Desperate 999 call from owner of quad bike stolen by PC Andrew Harper's alleged killers played in court

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The owner of the quad bike stolen by the alleged killers of PC Andrew Harper feared armed men were coming to break into his home when he desperately called 999 for help, the Old Bailey heard today.

Peter Wallis raised the alarm when he heard a car pulling into his driveway as he was tucked up in bed, and he saw masked men towing away his new £10,000 quad bike.

The homeowner had to be talked out of confronting the armed thieves by the police operator, and he warned: “This is not going to turn out well for me.”

Minutes later, as police responded to the burglary report, PC Harper became entangled in the thieves’ tow rope and was dragged for more than a mile along a country lane.

PC Andrew Harper was killed in August last year

He suffered catastrophic injuries and died in the road.

Henry Long, 18, and two 17-year-old boys have admitted plotting to steal the quad bike on August 15 last year but deny murdering the Thames Valley Police officer.

Henry Long, 18 in court
Elizabeth Cook/PA

In his 999 call played in court today, Mr Wallis can be heard urging police to rush to his home, near the village of Stanford Dingley in Berkshire, as he watches the thieves in his driveway.

“I’ve got four masked men outside my house, they’ve got weapons”, he told the operator.

“Don’t know whether they are coming to break into this house. They are going to break into something - trying to get into my garage or something.”

When he saw the men using a tow rope to steal his quad bike, he threatened to go outside the confront the men but the operator told him: “Don’t go out there - if they’ve got a weapon, you will be hurt.”.

He replied: “I don’t care, I’ve got to protect my property.”

Mr Wallis, who was persuaded to stay indoors, added: “This is not going to turn out well for me, I hope someone is on their way.”

Earlier the same day Mr Wallis, who was renovating his home, had confronted the same thieves as they pulled a car into his driveway and two men got out.

“I noticed the occupants of the car had masks and gloves on, the rear lights and numberplate were taped up”, he told the court.

“I said ‘can I help you gentlemen?’

“They were head down, sprinting, just left the car and they appeared surprised and quickly got into the car.

“I repeated that phrase twice.”

Mr Wallis said the driver - also masked – had “eyeballed” him in a brief stand-off on the driveway before the car drove away. They had been spotted by several ocals that afternoon, including one who described them as “dirty and rough”.

However they returned at just past 11pm and successfully stole Mr wallis’ quad bike which he had purchased for gardening work.

The homeowner said he was awake and “nervous” due to the afternoon confrontation, and heard the thieves’ car coming towards his home. Mr Wallis told jurors he saw the vehicle approaching with no headlights on and suspected it was the same men he had seen off earlier.

PC Harper, 28, was one of the first to respond to the 999 call, but his ankles became trapped in the thieves’ tow rope as they ditched the quad bike and drove away.

It is said the newly-wed officer’s body was swung from side to side like a pendulum as the thieves attempted to dislodge him from the rope, suffering mutiple injuries as he struck the road surface and hedgerows.

All three defendants deny murder. The trial continues.

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