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The mother of PC Andrew Harper has expressed her heartbreak after the government revised its early release scheme for prisoners, leaving two of her son’s killers still eligible for early parole. PC Harper was tragically killed in 2019 when he was dragged by a vehicle fleeing the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire. The government recently announced that prisoners convicted of serious offences such as rape, grooming, and child sexual abuse would no longer be eligible for early release under new plans aimed at addressing prison overcrowding in England and Wales.
Despite these changes, Debbie Adlam, PC Harper’s mother, conveyed her deep disappointment to BBC Newsnight, saying, “It feels like we’re letting Andrew down again.” She expressed the family’s frustration at having to continue fighting within the justice system after believing that the legal process had run its course. Adlam confirmed that two of the offenders involved in her son’s death, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, might still qualify for early release by serving just half their sentences. In contrast, the driver, Henry Long, who received a 16-year sentence, would not be eligible.
PC Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, also voiced strong condemnation, describing the situation as “disgusting” and expressing her anger that the killers “are soon to be free to roam the streets.” Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the decision was demoralising to police officers. This controversy stems from amendments made to the Sentencing Act in January, which changed the criteria for early release eligibility from the nature of the offence to the fixed length of the sentence. Although the most serious offenders, such as murderers serving life sentences, were always excluded, the broader changes led to a pause last month after public backlash, with plans resuming in October.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged the widespread anger and anxiety over the issue, stating that he wished to impose even stricter measures but feared that doing so would risk overwhelming the prison system and compromising public safety. The revised policy excludes offenders convicted of rape and child sex offences from early release, and an additional £10 million will be allocated to victim support services, including a new national helpline. Other offenders serving sentences of four years or more will become eligible for release at the halfway point of their term, instead of two-thirds, while those with shorter sentences might be released after a third of their time served. The phased approach to implementation means that the earliest eligibility dates will vary depending on sentence length, with stronger monitoring and supervision measures, such as GPS tagging and restriction zones, set to accompany early releases
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