The mother of PC Andrew Harper has said her son has not been given "proper justice" and that "every victim will be feeling the same" about the government's early prison release scheme, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces a deepening political row over the policy.
Debbie Adlam spoke out after it emerged that two of the men convicted of killing her son could be freed early under the Sentencing Act, which is due to be implemented in September. PC Harper, 28, was dragged to his death by a getaway car in Berkshire in 2019 while responding to a quad bike theft.
“PC Andrew Harper's mother says early release plan denies justice; PM Burnham reviews scheme amid outrage.”
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers — both 17 at the time — were passengers in the vehicle and sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter. Under the new act, they could be released after six years. The driver, Henry Long, 18, was jailed for 16 years and would not be eligible.
"It just feels like another let down for Andrew really, when you look at the horrific way he was killed, we have to live with that," Adlam told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. "The feeling that Andrew hasn't been given proper justice, it is very personal obviously... every victim will be feeling the same."
Burnham, who earlier this week said he would review the policy, acknowledged "pressure on prison places" and a failure to invest in the system that created "an unacceptable situation". But he said he could not commit to changing the policy completely, promising instead to "look at it in detail before we go further forward".
PC Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, described the potential early release as "deplorable". In a statement, she said: "It has taken me years to rebuild a life that was torn apart in a matter of moments... It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable."
The Sentencing Act, passed under Sir Keir Starmer's government, was designed to ease prison overcrowding and would see about 6,000 offenders freed on tags. Unlike previous emergency measures, it includes no exemptions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse or terrorism.
Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers' Association, said the prime minister must ensure there are exemptions to the scheme. Burnham said he wanted to assure himself that "everything has been looked at" before the policy proceeds, and that he would look into every part of it with the justice secretary.
Adlam urged Burnham to "look at the big picture for the country". "As a country you cannot have a justice system that works that way, just because it's full doesn't mean it's good enough to let people go," she said.