died from there on the road, surrounded by colleagues who tried in vain to save him."

He explained that his injuries 'were not survivable' and that it was a 'completely senseless killing of a 'young police officer' adding that he died ‘totally naked’ bar ‘shredded remains of the trousers he was wearing’.

When his crewmate PC Shaw noticed that he wasn’t standing on the side of the road after chasing after the car, he shouted ‘Ah f***’ before radioing the base and telling them the direction that the car travelled in.

Mr Altman told the court: "It is the prosecution case that Long drove the car knowing full-well that PC Harper was entangled on the strap, and he drove it in a manner calculated to dislodge him, and to make good their escape, as had been their plan all along."

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Mr Altman also showed the jury pictures and videos the same Seat, which he claims was riding around the area earlier that day.

Mr Altman told the court: “Mr Wallis [the homeowner] recalled he was working in the front garden inside the tent when at roughly 4.50pm on that Thursday, he noticed a car drive onto the edge of the driveway.

“Mr Wallis saw that the number plate and the rear lights were taped over. He saw two men come from the front and back of one side of the car, and run in the direction of his quad bike, while two other men remained inside the car.”

He said that they were all wearing face masks and hats so only their eyes were visible.

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Mr Wallis challenged the group on that occasion, but it is then alleged that later that evening, at around 11.30pm the quad bike was stolen.

One man, Thomas King, 21, is accused with conspiracy to steal the quad bike but his phone data showed that he had travelled to Wiltshire that evening and played no part in the later events.

King has admitted the charge and will be sentenced at the end of the trial, which is expected to last until April 17.