Helena Wilkinson

The death of a beloved pet can cause intense, complicated grief, including guilt over euthanasia and feelings of isolation. Personal accounts from Helena Wilkinson, Greg James and others show how deeply pets can shape people’s lives, while Blue Cross reports substantial demand for bereavement support. The article also examines the limited workplace recognition of pet loss: no country mandates paid leave for it, although some UK employers are becoming more flexible. Formal policies face practical questions over which animals and circumstances should be covered.

The death of BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James's dog prompts a wider examination of pet bereavement. Helena Wilkinson describes the loss of her dog Lara and the guilt and emotional pain surrounding euthanasia, while experts and other bereaved owners explain why pet loss can be isolating and profound. Although employers are becoming more flexible, no country mandates paid leave after a pet's death, and formal policies face questions over which animals should be covered.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has instructed Justice Secretary Alex Norris to devise a way to prevent Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in the death of PC Andrew Harper, from benefiting from new early-release rules. The pair could otherwise be released next January after serving half their sentences, while the government expects around 5,000 prisoners to qualify as it attempts to relieve overcrowding. Harper's family, police representatives and nearly 900,000 petition signatories oppose their release, while ministers face legal and practical difficulties in creating an exemption that would not affect other manslaughter prisoners. The government is expected to present its plan to Parliament in September.

PC Andrew Harper was killed in August 2019, four weeks after marrying Lissie Harper, when his ankles became caught in a strap trailing from a car towing a stolen quad bike. Albert Bowers, Jessie Cole and Henry Long were convicted of manslaughter, with Bowers and Cole sentenced to 13 years and Long to 16 years. Public anger has resurfaced because Bowers and Cole remain eligible for early release under a prison-overcrowding scheme. The decision has devastated Harper's family, angered police officers and prompted a petition with more than 750,000 signatures. Lissie Harper's campaign helped lead to Harper's Law, which introduced mandatory life sentences for people convicted of killing emergency workers while committing a crime.

Prince Harry and other claimants who lost their privacy case against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, may face legal costs running into millions of pounds. During a High Court hearing, lawyers said the publisher’s costs had reached nearly £34.5 million, while the claimants’ £16.2 million insurance cover might be insufficient. Associated Newspapers is seeking full costs on an indemnity basis, arguing that the claimants conducted the litigation unreasonably; the claimants deny this and say imposing the full bill would be unjust, particularly because they could be personally liable. The court has not yet decided the final allocation of costs.

Prince Harry and other high-profile claimants, including Elton John, Doreen Lawrence and Elizabeth Hurley, may face legal costs running into millions after losing their privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail. At a two-day High Court hearing, ANL said its costs had reached almost £34.5 million and sought full costs on an indemnity basis, alleging unreasonable conduct by the claimants. The claimants disputed that characterization, said they acted in good faith, and warned that their £16.2 million insurance cover may be insufficient. The court has not yet decided how much they must pay.