Rip Andrew Harper - Thames Valley Police

[Halibut 12]

15 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

I can fully understand that and imagine lots of people have the same opinion.   

 

But what concerns me with things like this is facts of law.  Exactly what grounds, demonstratable legal inaccuracies and evidence do all the people signing the position have to demand a retrial? 

 

I fully appreciate the highly emotional subject under discussion and the disgrace that a serving officer has been killed in such a brutal and despicable way - but this is a point of law which should go far beyond inevitable slacktivism, clicking a few buttons and adding names to a list. 

 

Petitions are usually set up for a matter to be debated in parliament if they have enough signatories.   However there is a very distinct gap between influence of parliament and judicial independence which for very good reasons needs to be adhered to.  

 

Whilst a public show of support is pleasing, in my opinion it should be a simply a matter for the widow and the victims to decide on any retrial not one to be forced upon or heavily encouraged by lots of speculation and uninformed opinion from wider members of the public.  

It absolutely shouldn't. It's for the courts to decide.

[iansheff 86]

18 hours ago, whiteowl said:

16 years for one and 13 years for the other 2.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46544144

Yes 2 of them out aged 31 if they serve the full sentence and the other out at 35, still young enough to find a partner and have a family. That is something that Andrew Harpers wife, thanks to these thugs will never have with him.

[ECCOnoob 1,020]

4 hours ago, Halibut said:

It absolutely shouldn't. It's for the courts to decide.

To clarify, I meant that it should be a matter for the widow and victims to decide on whether they wish to pursue and seek permission for retrial.  

 

The key point I was making is that any such decision should be entirely theirs  alone.   It should be completely without pressure or otherwise forced by lots of disconnected members of the public clicking some online campaign form or a load of opinionated talking heads spewing  over social media .  

[Halibut 12]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

To clarify, I meant that it should be a matter for the widow and victims to decide on whether they wish to pursue and seek permission for retrial.  

 

The key point I was making is that any such decision should be entirely theirs  alone.   It should be completely without pressure or otherwise forced by lots of disconnected members of the public clicking some online campaign form or a load of opinionated talking heads spewing  over social media .  

Indeed. However, unless there's new evidence or evidence that the jury was nobbled such an attempt should be rejected - the fact that it's the widow and her family asking should carry no weight at all.

[iansheff 86]

Just reading two of PC Harper's killers have appealed their conviction, hope the sentences are increased.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/courts/two-of-pc-harper-s-killers-launch-appeals-against-their-convictions/ar-BB189iDE?ocid=msedgntp&fbclid=IwAR2yBBhmdY6xZojC-QoeVdrjJkY2vI9SEVV0-ZxyKOAIMz2tcxs1M7o8uaQ

[hauxwell 243]

The case is being reviewed by The Attorney General.  I’m hoping that they will have their sentence increased or at least serve the whole of their sentence.

 

 

 

 

[hauxwell 243]

PC Harper’s killers are having their sentence referred to the Courts of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.  I for one hope they get a longer sentence.  

 

I’m not sure about this but does that mean two of the killers can still challenge their convictions or do they have to wait until the Courts of Appeal have looked at it.

  

[mikeG 16]

The smiling scum wouldn't be giving the thumbs up to the cameras if the death penalty was still around.

[apelike 10]

3 hours ago, mikeG said:

The smiling scum wouldn't be giving the thumbs up to the cameras if the death penalty was still around.

IIRC the death penalty was only used for murder and some other crimes but not used for manslaughter so would have made no difference.

Edited August 21, 2020 by apelike