Nottinghamshire police widow backs Harper's Law

Tracy Walker, the widow of police dog handler PC Ged Walker, is backing a campaign for tougher sentences

The widow of a police officer who died while trying to stop a stolen taxi is backing a campaign for life sentences for the killers of emergency workers.

PC Ged Walker was killed in 2003 when he was dragged 100 yards by the stolen car in Bulwell, Nottingham.

PC Walker's widow Tracy said on Wednesday she supports the Harper's Law campaign.

This was launched by Lissie Harper after her police officer husband Andrew died in similar circumstances.

Mrs Walker said: "Lissie's battle to achieve Harper's Law really resonates with my own story.

"Like Lissie, I felt let down by the system that deemed this barbaric act as unintentional and not deliberate.

"Police officers get dragged by cars all the time, but vehicles don't seem to be considered as the weapon they are.

"So many officers are injured by vehicle crime, but its severity when sentencing is never dealt with the same as gun and knife crime."

PC Walker was trying to get the keys from the taxi's ignition

The driver David Parfitt was convicted of PC Walker's manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years in prison, serving nine.

He was later jailed again for other crimes.

PC Andrew Harper had been married just four weeks before he was killed

PC Harper, 28, suffered fatal injuries when his ankles became caught in a strap trailing behind a getaway car in Berkshire in August 2019 and was dragged to his death.

The driver of the car, Henry Long, 19, and his two passengers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were cleared of murder and found guilty instead of manslaughter.

Long is set to appeal against his 16-year sentence, while the two 18-year-olds are appealing against both their convictions and 13-year sentences.

In a separate move, following a referral by the Attorney General, Court of Appeal judges will also consider whether the jail terms were too lenient.

The campaign for Harper's Law has already received cross-party backing

PC Harper's widow has called for a change in the law to make life sentences mandatory for killing emergency service workers.

Mrs Harper said: "To have the support of such a brave lady [as Tracy]... and so many other police widows and widowers is so humbling and important.

"It's going to be a long road but we must continue and battle for this. We must provide an appropriate punishment and a suitable deterrent to those who would kill our emergency services heroes."