PM asks justice secretary to keep PC Harper's killers in jail

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has directed his justice secretary to find a way to exclude the men convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper from an early release scheme aimed at reducing prison overcrowding. Burnham is optimistic that a method can be devised to ensure Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who received 13-year manslaughter sentences in 2020, are not eligible under the government’s plan, according to information shared with the BBC.

Earlier, officials at Downing Street indicated that excluding a small number of offenders convicted of manslaughter from the early release policy might not be feasible. PC Harper, aged 28, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, lost his life in 2019 after being dragged behind a car driven by teenagers fleeing after stealing a quad bike in Berkshire. Changes to the Sentencing Act earlier this year mean Cole and Bowers, who were acquitted of murder charges, will qualify for release next January after serving half their sentences. Previously, prisoners convicted of serious violent or sexual offenses had to serve two-thirds of their sentence before being considered for early release.

The government has yet to clarify how it will prevent Cole and Bowers’ cases being treated the same as others convicted of similar crimes under the new regulations. If manslaughter convictions were universally excluded, it would affect many inmates beyond this case. A government spokesperson told the BBC, “The prime minister has asked the Justice Secretary to work through further options to keep a greater number of the most serious offenders in prison, including the killers of PC Harper.” Justice Secretary Alex Norris is expected to announce the government’s approach “in due course.” Sources mentioned that Burnham has been making daily phone calls during his holiday to seek a resolution.

Among those urging that Cole and Bowers be denied early release is PC Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, who championed the successful campaign for Harper’s Law, mandating life sentences for anyone who kills an emergency worker while committing a crime. Chris Bushnell, a former police dog handler present at the scene of Harper’s death, expressed shock at the possibility of early release for two of the perpetrators. Describing the incident as “beyond brutal,” Bushnell condemned the government’s stance, stating, “They’re spitting in the face of police officers.” Thames Valley Police Federation chairwoman Aileen O’Connor added that public sentiment strongly opposes the government’s position, with her petition calling to stop the early release of the killers gathering around 900,000 signatures.

Ministers acknowledge that prison capacity may be exhausted as early as October, intensifying pressure to implement early release measures. Dame Vera Baird, a former victims’ commissioner, highlighted that the government has invested in victim support services, an important step given the anxiety many feel about offenders potentially being freed sooner than anticipated. She emphasized the need for greater caution in deciding who qualifies for early release and suggested that sentences related to the controversial Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) scheme could be reviewed to ease prison overcrowding. Although IPP sentences were abolished in 2012, over 2,000 prisoners remain incarcerated under this scheme, prompting calls from the United Nations to end these sentences due to the psychological harm they cause. Dame Vera concluded that a comprehensive review and resentencing effort are urgently needed to address these and other issues within the current system

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