Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleLissie Harper, widow of PC Andrew Harper, has condemned the potential early release of two of her husband's killers, calling it "deplorable" and criticising politicians for making decisions with "real and lasting consequences" for victims' families. PC Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car as Henry Long, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers fled a burglary; Long received 16 years for manslaughter, while Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years. The new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has pledged to review Labour's early release policy, set to begin in September, following public backlash and concerns raised by PC Harper's family and the chief constable of Thames Valley Police. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers could be eligible for early release halfway through their sentences under the new Sentencing Act, though Henry Long, the driver, is not. The policy, which could see approximately 6,000 criminals released early, is partly a response to severe prison overcrowding, a long-standing issue that has forced successive governments to implement emergency release schemes. In fullPC Harper’s widow brands killers’ early release ‘deplorable’ as Andy Burnham to review schemeMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
What is the early prisoner release scheme and why has it been branded ‘deplorable’?
Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleLissie Harper, widow of PC Andrew Harper, has condemned the potential early release of two of her husband's killers, calling it "deplorable" and criticising politicians for making decisions with "real and lasting consequences" for victims' families. PC Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car as Henry Long, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers fled a burglary; Long received 16 years for manslaughter, while Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years. The new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has pledged to review Labour's early release policy, set to begin in September, following public backlash and concerns raised by PC Harper's family and the chief constable of Thames Valley Police. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers could be eligible for early release halfway through their sentences under the new Sentencing Act, though Henry Long, the driver, is not. The policy, which could see approximately 6,000 criminals released early, is partly a response to severe prison overcrowding, a long-standing issue that has forced successive governments to implement emergency release schemes. In fullPC Harper’s widow brands killers’ early release ‘deplorable’ as Andy Burnham to review schemeMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
