Pc Andrews law - automatically give the killers of hero's 20 years with no early release

[pctmmn]

Seems like a good idea to me, I hope his mum and wife manage to get it pushed through parlement.

Anyone that kills a police/nurse/army worker should get a guaranteed long term as these people put their lives on the risk for society and some of the sentences are a joke

While I was sickened by what happened to Pc Andrew Harper and I feel that they should have been convicted of murder I cannot agree with this campaign. Each case needs to be dealt with individually.

@YesINameChangeEveryDay

Surely that's saying that these people's lives are worth more though?

If their job is more dangerous then that's the point.

So I'd put paramedics in there too

Oh for goodness sake OP. We all 'get it' we just don't all agree with you.

Absolutely agree. So patronising. I hate it when OPs only respond to those that agree with them too. I wonder if she'll be back?

It’s such a simple-minded premise.

Firstly, define “hero”

If you’re basing that profession alone, you’re surely aware that police officers (etc) can commit serious crimes such as murder and rape? Some police officers can and do abuse their positions, so you’d be doing their victims a disservice by automatically assuming they’re a “hero” that can do no wrong.

Er, no. Like petitions calling for the death penalty, this petition appeals to the hard-of-thinking.

@SchrodingersImmigrant 🤣🤣🤣

Each case on its merits with all the circumstances considered.

@GnusSitOnCanoes

Completely disagree. Cases should be tried on their individual merits.

I agree cases should be case by case no mandatory sentences.

Just agreeing with all the calm and measured sensible people here - sorry OP but the idea is ridiculous - a total knee jerk reaction - poorly thought out

@ghostyslovesheets

Just agreeing with all the calm and measured sensible people here - sorry OP but the idea is ridiculous - a total knee jerk reaction - poorly thought out

The widow of hero police officer PC Andrew Harper is launching a campaign for “Andrew’s Law” - which would see criminals convicted of killing emergency services workers spend the rest of their lives in jail.

Well, I don't suppose she's had time to fully flesh it out, but 'Hero' wasn't the in the original

But I do think there is merit in what she says. Not sure about the length of sentence but I do think it should be pretty severe.

I actually think killing/ assaulting a police officer should carry a higher penalty - given their job they are a particular target and at greater risk and so there needs to be a really high deterrent.

This is so wrong and I absolutely do not support this petition.

Every family of a murdered person deserves justice. There does need to be consideration given to those who do dangerous jobs for the benefit of society (including police officers, paramedics etc) but that consideration should come in the form of adequate protection on the job to reduce the risks to their safety. For example, without knowing much about PC Harper's killers, I'd imagine they were known to the authorities previously despite being very young. And I'd also bet that there were plenty of opportunities for interventions during their lives that may well have prevented them from ultimately committing this crime if we lived in a country that made adequate financial provision for social services, the police, prisons, the judiciary, young offenders etc. I would sign a petition to better fund all of these services, and reform then where necessary. That is how you honour the people in society who do dangerous jobs to protect us all.

I don't believe that the families of non-police murder victims should have to accept their loved one's killers being handed a lesser sentence than the killers of a police officer.

I'm a nurse and don't agree. I don't put my life on the line for anybody.

Manslaughter is a crime which covers a huge range of circumstances, from mercy killings, DV victims snapping, and self-defence which goes slightly over the line, to punch ups gone wrong to horrendous cases like this one. The only thing they have in common is that somebody died despite the fact that the perpetrator did not intend to kill, wound or cause grievous injury.

Judges need to be able to apply appropriate discretion in sentencing.

Politics need to be free of emotional reactions. What happened was horrific, and no one is arguing there should have been harsher punishment. But making a law like this is ill thought out and frankly, no good. Cases need to be reviewed individually. But the whole system is broken anyway imo

@helloareyouthere

I actually think killing/ assaulting a police officer should carry a higher penalty - given their job they are a particular target and at greater risk and so there needs to be a really high deterrent.

This is already the case if the offender is over 21. The starting point for the sentence consideration for murdering a police officer in the course of their duties is a whole life term.

This can be accomplished by amending the sentencing guidelines, it doesn't warrant primary legislation. As several people have mentioned, if the victim is a police officer doing their job that's already an aggravating factor.

The very fact that OP and some others don't already know that the murder of a police officer is already punished with a starting point of a whole life term (which doesn't apply to any other murder case) shows the ignorance behind this petition.

I am so sick of the word hero being applied to people who have never carried out a heroic action.
FFS the co-op is even calling customers who stay 2m from each other in the queue, heroes. The word has lost all meaning.

Agreeing with you does not mean they "get it" because "it" is a ridiculous and offensive suggestion.

I don't agree. Every case is different and nuanced and has it's own peculiar story. The law cannot generalise and say, oh, the victim was a 999 responder therefore the perpetrator should automatically get life if convicted. Ideally everyone should be treated equally under the law. Just because you are a copper, a paramedic or a nurse shouldn't mean the law should come down tougher.

Mining is the most dangerous job worldwide. 15,000 die every year so that we can have our phones and cars, jewelry and energy sources, etc. Most of my in-laws are miners. If one of them were to be murdered, would we “qualify” for an even longer sentence because their job is more dangerous than the police? I can assure you that mining is far more dangerous than being a district nurse in a retirement community, dressing corns and bunions, or a GP in a small village.

To be fair, it may not be part of the official sentencing procedure, but when crimes or other deaths are reported in the press, the number of children the dead person had is often used as a measure of the severity of the crime.

So I think the number of children may already be taken into account in some ways.

I agree OP. And obviously it means when an emergency worker, policeman, nurse, paramedic etc is murdered "in the line of duty"
So obviously not if they are down the pub and get into a fight or as another poster suggested if their wife kills them.
The distinction is obvious between the two incidents.
And for those mentioning mining etc as dangerous professions. Yes they are, but not comparable to a role where the duty is to run towards danger to serve the public.
I include teachers and social workers too although these may be less straightforward if the murderer is for example a child or someone with learning difficulties say.
But yes to anyone else that has capacity / age to know right from wrong.
Police officers and first responders put their lives on the line daily into dangerous situations for the public and so should be uniquely recognised for this.
Supermarket assistants do a great job too but they are not expected to run towards danger to protect the public. That's the difference i think.