PC Andrew Harper killers exempt from early release

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Tuesday that individuals convicted of unlawful killing, including manslaughter, will be excluded from an early release scheme. This change means Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were convicted of the unlawful killing of PC Andrew Harper, will not be eligible for early release.

PC Andrew Harper died in 2019 in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, after he was caught in a strap attached to a fleeing vehicle. Bowers and Cole were passengers in the car and were each sentenced to 13 years imprisonment. Their potential release halfway through their sentences had drawn widespread condemnation.

Scheme Changes and Rationale

Mr Burnham stated that the modifications to the early release scheme are designed to help ease prison overcrowding. He indicated that hundreds of individuals will now remain in prison as a result of these changes. "We've come up with a proposal which will allow not just those guilty of manslaughter, the people involved in the killing of PC Harper, but those who have been convicted for indecent assault, those convicted for death by dangerous driving, all of these offenders now will remain in prison," Mr Burnham told the BBC.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that additional prison capacity could be created by deporting foreign nationals and releasing some prisoners serving indefinite sentences. He acknowledged the concerns raised by PC Harper's family, stating, "I heard obviously what Andrew Harper’s family were saying, I mean who couldn’t? Nobody would want a position to arise where those guilty of killing a police officer are let out early from prison."

Review of the Scheme

A review of the early release scheme is currently being undertaken by Justice Secretary Alex Norris. The findings of this review are expected to be published when Parliament reconvenes after the summer recess in September.