Heartbroken families of two North East children who were tragically killed have urged Andy Burnham to overhaul the early prisoner release system. The new Prime Minister committed on Wednesday to a review of the policy that could see some prisoners released earlier into their sentence, amid concerns over the impact on victims and their communities.
Archie York's mother speaks out
Katherine Errington, whose seven-year-old son Archie York died when their home in Newcastle was destroyed in an explosion caused by an illegal drugs lab in the flat below, spoke of her horror last month after being told that his killer could be out of jail early. Drug dealer Reece Galbraith was jailed for 14 years after admitting to manslaughter in connection with the Benwell blast.
He had been due to become eligible for release on licence after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but Katherine was informed in June that he could instead be released at the halfway point of his prison term instead. That is because of changes introduced by Keir Starmer's government, under the Sentencing Act 2026, in an effort to free up space in overcrowded prisons.
Victims' families feel unheard
Katherine, 29, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Wednesday that a change in policy from Labour’s new leadership in Downing Street would “mean that victims’ families are finally being heard for once”. She added: “Hopefully Andy Burnham is not just thinking about the prisons being full, but about us. We have never really been thought of throughout this process. It is like the system just expects us to go back to life as normal, but it is not normal because we are always fighting for justice.”
Loved ones of murdered County Durham toddler Maya Chappell were also devastated to discover recently that her mum is another who could be considered for an earlier release. The two-year-old died after being violently shaken by her mother’s boyfriend, Michael Daymond, at her home in Shotton Colliery in 2022.
Maya Chappell's great aunt calls for trust
Daymond was jailed for life, while Maya’s mum Dana Carr was locked up for nine years after being found guilty of child cruelty by neglect and allowing the death of a child. Gemma Chappell, May’s great aunt, said on Wednesday that victims had been “let down time and time again” but that a review by Mr Burnham and new justice secretary Alex Norris would “show that we can perhaps try and build some trust back”.
She told the LDRS: “If he does go ahead and looks at it, then brilliant. It would show that he is putting the victims first and bringing victims back to the forefront. That is where they should be, especially when it comes to something as serious as killing a child. Victims and their families should be treated with importance – they need to be heard, listened to, and cared for.”
Wider concerns and PM's response
Mr Burnham’s comments came amid concerns from the family of police officer Andrew Harper over the prospect of two of his killers being potentially eligible for early release. PC Harper suffered fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire in 2019, when he was 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.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were both passengers in the car and aged 17 at the time, were handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020. The car’s driver, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and will not be eligible for the early release scheme.
Speaking in Bath, Mr Burnham confirmed he had spoken to the new justice secretary and that they “will review the policy together and make further statements in due course”. The Prime Minister said he wanted to “assure myself that everything has been looked at before this policy proceeds”.
He added: “I can’t say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward.”
Newcastle Central and West MP Chi Onwurah told the LDRS that she welcomed the prospect of a review. The Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman, also backed the idea.
She said: "I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment to urgently review the prisoner early release policy. Nobody can dispute the pressures on prison capacity or the need for government to respond to them. However, over recent months I have repeatedly raised concerns with ministers and officials that the safeguards promised to victims have not yet been fully delivered."
