PC Andrew Harper's mother says she is 'insulted' as her son's killers may be eligible for early release due to the government's new Sentencing Act. Pc Harper sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.
The 28-year-old, just married, died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.
Sentences and Eligibility
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and both 17 at the time, were handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020. The Ministry of Justice have now confirmed both men may be eligible to be released from prison halfway through their sentences.
Pc Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, has said this feels like a 'slap in the face'. Set to come into force in September, the new Sentencing Act will see some 6,000 criminals released under the early prison release scheme.
The scheme has faced scrutiny as the government has so far failed to rule out whether killers, rapists and paedophiles will be exempt from the scheme. However, it is clear, the driver of the vehicle that caused Pc Harper’s death, Henry Long, who received a 16-year sentence, will not be eligible for the scheme.
Family and Police Reaction
Pc Harper's mother told the Telegraph the MoJ sent her a letter notifying her that their sentences could be reduced. Adlam 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.
The release of the killers has also been labelled as "disgusting" by the Police Federation for England and Wales on X. Its deputy national chair, 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.”
Government Response
A Ministry of Justice 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 that the act will not see early releases for offenders deemed “the most dangerous”, including those on extended determinate or life sentences.
Background and Harper's Law
Pc Harper was about to clock off and begin his honeymoon with wife Lissie Harper when he responded to the quad bike call. After her husband’s death, she 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. The move extends mandatory life sentences to anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty including police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics. But as it is not retrospective, Pc Harper’s killers cannot have their sentences extended.
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.”
