Two of PC Harper's killers 'will still qualify for early release in September', minister admits as she defends scheme
It comes despite his widow branding move "deplorable" as it emerged Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole could become eligible for early release
Two of PC Andrew Harper's killers will still be eligible for early release from prison in September despite Andy Burnham vowing to review the early release of inmates.
Listen to this article
The new Prime Minister said on Monday that he would review the scheme introduced to ease the burden on UK jails after Mr Harper's widow Lissie said it was "deplorable" that two of his killers would be considered for early release.
The early release scheme was due to come into effect on September 2, but the new Prime Minister said he would be looking at the details of it.
Under the Ministry of Justice’s early-release scheme, killers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole could become eligible for release after serving half of their sentences rather than two-thirds.
It comes after his widow urged the government to review the scheme, branding the prospect of early release for her husband's killers 'deplorable'.
Read more: 'We want you to tax us': Gary Lineker among 120 UK millionaires urging Andy Burnham to tax wealth
The pair, who were both 17 at the time, were jailed for 13 years in 2020 for PC Harper's manslaughter, who was killed while responding to the theft of a quad bike in Berkshire in August 2019.
They were inside a vehicle which dragged the 28-year-old police officer for more than a mile along country roads after his ankles became caught in a tow rope.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on Thursday, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Emma Reynolds, refused to rule out that the early release of the pair and defended the early release scheme to ease the burden on prisons.
Repeatedly asked by Nick if they qualify for early release in September as it stands, Ms Reynolds said: "As currently constituted, that's my understanding."
Putting Ms Harper's comments to the minister, she added: "My heart goes out to her.
"This is the most horrific crime, and it reminds us that the police run towards danger when we rightly run away from it.
"They are very, very brave indeed, and my heart goes out to them."
But she added: "We absolutely don't want to be in this position where we have a priso state that was at the brink of collapse.
"You know, we've already added to the prison places 3,200 in the last 2 years. That's 40 times the rate, as I said before, of the last Conservative administration, but the prisons were at breaking point.
"We want the police to be able to arrest people when they have committed crimes and have somewhere to put people. So I can totally understand."
Ms Reynolds added the government would "look at the implementation as the Prime Minister set out" on Wednesday.
The driver of the vehicle which caused PC Harper’s death, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence, and will not be eligible for the scheme.
The Sentencing Act 2026 introduces an “earned progression model” that replaces automatic halfway release for prisoners serving standard determinate sentences in England and Wales with a tiered, behaviour-based system. It will allow most of them to be released.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Burnham said the lack of funding in prisons had created an "unacceptable situation".
He said: "I will review the whole of this policy.
"We did not invest in the prison estate when we should as a country, going back a decade or so ago when it was clear that there was going to be pressure.
"That has created an unacceptable situation now."