PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain in jail and be excluded from the early release scheme after Andy Burnham confirmed a series of carve-outs to the early prison release scheme
PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain behind bars after a prison release breakthrough, Andy Burnham has confirmed.
In a major intervention, the Prime Minister announced a fresh series of exemptions from the controversial early release scheme, including those serving time for unlawful killing. Those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, or causing or allowing the death of a child will also not qualify, No10 said.
The announcement means Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were both convicted of manslaughter after the hero PC’s killing in 2019, will not be freed next year. Their case sparked outrage, and the Prime Minister ordered his Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, to examine ways to keep them in prison.
The new exemptions also include killing an emergency worker in the line of duty, historic grooming offences and all forms of manslaughter.
Earlier this summer it was announced that those in prison for rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming would also not qualify.
Mr Burnham said: “This means that the awful criminals responsible for the killing of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentence shortened.
“The truth is I wanted to go even further. But I’ve pushed the system to the very limits of what’s possible without risking the prison system collapsing within months, putting the public at enormous risk. To protect victims, we will be introducing the toughest ever supervision measures for offenders, which effectively mean that someone’s sentence will not end when they leave prison. This includes tagging offenders and, for the very first time ever, putting restriction zones in place to stop offenders getting anywhere near their victims.”
The PM added that extra prison space would be created by deporting some foreign prisoners immediately after sentencing, and releasing some inmates serving indefinite sentences.
The early release scheme was announced under Keir Starmer to tackle the prison capacity crisis. Years of Tory failure meant that jails risked running out of space – which would mean newly-convicted criminals would have nowhere to go.
This hit crisis point during the July 2024 riots, when there were fewer than 100 places left across England and Wales – as serious violence broke out on the streets.
Mr Norris said: “The Prime Minister and I have rightly looked again at these reforms and we are clear that people responsible for taking a life, or for appalling crimes against children, should be kept behind bars for longer.
“But protecting the public also means fixing the prison system for good. We will build the cells we need, put offenders under much tougher controls when they leave prison and end the historic injustice of IPP sentences.
“This is a government running towards problems and not shying away from the tough decisions needed to build a justice system that is firm, fair and protects the public.”
Bowers and Cole, two of PC Harper’s three killers, were passengers in the car that dragged the police officer down a country road after he got caught in a strap attached to the vehicle as they fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.
Under the scheme the pair were due to be released next year, halfway through their 13-year sentences. The change follows months of campaigning from PC Harper’s family and police colleagues to block the release of his killers.
Burnham told the BBC: “We’ve come up with a proposal which will allow not just those guilty of manslaughter, the people involved in the killing of Pc Harper, but those who have been convicted for indecent assault, those convicted for death by dangerous driving, all of these offenders now will remain in prison. Hundreds of them.
“I heard obviously what Andrew Harper’s family were saying, I mean who couldn’t? Nobody would want a position to arise where those guilty of killing a police officer are let out early from prison.”
He concluded his announcement that “hundreds” more people will stay in prison, meaning that additional space will need to be found.
The Prime Minister ordered a review of the scheme, which is being undertaken by Justice Secretary Alex Norris and is set to be published when Parliament returns from summer recess in September.