Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has launched a furious attack on Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the Government's early release scheme, which still allows the killers of police officer Andrew Harper to be freed early.
Mrs Badenoch accused Mr Burnham of subjecting victims of horrific crimes to “weeks of uncertainty and fear” after it emerged that violent killers will still be released early despite a partial climbdown.
Partial Climbdown
Mr Burnham announced on Monday that rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming would be excluded from the scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding. However, Mrs Badenoch said this was only a partial climbdown, as killers, violent offenders, and men who have terrorised their partners will still walk out of prison in October.
In a statement, she said: “Andy Burnham wants a round of applause for agreeing not to release rapists and child sex offenders. He’s not getting one. This is only a partial climbdown. Killers, violent offenders, men who have terrorised their partners and more will all still walk out of prison in October thanks to Labour’s early release scheme.
“Yet again victims are learning their fate from press releases. Conservatives have a better plan. Build, rent, remove. Build more prisons. Rent prison spaces abroad. Remove foreign criminals. The victims of these horrific crimes have suffered weeks of uncertainty and fear. They deserve so much better.”
PC Harper's Family's Pain
PC Harper’s mother, Debbie Adlam, spoke of her pain in an interview with BBC Newsnight. She said: “It feels like we’re letting Andrew down again. We’ve been through the justice system, we thought we’d done as best as we could. Now we’re standing up to fight again with this evening’s announcement, so I just feel really let down, for Andrew’s sake as well as ours.”
PC Harper died in August 2019 after being dragged down a country road in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, while responding to a quad bike theft. The driver, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and would not be eligible for the scheme. However, passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, would become eligible after serving half their sentences.
Justice Secretary's Call
Ms Adlam confirmed Justice Secretary Alex Norris had called her to explain the situation. She said: “Apparently, the situation is, if nothing was done, then the prison system would fall completely. But we’re paying the price for it. It’s Andrew and his family, and many others like us, we’re paying the price.”
She added she would continue fighting for justice, saying she “could not sit back and do nothing”. Asked if she accepted Mr Norris’s apology, she said: “I do know that he was sorry, but there surely has to be other answers, other ways to look at and other things to explore. This decision was made very quickly.”
Police Reaction
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: “I am beyond disappointed the Government is continuing to allow PC Andrew Harper’s killers to be released early from prison despite the overwhelming recent public outcry. It is simple: if Andrew’s killers were convicted today, they would receive life sentences due to the law that was created in his name. They would not be eligible for early release. This decision is demoralising for all police officers and our fellow emergency service workers, not just in the Thames Valley, that puts themselves in harm’s way to protect and serve their community.”
Burnham's Response
Mr Burnham paused plans to release prisoners early in September to ease jail overcrowding as part of the Sentencing Act. The scheme will now be delayed until October. The Prime Minister assured the public that offenders will face tighter community supervision, including new GPS monitoring for rapists to restrict their movements.
Mr Burnham said he “wanted to go even further”, but that was not possible without the prison system collapsing and putting the public “at much greater risk”. Announcing the changes, he said: “We will also be introducing much tougher community measures. There will be a presumption that all offenders are tagged, longer periods of supervision and tough new rules, including restriction zones for offenders.”
Earlier, PC Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, said releasing killers early would be “an affront to justice” and “an utter betrayal”. She added: “The level of disrespect the Government are showing to Andrew and other victims – and to their loved ones such as me – is beyond contempt.”
