Britain11 August, 20263 min read
Andy Burnham Tells Alex Norris To Block Jessie Cole And Albert Bowers Early Release
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Burnham orders minister to block early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers Cole and Bowers, 13-year manslaughter sentences, due for January release
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Burnham seeks to block release
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told his justice secretary Alex Norris to “work through further options” to prevent Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers—sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter—being released early under government plans to ease prison overcrowding. The BBC said Burnham is seeking a way to exclude PC Andrew Harper’s killers from the early release scheme, with Cole and Bowers becoming eligible for release from custody next January after serving half of their sentences. Downing Street had earlier warned it would not be possible to exempt “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter from the early release of prisoners, according to the BBC.
“The prime minister has asked the Justice Secretary to work through further options to keep a greater number of the most serious offenders in prison, including the killers of PC Harper.”
PC Harper, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, died in 2019 when he was dragged behind the getaway car of three teenagers who had fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire. The third man jailed for the manslaughter of PC Harper, vehicle driver Henry Long, received a 16-year jail term and the BBC said he cannot be considered for the early release scheme because he received an extended determinate sentence.
Backlash and legal pressure
Police and political pressure has intensified as the prospect of Cole and Bowers’ early release draws criticism from police figures and those connected to PC Harper. Sky News reported that former officer Chris Bushnell, who chased down PC Harper’s killers, accused the government of “spitting in the faces of police officers,” adding: “To think they could be released early is absolutely outrageous.” The BBC also quoted Aileen O'Connor, chairwoman of Thames Valley Police Federation, saying: “The public are speaking loudly and clearly.”
In the same BBC account, O'Connor said the public agree with the federation that “the government are firmly on the wrong side of this.” The BBC further reported that the Police Federation is said to be contemplating going to court, and that Jason Hogg, the chief constable of Thames Valley police, said he would consider joining any legal action.
What changes and what’s at risk
The dispute is tied to changes to the Sentencing Act, with the BBC saying the scheme is designed to ease prison overcrowding and that prisoners serving certain serious violent or sexual crimes would be eligible for release at the halfway point rather than two-thirds. The BBC said Cole and Bowers, who were found not guilty of murder, will become eligible for release next January, while ministers have warned prison spaces might run out as soon as October. Sky News said Burnham’s intervention came after Number 10 reiterated it was “not possible” for the government to exempt just the killers of PC Harper from the early release scheme.
The BBC reported that Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, has called for Cole and Bowers to be denied early release and that she previously led a campaign for Harper’s Law, which introduced mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime. In the BBC’s account of the wider system impact, it warned that excluding manslaughter convictions could have an “instant impact on many other inmates,” because ministers said prisoners with manslaughter convictions could not be considered for the scheme.