Family anger at possible early release of PC's killers

The family of police officer Andrew Harper say a new law that came in the wake of his death feels "forgotten" as two of his killers may be eligible for early release from prison.

PC Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 when he was dragged by a car down a country road as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.

Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the vehicle and both 17 at the time, were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter but might be eligible for early release under the new Sentencing Act.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would work with the new justice secretary to "review the policy" and "make further statements in due course".

PC Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, campaigned for legal changes to see harsher sentences for the manslaughter of emergency workers on duty.

Harper's Law was among the new measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

In her first statement in four years, she said: "When I fought for Harper's Law, I was supported not only by the Conservative government of the day but by the Labour Party too.

"They pledged to support our cause and agreed that those who kill emergency workers should face tougher sentences because some crimes are so grave they demand meaningful punishment.

"That cross party support helped make Harper's Law a reality. Today, it feels forgotten.

"For victims' families, this is not about politics. It is about whether a sentence means what a judge says it means.

"It is about whether justice is something we truly believe in, or something that can be negotiated away when it becomes inconvenient."

Speaking to The Telegraph, PC Harper's mother Debbie Adlam said she had received a letter from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirming their sentences might be reduced.

She said: "It makes me feel sick. Andrew's life doesn't get to come back. It feels like a slap in the face and an insult."

She added that "people are getting a free pass for crime" in the UK.

Burnham said he wants to make sure "everything has been looked at" before the early prisoner release policy goes ahead.

Speaking to reporters in Bath, he said: "All I can say is I will review the whole of this policy."

He added: "I want to assure myself that everything has been looked at before this policy proceeds, and I can give that assurance that every single part of this I will look into with the Justice Secretary.

"I can't say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward."

PC Harper, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of the car and dragged down a country road as the teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.

Both Cole and Bowers might be eligible to be released from prison halfway through their sentences, the MoJ has confirmed.

Under the new Sentencing Act, due to come into force in September, some 6,000 criminals are set to be released under the early prison release scheme.

The government has so far failed to rule out whether killers, rapists and paedophiles will be exempt from the scheme.

Burnham said the driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, who received a 16-year sentence, would not be eligible for the scheme.

The prime minister added: "On the broader issue, I feel for the family, it's an appalling crime that was committed.

"The main perpetrator will not be subject to any early release. Of course, others involved have potentially been identified."

An MoJ spokesperson said: "This was a horrific crime, and our deepest sympathies are with PC Andrew Harper's family and friends.

"In 2024, the country was facing a prison crisis and a total breakdown of law and order, with judges ordered to stop jailing dangerous criminals.

"This government is committed to public safety: we are building prison places at the fastest rate since the Victorian era, and taking the difficult decisions needed to lock up the most dangerous offenders."

The government has insisted the Act will not see early releases for offenders deemed "the most dangerous", including those on extended determinate or life sentences.

The Police Federation of England & Wales responded to The Telegraph story on X, calling the early release policy "disgusting".

Deputy national chairman Brian Booth said: "Police officers from across the country stood side by side to honour Andrew Harper at his funeral.

"They and every serving officer will be utterly sickened at the prospect of Bowers and Cole being back on the streets so soon."

PC Harper responded to the quad bike call just hours after he had been due to clock off and begin his honeymoon with wife Lissie Harper.

Harper's Law extends mandatory life sentences to anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty including police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics.

It is not retrospective, meaning PC Harper's killers cannot have their sentences extended.

Lissie Harper, who received an MBE for her campaign work, said: "It has taken me years to rebuild a life that was torn apart in a matter of moments.

"Years to pick up the pieces left behind by three men whose actions robbed Andrew of his life and stole our future.

"Now - once again - politicians are making decisions from behind a desk that will have real and lasting consequences for victims' families like mine.

"It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable. We speak of justice, accountability and standing with victims, yet decisions like this do the opposite.

"They tell victims their suffering matters less, and offenders that the punishment handed down by our courts is no longer what they will actually serve."

She added: "Andrew deserves better. Every victim deserves better, and the British public deserve a justice system they can have faith in."

Conservative Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber is calling for emergency legislation to prevent their early release.

"The public and police officers alike will join Andrew's family in their outrage that two of the men convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper are set to be released early," he said.

"Blanket early release measures for large sections of the prison population mean that many criminals will simply never face proper punishment.

"This risks undermining the faith in the criminal justice system."

New Justice Secretary Alex Norris has been urged to reconsider the early release scheme after being appointed by Andy Burnham on Monday.

Asked about reports that the prime minister could be working on exempting rapists and child groomers from the scheme, his spokesman said: "The government's fully focused on keeping the public safe.

"We've got no option but to take decisive action to fix the crisis in our prisons. I'm not going to get into speculation over possible policy changes.

"Of course, the prime minister will take decisions on all manner of policy areas in the future, including how we get justice for victims."

Aileen O'Connor, chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, said: "The killers of PC Andrew Harper should be kept where they belong... behind bars.

"Police across Thames Valley, and indeed the country, will be disgusted at the prospect of these smirking lowlifes being free to roam the streets.

"These killers have never shown any remorse for their horrific and deadly actions that night.

"Andrew's wife Lissie and his whole family are serving a life sentence. The least we can expect is that his killers serve their whole sentence, however poor it already is."

She added that the organisation would be communicating with the police minister, the home secretary and the prime minister.

"We will not stop. Andrew deserves nothing less," O'Connor said.

"What message does this send about the worth of a life of a police officer? The government and the parole board must reconsider any plans to release Andrew's killers early. And they must do it now. No ifs. No buts."

Cabinet minister Heidi Alexander said the early release scheme was necessary because the justice system had been on the brink of collapse when Labour came to power.

She told BBC Breakfast: "If we ran out of prison spaces, courts couldn't sentence and the police wouldn't have been able to arrest.

"No responsible government would have allowed us to get into that situation."

Meanwhile, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has insisted there was "no ill intent" behind apparent comments about the early release scheme, which were caught on camera.

He can be heard saying to Norris that "he wants to let them all out" - appearing to reference the government's plans for the early release of prisoners.

The prime minister was asked if it was acceptable for members of his Cabinet to joke about early release.

Burnham said: "No, it's not, and certainly that's been acknowledged, and apologies have been made."