Teen driver who dragged Pc Andrew Harper to his death says he feels “disgraceful”

The teenage driver who dragged Pc Andrew Harper to his death has said he feels “disgraceful” and would have tried to save him if he'd known the officer was there, a court has heard.

Henry Long, 19, was allegedly trying to evade arrest after attempting to steal a £10,000 quad bike from a house in Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, on the evening of August 15 last year.

Pc Harper, 28, had got out of his patrol car to chase after a suspect when his ankles got entangled in a tow strap attached to Long's Seat Toledo.

He was pulled along winding country lanes for more than a mile before he became disentangled, having suffered catastrophic injuries.

Within hours of Pc Harper's death, Long and his two passengers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, both 18, were arrested.

Long, Bowers and Cole, from near Reading, have denied Pc Harper's murder but admitted conspiracy to steal the quad bike.

Long has also admitted Pc Harper's manslaughter, but denied intending to harm him.

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, he accepted that he had killed Pc Harper and said he felt "disgraceful."

Long told jurors he could not sleep and thought about Pc Harper's family and how they feel.

He said he was unaware Pc Harper was attached to his car, adding: "If I was aware I would have stopped the vehicle, tried to save him."

The trial continues.