Every UK police chief calls on Prime Minister to prevent PC Harper killers' release in damning open letter
The policing community across Britain has come together to demand that Jesse Cole and Albert Bowers be exempted from eligibility for early release
Fifty police chiefs have signed an open letter which has called on Andy Burnham to block the release of two of PC Andrew Harper's killers - and implored the Prime Minister to bring in stronger protections for victims.
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The policing community across Britain has come together to demand that Jesse Cole and Albert Bowers be exempted from eligibility for early release under the Sentencing Act.
The joint letter said: "There is a profound strength of feeling across policing about those responsible for PC Andrew Harper’s death benefiting from arrangements that could see them released substantially earlier than expected.
"Officers and staff understand that the law must be applied as it stands. But they will question what message this sends about the value placed on their service and sacrifice when they put themselves in harm’s way to protect others."
The intervention comes as Mr Burnham told LBC that he was increasingly confident of being able to block the killers' release.
His words came after a public outcry led by PC Harper's widow, Lissie, about the potential release of the manslaughter convicts.
Cole and Bowers were passengers in a car that dragged the late policeman along after he attempted to stop the theft of a £10,000 quad bike.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister told his new justice secretary to find a solution to keep PC Harper's killers behind bars in time for Parliament returning in September.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner told LBC that Justice Secretary Alex Norris will tell MPs what Labour’s plans are, when the Commons returns after its summer break.
Speaking to LBC, Ms Rayner said: “The Prime Minister is really clear, the Justice Secretary will come to Parliament in September to lay out our plans on how we keep the most serious criminals in jail.”
Nick Ferrari clarified: “And that would include killers of police officers?”
Ms Rayner replied: “Yes.”
She continued: “The Prime Minister is really clear that these people that have created the most abhorrent crimes should not be released early and that he wants to set out in September with the Justice Secretary how we can resolve this issue.”
The plan comes amid a growing backlash against the early release scheme which would have seen Pc Harper's killers among a group of serious criminals released.
PC Harper’s family and the police not to allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, to be freed in January under existing plans.
On Monday, Downing Street said it was “not possible” to exempt “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter from the early release scheme but later said Justice Secretary Alex Norris will look at ways to keep “a greater number of the the most serious offenders” behind bars.
Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday morning, housing minister Sally Jameson said: “It is important that we find a way, and I’m sure the Justice Secretary will find a way to make sure that Pc Harper’s killers are not released early.
“He’s looking for solutions, and a solution’s been identified.”
Pc Harper was fatally injured when he got caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and was dragged down a country road as the killers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.
Two out of three of Pc Harper’s killers, Cole and Bowers, are set to be released half way through their 13-year sentences, after being convicted of manslaughter in 2020.
Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after some exemptions were announced as part of an urgent review of the scheme to tackle jail overcrowding.
Exemptions were made for those convicted of rape, serious child sex offences and grooming offences.
Last week, the Prime Minister said he had “pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do without risking the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing” by making these exemptions.
However, more than 880,000 people have signed a petition calling for Pc Harper’s killers to remain in jail.
Number 10 said on Monday that manslaughter of an emergency worker was “not a standalone offence” and it was “not possible to simply exclude one or two offenders” within the wider category of manslaughter.
The early release changes were part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year that cut the minimum amount of time many offenders would have to spend in prison.
Those freed will face tougher probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and possible bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches.