Debbie Adlam, the mother of PC Andrew Harper, has publicly questioned the government's early prisoner release scheme, demanding answers about its efficacy. Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain, she highlighted the scheme's potential impact on emergency services and families like hers.
Questioning the scheme's value
During the interview with presenters Adil Ray and Kate Garrway, Adlam asked: "Is this really worthwhile when you're looking at the actual numbers? That's something that's now at the forefront of our minds. Is this really worthwhile to let emergency services down for the sake of the number of cells that are actually going to be affected?"
Kate noted that Adlam must be exhausted after years of campaigning for Harper's Law, and asked how she copes with everything happening at the moment. Adlam confessed: "Right now, it's really difficult because life doesn't stop. I'm still trying to do what I have to do in my normal, daily life. As I found out this morning, things went a bit wrong, and I had a maggot infestation."
Living with loss
She continued: "So I've just had to deal with that beforehand, as I don't have the time to keep up with everything else going on in my life. I've got a mum to care for, I want to do everything that I can in my normal life, but this is taking precedence right now. We've got to do this for Andrew. I haven't had a minute spare, I am running on adrenaline and nerves, I've just got to hope that at the end of this, I'm going to feel okay. But genuinely, we live with this every day. Our loss of Andrew is horrendous."
Adlam told the presenters that the family's lives have been 'devastated' by what happened to her son. She said: "The way we lost him, it just lives in your bones. He was just such a lovely person, and I still can't, really, get to grips with what happened. It's a very surreal way of living, but we have to do it. You have to get up every day, and you have family to be with. Your life hasn't gone away; you have to deal with it, somehow."
Background of the case
PC Andrew Harper was killed in 2019 at the age of 28 when he was dragged by a car for over a mile down country roads. Despite efforts to rescue him, he was declared dead at the scene while the three teenagers escaped.
Driver Henry Long received a 16-year jail term, while passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were both handed 13-year prison sentences for manslaughter. However, Jessie and Albert could seek early release after completing half their sentences under the government's new scheme. Henry will not qualify.
The scheme has been proposed as a way to tackle prison overcrowding, sparking widespread fury. However, not all inmates will be eligible for the scheme, as those sentenced for rape, serious child sex and grooming offences will now not be eligible for early release.
Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITV weekdays from 6am.
