Killers of former Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper will remain in jail following changes to early release scheme
The Government has announced that the killers of former Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper will remain in jail, after confirming changes to its early release scheme.
PC Harper, 28, died from his injuries in 2019 while responding to reports of a burglary in Berkshire.
The officer from Oxfordshire got caught in a tow rope attached to a vehicle and was dragged behind the getaway car of three teenagers who had fled the scene of a quadbike theft.
Two of PC Harper’s killers - Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers - were previously eligible for early release in 2027 as part of a Government scheme to address overcrowding issues at prisons across the country.
Following public pressure, including a petition started by the chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation Aileen O’Connor, which has attracted more than 1,073,000 signatures, Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated he would look again at the situation.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast this weekend, Mr Burnham said anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including all forms of manslaughter, would be excluded from the scheme.
“We have spent the summer turning over every single stone, and now we have come up with a proposal where those guilty, not just of manslaughter, and the people involved in the killing of PC Harper, those who have been convicted of indecent assault, those who have been convicted of dangerous driving - all of these offenders now will remain in prison - hundreds of them,” the Prime Minister said.
“I heard obviously what Andrew Harper's family were saying, I mean who couldn't?” he added.
“Nobody would want a position to arise where those guilty of killing a police officer are let out early from prison.”
Reacting to the news Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: “Today’s confirmation that these offenders will not be released under the proposed arrangements will be welcomed by many across policing and our communities.
“Over recent weeks we have consistently expressed our concerns about the potential impact these release arrangements could have had on Andrew Harper’s family, friends and colleagues, the wider policing service and the communities he served.
“I am grateful that those concerns were listened to and carefully considered.
“We know this case has resonated far beyond Thames Valley Police.
“Today’s announcement may bring reassurance not only to Andrew's family, but to other victims and bereaved families who have followed this issue closely and who continue to seek confidence that the most serious offences are treated with the gravity they deserve.”