Left Bowers – Middle Long – Right Cole

Two teenagers found guilty of killing Pc Andrew Harper have launched appeals against their convictions.

The 18-year-olds want to challenge the verdicts and their 13-year sentences.

Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole have lodged applications with the Court of Appeal.

No dates have been set for the hearings.

Pc Harper’s mother Debbie Adlam said the appeals were a “kick in the stomach”.

She told the Press Association (PA) news agency:

“We’ve only just come through the first anniversary of Andrew’s death.

“It’s been the most painful year of my life and the trial was absolutely gruelling.

“We clearly didn’t get the justice that we all felt that we deserved – but this application to appeal both conviction and sentence is a further kick in the stomach.

“We will obviously have to leave it up to the judicial system but I’d like to think that I do not live in a country where people can be involved in taking a life whilst committing a crime and be allowed to walk away from it and serve anything other than a lengthy custodial sentence.”

Bowers and Cole were jailed with Henry Long, 19, for killing Pc Harper.

The Thames Valley officer was investigating the theft of a quad bike in Berkshire last August.

As the thieves drove off Pc Harper became entangled in a towrope tied to the getaway car.

He was dragged for one mile and died from “catastrophic injuries”.

The appeals came as Pc Harper’s widow Lissie, 29, started a campaign for “Harper’s Law”.

The law would ensure anyone convicted of killing an emergency service worker should receive a life sentence.

The petition is at https://www.change.org/HarpersLaw

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has been asked to review the killers’ sentences to consider if they were too lenient.