The mother of police officer Andrew Harper has said the fact that two of his killers are being considered for early release is “another letdown” for her son.
Widow's criticism and family reaction
It comes after the constable’s widow Lissie Harper criticised the early release scheme as “deplorable”. Pc Harper was 28 years old when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.
The driver of the vehicle which caused Pc Harper’s death, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence, and will not be eligible for the scheme. But early release could be on the cards for Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020.
Early release scheme details
Both men might now be eligible to be released from prison after serving half of their sentences, rather than two-thirds. Under the new Sentencing Act, set to come into force in September, some 6,000 criminals are set to be released under the early prison release scheme.
Asked about how the family feel about the potential release, Pc Harper’s mother Debbie Adlam told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It just feels like another letdown for Andrew, really. “You know, when you look at the horrific way he was killed, we have to live with that, we have to know, you know, that we’ve still got to live a life. “We’ve got to do our best to do a life as best we can for him and in his name, really.”
Call for justice system overhaul
She urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to “look at the big picture” and said the justice system “needs a proper overhaul”. Mr Burnham has said he will review the early release policy. “I can’t say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
One of his ministers said the prime minister is looking at the “implementation” of the scheme. Asked if that means it might not happen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds told the BBC: “That is something that he and the Justice Secretary will set out in the coming weeks.”
Concerns about reoffending
Ms Adlam said the justice system needs a “proper overhaul”. “Just saying we’ll release them to relieve the pressure is actually bottling up problems for the future. “You know, these people aren’t just going to go away and live a nice life. “Some will, some will have learnt their lesson, but as we know, the reoffending rates are so high. “You know, the consequences of this, they need to look at the bigger picture.”
Pc Harper’s widow Lissie said in a rare statement on Wednesday: “It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable. “We speak of justice, accountability and standing with victims, yet decisions like this do the opposite.”
