PC Harper’s K.i.l.l.e.r.s Locked Away for Good: Shock U-Turn Keeps Cop-Killers Behind Bars After Million-Strong Outrage
Two of the men convicted over the death of Police Constable Andrew Harper are now expected to remain in prison after planned changes to the early release scheme. Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both serving 13-year sentences for manslaughter, will be excluded from the programme designed to ease overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons.
PC Harper, 28, was killed in August 2019 while responding to reports of a quad bike theft near Sulhamstead in Berkshire. As three teenagers fled the scene, the officer became entangled in a tow rope attached to their vehicle and was dragged more than a mile along country roads. He suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene. Henry Long, the driver, received a 16-year sentence and was never eligible for the early release measures. Cole and Bowers, who were passengers and teenagers at the time of the offence, were each jailed for 13 years in 2020.
Under the Sentencing Act 2026, many prisoners serving standard determinate sentences were set to become eligible for release after serving half their term rather than the previous two-thirds. This change formed part of broader efforts to manage severe prison capacity pressures. Cole and Bowers fell into the category that would have qualified for earlier release next year.
The prospect of their early release triggered widespread public and professional reaction. A petition opposing the move gathered more than one million signatures. Police leaders, including the chief constable of Thames Valley Police where Harper served, expressed strong concern. Families of victims and frontline officers highlighted the lack of remorse shown by the pair during the investigation and trial, and pointed to the lasting impact on Harper’s loved ones.
In response, the government conducted successive reviews of the scheme. Earlier adjustments already removed prisoners convicted of rape, grooming offences and serious child sexual offences from eligibility. Further secondary legislation is now expected to exclude those convicted of “unlawful act” manslaughter — the precise category under which Cole and Bowers were sentenced. This form of manslaughter covers deaths caused during the commission of another illegal act, such as the theft and subsequent flight in this case.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris is preparing to introduce the changes when Parliament returns. The measures are designed to keep the two men in custody for the full period originally intended under the previous release rules, while still allowing the wider scheme to proceed for other categories of offender. Officials have emphasised that released prisoners remain subject to strict licence conditions, electronic monitoring and the possibility of recall to prison.
The case continues to raise broader questions about balancing prison capacity with public confidence in sentencing. Harper’s Law, introduced after his death, now requires life sentences for those who kill emergency workers in the course of their duties. Because Cole and Bowers were sentenced before that legislation took effect, they received determinate terms. The forthcoming exclusion from early release aims to ensure their sentences are served as originally imposed.
For many in the policing community and for Harper’s family, the latest development represents a recognition that certain offences demand full accountability. The pair are expected to remain behind bars as the revised early release framework takes shape, ensuring that the consequences of the 2019 tragedy continue to reflect the seriousness of the crime.
