Government urgently moves to block early release of killers – Latest update from police regarding the killing of Officer Harper.
The early release of two men convicted over the death of police officer Andrew Harper remains under active review as the government weighs options to keep them in prison longer.
PC Andrew Harper, 28, was killed in August 2019 while responding to a report of a quad bike theft near Sulhamstead in Berkshire. His ankles became entangled in a tow rope attached to a getaway car, and he was dragged more than a mile along country roads, suffering catastrophic injuries. Three teenagers were involved: Henry Long, who drove the vehicle, and passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers. All three were cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter in 2020. Long received a 16-year sentence. Cole and Bowers, both 17 at the time of the offence, were each sentenced to 13 years.
Under changes to the Sentencing Act designed to ease severe prison overcrowding, many offenders become eligible for automatic release at the halfway point of their sentence rather than after serving two-thirds. This would make Cole and Bowers eligible for release around January 2027. Long’s longer term means he is not covered by the automatic early-release provisions and would require a Parole Board decision.
Public and policing reaction has been intense. Harper’s family has described the prospect as an insult and a second betrayal. A petition calling for the pair to remain in prison has surpassed one million signatures. Senior officers, including the chief constable of Thames Valley Police, have expressed deep disappointment and discussed possible legal challenges. Police federations have spoken of widespread anger among officers who see the case as a test of whether those who kill emergency workers face meaningful consequences.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham initially ordered a review of the early-release policy after the case drew attention. That review led to exclusions for rapists, those convicted of serious child sexual offences, and grooming-related crimes. Manslaughter was not added to the excluded list because of the potential impact on prison capacity—hundreds of people are serving sentences for the offence. Officials have previously indicated that carving out individual cases raises legal and practical difficulties.
In recent days the position has shifted. Burnham has instructed the Justice Secretary to develop further options that would create additional prison capacity, with the explicit aim of preventing the early release of the most serious offenders, including Cole and Bowers. Measures under consideration include accelerating the removal of foreign national offenders, resolving long-standing issues around Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences, and making fuller use of the existing prison estate. A plan is expected to be presented to Parliament in September. Burnham has said he is increasingly confident a solution can be found that keeps the pair behind bars beyond the halfway point.
The case carries particular weight because of Harper’s Law, introduced after the officer’s death. It requires mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of manslaughter of an emergency worker while committing a crime. The law is not retrospective, so it does not apply to Cole and Bowers. Campaigners argue this creates a painful irony: the very crime that prompted stronger sentencing rules may still result in early release under overcrowding measures.
Prison capacity remains the central constraint. Without extra space, large-scale early releases are viewed as necessary to prevent the system from reaching breaking point, which would affect arrests, court remands and public safety more broadly. The government maintains it has already pushed exemptions as far as current capacity allows and is now seeking additional headroom specifically to address high-profile serious cases.
The outcome will be closely watched by police, victims’ families and the public. Any final decision on Cole and Bowers is expected once the new capacity plan is set out next month. For now, their potential early release remains under active review.
