Debbie Adlam, the mother of PC Andrew Harper, has voiced her disappointment over how she learned about the potential early release of two of her son's killers. In an interview on Good Morning Britain, she described the notification process as 'very disappointing'.
Learning of the release
Mrs Adlam revealed that she received a phone call, but it was only to inform her of a generic update. She said: 'I had my annual update, which had a generic letter to say that there's a possibility and we'll tell you at the end of August.'
She then discovered that the prisoners had already been informed of the decision before she was. 'Apparently, they have to be told before us either way. That was very disappointing to hear that they've been told, and we hadn't,' she added.
Emotional response
Speaking about her emotional state, Mrs Adlam said: 'I've gone through every emotion I think. Feeling crushed, finding out they are going to be even on the list for potentially being eligible was bad enough.'
She expressed frustration over the injustice, stating: 'When you're sentenced, you should serve that sentence, at least the proportion that you're supposed to be kept inside.'
Support and petition
Despite her anger, Mrs Adlam found some solace in public support. She noted: 'I'm feeling better now in that I don't feel quite so alone. I know that there are a lot of voices out there, we have a petition now and within two days, it has nearly 440,000.'
She also mentioned that Alex Norris had phoned her to warn of a potential backlash, saying: 'He made the call to myself and Andrew's wife.'
PC Andrew Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 when he was dragged along country lanes after his ankles got caught in a strap attached to a car. Driver Henry Long was jailed for 16 years, while passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were each sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter. Under the government's early release scheme, Cole and Bowers could become eligible after serving half their sentences, but Long will not be eligible.
