PC Harper death: Teen accused of killing officer claimed he was 'watching DVDs' that night
A prosecutor told the Old Bailey that Henry Long said when charged: "I don't give a f*** about any of this."
Wednesday 24 June 2020 18:45, UK
The teenage driver accused of dragging PC Andrew Harper to his death had claimed he was at home watching Fast and Furious at the time of the incident, a court has heard.
Henry Long, 19, allegedly attempted to steal a quad bike from a Berkshire home before dragging the police officer behind his car for more than a mile on the evening of 15 August last year.
PC Harper, 28, had been trying to apprehend Long and two other teenagers when he became entangled in a strap attached to Long's Seat Toledo and was pulled along at speeds of more than 40mph, jurors were told.
Long, along with his passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, were arrested soon after the Seat was located by a police helicopter at Four Houses Corner travellers' site.
Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC said that when Long was told a police officer had died, he allegedly said words along the lines of: "Look at me. Do I look like a murderer?"
In a prepared statement, Long later said he had been at the caravan site that evening and was not involved in the incident.
He said: "We watched DVDs. One was Goonies, Fast & Furious. I went bed I think around 10.30pm. Police woke me up. I had been outside just for a cigarette but otherwise had not left."
On being charged, Long allegedly said: "I don't give a f*** about any of this."
Mr Laidlaw told the Old Bailey that Long now accepts he was the driver of the car but was "still refusing to face up to the whole truth".
He said Long maintains he did not know he was dragging anybody, but the prosecutor suggested the evidence would show "he knew perfectly well he was dragging a person behind the car".
"Furthermore it could only have been a police officer from the unmarked car that had confronted them in Admoor Lane," Mr Laidlaw added.
Long, Cole and Bowers have denied murder but admitted conspiring to steal the £10,000 quad bike.
Long has also pleaded guilty to manslaughter, the court heard.
The retrial of Long and Bowers, from Mortimer, near Reading, and Cole, of Aldermaston, continues.