Teenage Prisoner Harassed Support Worker

A teenage prisoner who harassed a support worker has been handed a further 16 weeks in prison.

Cavan Harper, 19, was serving a sentence at HMP Peterborough in January last year (2021) when he told his support worker he was going to shoot the prison governor and then asked him to do it.

After being warned about his comments, Harper threatened to kill the support worker and his family in a series of voicemails.

He was again challenged and warned about his comments but claimed he was ‘joking’, however the voicemails continued.

On 3 December, a few days before he was due to be released from prison, Harper was charged with making threats to kill.

He denied the offence and a decision was made by the prison to not release him pending the trial.

Harper, of no fixed address, later admitted a lesser charge of harassment and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 2 February.

DC Sarah Morgan, who investigated, said: “Harper has displayed some particularly concerning and violent behaviour, with previous convictions for possession of a knife in public, as well as assaults and robbery.

“Over the course of his latest sentence Harper will be given further support to try to turn his life around and steer him away from crime.”