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PM asks Justice Secretary to block early release of PC Harper's killers

newsAug 11, 20264291

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told Justice Secretary Alex Norris to find a way to exclude Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers from a government early release scheme after the two men were sentenced to 13 years for the 2020 manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper. Under changes to the Sentencing Act made this year, Cole and Bowers would become eligible for release next January after serving half their sentences unless exemptions are applied. Downing Street had previously warned it may not be possible to single out "one or two offenders" convicted of manslaughter without broader legal or policy changes. Around 5,000 people are expected to be released under the sentencing changes, down from an earlier estimate of 6,000 after exemptions for the most serious sexual and violent crimes were announced. The third man in the case, Henry Long, received a longer 16-year extended determinate sentence and therefore cannot be considered for early release. Burnham has been making daily calls while on holiday and told PC Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, that he will try to find a resolution; Justice Secretary Norris is expected to set out how Cole and Bowers could be excluded when Parliament returns in September.

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