PM asks justice secretary to find way to exclude PC Harper’s killers from early release scheme
Summary
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked the justice secretary to find a way to stop the men who killed police officer Andrew Harper from being released early under a new prison early release plan. The government is exploring options to keep more serious offenders in jail as part of efforts to reduce prison overcrowding.Key Facts
- PC Andrew Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car during a crime.
- Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in Harper’s death.
- Under current rules, Cole and Bowers could be released halfway through their sentence, in January.
- The government imposed early release changes to reduce prison crowding but currently cannot exclude specific manslaughter offenders.
- About 5,000 prisoners are expected to be released early under the new scheme, after some exemptions for serious offenders.
- A petition has gathered almost 900,000 signatures asking to stop Harper’s killers’ early release.
- The justice secretary will propose options in parliament to keep more serious criminals, including Harper’s killers, in prison longer.
- Officials warn changing the scheme to exclude manslaughter convictions could require more releases in the future to manage prison capacity.
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