Police Federation threatens legal action over early release of Pc Harper’s killers
A Police Federation chief has threatened to take the Government to court to stop Pc Andrew Harper’s killers being released from prison early.
Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the body which represents officers in the force which Pc Harper served in, said the decision to release Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers would anger and demoralise the morale of serving officers in the area.
Thames Valley Police officer Pc Harper, 28, was killed in August 2019 when responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.
Cole and Bowers remain eligible for early release after their convictions for manslaughter a year later. They were both given 13-year sentences, and are eligible to be released halfway through.
While the Government announced on Monday that some crimes would be exempted, including rape, serious sexual abuse of children and grooming gang offences, other criminals are still due to be released earlier than scheduled.
The policy has been brought in as prison capacity has been put under severe strain, and fears that courts may not be able to jail offenders if the crisis continues.
On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Alex Norris said families affected by the scheme are “carrying the can” for failures of previous Conservative governments.
Writing in the Sun, Ms O’Connor agreed and said she would “not forget the Government’s inexplicable and unforgivable decision to allow those who kill police officers to be released early from jail”.
She said: “We will throw everything at this through a proper legal challenge from KCs, barristers, you name it. Our colleagues will accept nothing less.
“We will do what we have to do to protect Andrew Harper’s legacy and other victims up and down the country who don’t have a platform to put their points across.”
She added: “It is a final betrayal from the politicians, who are supposed to be on our side.
“A smack in the face to every one of us police officers across the United Kingdom, who are out there now risking our lives to keep you, the public, safe.”
Ms O’Connor said it was an “insult” to his family, friends and police across the country.
Pc Harper’s wife Lissie has expressed fury at the prospect they could be released early.
A petition started by the Police Federation on Tuesday has already reached 100,000 signatures.
It comes as the Times reported that historical child sex abusers may still be eligible for early release from prison, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledging to exclude them.
Ministers announced on Monday that rapists and serious child sex offenders would be exempt from the early release scheme, after a review of the policy ordered by Mr Burnham shortly after he became Prime Minister.
However the Times alleges the rules may not affect those which took place before the law changed in 2003, even if the person found guilty was brought to justice since then.
The newspaper claimed the victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman is seeking clarification after the Ministry of Justice was unable to say which crimes would be excluded from the early release scheme.
The Ministry of Justice pointed the Press Association towards its announcement on Monday.
Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after ministers exempted rapists and child sex offenders as part of the scheme to tackle overcrowding in jails.
Mr Norris said he “wanted to go further” with the exemptions, but could not as the prison estate would fill up “very quickly”.
Speaking during a visit to HMP Welland Oaks, a prison under construction in Leicestershire, the Justice Secretary told reporters: “It is important we’ve been able to take out the offences that we have.
“Of course, we wanted to do more. I’ve had those conversations.
“Those are very, very difficult conversations because, quite rightly, families are really upset about it and they feel that they’re carrying the can for previous failures, and they’re right.
“That shouldn’t be the case.”
Talking about the early release scheme exemptions, he added: “We wanted to go further. We couldn’t.
“We can’t and then still have a viable prison estate.”
The Prison Governors’ Association (PGA) has criticised the late change to the policy, saying it had put “huge pressure” on prison staff, making mistakes “more likely”.
The Government has pledged to deliver 14,000 new prison spaces by 2031.
Mr Norris confirmed that he had apologised to some families affected, including relatives of Pc Harper.
The officer was killed after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.
The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and would not have been eligible for the Government’s scheme, but Cole and Bowers’ shorter term mean they are now eligible to be released.
Pc Harper’s wife Lissie Harper has said their early release would be “an affront to justice” and “an utter betrayal”.
His mother, Debbie Adlam, said the family was “bitterly disappointed” by the decision, telling the BBC: “Andrew deserves better than this, and so do we.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub