The mother of PC Andrew Harper has described the potential early release of two of her son’s killers as an “insult beyond anything able to be put into words”, as the government faces mounting pressure to reverse a sentencing scheme that could free violent offenders early.
Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were jailed for 13 years in 2020 for the manslaughter of the 28-year-old officer, who was dragged for more than a mile along country roads when his ankles got caught in a towrope loop while investigating a quad bike theft. The pair, 17 at the time of the offence in August 2019, are now eligible to be freed after serving half their sentences under the Ministry of Justice early release scheme – part of the flagship Sentencing Act passed this year to tackle prison overcrowding in England and Wales.
“PC Andrew Harper's killers may be freed early under Labour's sentencing scheme, sparking fury from his mother.”
Debbie Adlam, PC Harper’s mother, told The Telegraph she received a letter from the MoJ informing her of the potential reduction. “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 said. “People are getting a free pass for crime in this country. I like to try to be proud of my country, but this isn’t something to be proud of. There’s a lot going wrong.”
The scheme, which Channel 4 News has revealed, has also sparked horror and panic among survivors of rape and child abuse who have been told their perpetrators may be eligible for release after serving only a third of their sentence. Domestic abuse survivor Mollie Cousins has waived her right to anonymity in the hope of preventing her attacker from possibly serving only 15 months of a five-year sentence.
The driver of the car, Henry Long, is not eligible for early release and will only be able to seek parole after serving half of his 16-year sentence. The original sentences handed to the trio prompted a national outcry and led to “Harper’s Law”, which introduced a mandatory life sentence for anyone convicted of killing emergency workers while committing a crime. The campaign, led by PC Harper’s widow Lissie Harper – who had married him just one month before his death – was backed by Labour, and frontbenchers Nick Thomas-Symonds and Sarah Jones, now the policing minister, previously met Mrs Harper to offer their support.
It is unclear precisely when Bowers and Cole will become eligible for release, though it could be by the end of the year. The growing demand to block sex offenders and other violent prisoners from early release now piles fresh pressure on the new government led by Andy Burnham.