Andy Burnham said the main perpetrator in the killing of PC Andrew Harper in 2019 will not be freed early amid an outcry over the release of two others involved in his death
Andy Burnham has said the driver responsible for the death of PC Andrew Harper will not be freed early.
The police officer’s mother, Debbie Adlam, has said the prospect of other two men convicted over her son’s killing is an “insult”. PC Harper was 28 years old when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.
He died after getting 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.
Driver Henry Long was given a 16-year sentence, and will not be eligible for the scheme. But the victim’s mum said she was appalled that two others who were in the vehicle could be freed.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and both 17 years old at the time, were handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020. Both men might be eligible to be released from prison halfway through their sentences, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed.
Mr Burnham said: “On the broader issue, I feel for the family, it’s an appalling crime that was committed. The main perpetrator will not be subject to any early release. Of course, others involved have potentially been identified.
“But I’ve spoken to the new Justice Secretary. He will review the policy together and make further statements in due course.”
In an interview with The Telegraph, Ms Adlam said she had received a letter from the MoJ confirming Cole and Bowers’ sentences might be reduced. She said: “It makes me feel sick. Andrew’s life doesn’t get to come back. It feels like a slap in the face and an insult.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This was a horrific crime, and our deepest sympathies are with Pc Andrew Harper’s family and friends. In 2024, the country was facing a prison crisis and a total breakdown of law and order, with judges ordered to stop jailing dangerous criminals.
“This Government is committed to public safety: we are building prison places at the fastest rate since the Victorian era, and taking the difficult decisions needed to lock up the most dangerous offenders.”