Police federation to 'throw everything' at legal challenge as PC Andrew Harper's killers still set for early release
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter but are expected to be eligible for early release under the new Sentencing Act
The body that represents officers serving in Thames Valley Police has said it will "throw everything" at a legal challenge to protect PC Andrew Harper's legacy, after it was revealed that his killers will still be eligible for early release from October.
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On Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that rapists and child sex offenders will be exempt from the upcoming changes to prison sentences.
The changes were spurred on by Lissie Harper's outrage at the prospect of two of her husband's three killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, being free to walk the streets within weeks.
But it has been revealed that the new exemptions will not prevent the pair from being let out from October.
Aileen O'Connor, chairwoman of Thames Valley Police Federation, told LBC News that she is "beyond disgusted" and it is a "betrayal of his legacy".
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She said: "I completely agree that rapists, child sexual offenders should not be released early from their sentences, but you cannot say in the next breath that people who kill people can be subject to that lease.
"It's perverse to say that, and it does not make sense. And that's what I need to understand.
"I will throw everything I can at this through a proper legal challenge from KCs, barristers, you name it.
"I will do what I have to do to protect Andrew Harper's legacy and further victims up and down the country who don't have a platform to come on national radio programmes, national television, to put their point across.
"Because there are the silent victims here in the families of individuals who have been killed who will also be outraged at this."
PC Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 when his car was dragged down a country road by a car carrying three teenagers.
The main perpetrator of the killing, the car's driver Henry Long, will not be eligible for early release under the scheme.
Long is currently serving a 16-year jail sentence.
Cole and Bowers were passengers in the vehicle and are currently serving 13 years for manslaughter.
The Sentencing Act, which will replace repeated batches of early releases of prisoners as has been done in the past, was due to be implemented in September, but has been delayed by at least a month until October.
The government says the postponement will give probation officers more time to plan for releases and allow victims to have a say in the restrictions placed on offenders.
Even with the changes, it is expected that prison spots may reach full capacity again in spring next year.
PC Harper's wife Lissie, who is now a campaigner on behalf of victims' families, added that she was "disgusted" and "beyond appalled" at the revelation that Cole and Bowers were still set to be released.
She told LBC: "I am beyond appalled and bristling with anger to hear that Andrew's killers are soon to be free to roam the streets.
"What abhorrent message does this send? How dare Ministers say the killing of a police officer is not enough of a 'sickening crime' that deserves the stiffest of punishments.
"The level of disrespect the Government are showing to Andrew and other victims - and to their loved ones such as me - is beyond contempt."
The outspoken widow called the refusal to keep Cole and Bowers behind bars "an absolute betrayal" by Burnham's government, adding "they are meant to be on our side".
Mrs Harper said: "The killers of Andrew have shown no remorse... they robbed us of our future. They are vile criminals, and they should remain in jail.
"To release them early from their already pitiful sentences is an affront to justice. The Government and the justice system have not just let me down... they have added insult to injury. They are meant to be on our side.
"This is an utter betrayal - and it's one I will not be able to forgive or forget."
When the prospect of Cole and Bowers being released was first revealed in July, Lissie said: "When I fought for Harper's Law, I was supported not only by the Conservative government of the day but by the Labour Party too.
"They pledged to support our cause and agreed that those who kill emergency workers should face tougher sentences because some crimes are so grave they demand meaningful punishment.
"That cross-party support helped make Harper's Law a reality. Today, it feels forgotten.
"For victims' families, this is not about politics. It is about whether a sentence means what a judge says it means.
"It is about whether justice is something we truly believe in, or something that can be negotiated away when it becomes inconvenient."
In response, Andy Burnham told LBC at the time that no prisoners will be freed under the early release policy "until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public".
After the review, Mr Burnham has made the call that rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences will be barred from the upcoming changes in a bid to protect the public.
It means they will see no changes to their sentences and will stay locked up for longer.
Exclusions are already in place for 18,000 offenders - those serving a life or an Extended Determinate Sentence.
Insiders say he wanted to go even further but was told the prison system was at risk of collapse if he exempted more cases.
Instead, the government are announcing another £ 10 million in funding for victims as part of a package of measures, including more tagging, longer periods of supervision, and more exclusion zones.
Probation services will also get the power to ban offenders from driving, pubs and football matches.
And the number of regions using chemical castration trials will double - in a bid to manage drivers of sexual offending.
The PM's also asked the Justice Secretary to see what can be done to speed up the building of new prisons, free up space in the women's estate, and remove foreign national offenders faster.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that’s been caused. I’ve heard that loud and clear.
"That’s why we’re making significant changes: offenders who have been sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences will be excluded from the changes.
"I want to be honest - I wanted to go even further as I know there will still be concerns about other offenders having their sentence shortened.
"But it’s not possible without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing, which would put public safety at much greater risk.
"That’s why we will also be introducing much tougher community measures. There will be a presumption that all offenders are tagged, longer periods of supervision and tough new rules, including restriction zones for offenders."
The adult male prison population is now at 98% capacity - with Labour blaming the Tories for 14 years of underinvestment in the system.
Mr Burnham's promised today to do "what’s necessary to fix the prison crisis."
Nick Ferrari raised the issue of a killer of PC Harper being told he was eligible for release before the victim's mother with Justice Secretary Alex Norris. He said: "This idea you put victims first... it's risible. You're not. Victims don't know until they read it in the paper or they get phoned by LBC."
Mr Norris replied: "That is not going to be the case going forward. We are proactively contacting everyone on the victim contact scheme."
Defending who should be eligible, Mr Norris said: “We chose rapists, we chose child sex offenders, but we haven't been able to, we would like to have gone further exactly as I say, but Nick, I'm saying were we to do so, we would be in a world where we weren't arresting anybody, weren't imprisoning anybody because there's no capacity. That would not be right.”