Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the Police Federation, said the decision to release Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers — convicted of PC Andrew Harper’s manslaughter — under the early release scheme would anger and demoralise serving officers
A Police Federation chief has threatened to take the Government to court to prevent PC Andrew Harper’s killers from being released from prison ahead of schedule.
Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the body representing officers in the force where PC Harper served, warned that the decision to free Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers would anger and devastate the morale of serving officers in the region.
Thames Valley Police officer PC Harper, 28, was tragically killed in August 2019 while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. He lost his life after becoming entangled in a strap attached to the rear of a car and being dragged along a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.
Cole and Bowers remain eligible for early release following their manslaughter convictions a year later. Both received 13-year sentences and are eligible to walk free halfway through their terms. While the driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, was handed a 16-year sentence and would not have been eligible for the Government’s scheme.
While the Government announced on Monday that certain offences would be exempt from early release, including rape, serious sexual abuse of children and grooming gang offences, other criminals are still set to be freed earlier than originally scheduled.
The policy was introduced as prison capacity has come under severe pressure, amid fears that courts could be unable to jail offenders if the crisis persists. 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, stating 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 described it as an “insult” to his family, friends and officers across the nation.
A petition launched by the Police Federation on Tuesday has already garnered 100,000 signatures. It follows reports in the Times that historical child sex abusers may still be eligible for early release from prison, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledging to exclude them.
Ministers confirmed on Monday that rapists and serious child sex offenders would be exempt from the early release scheme, following a review of the policy ordered by Mr Burnham shortly after he took office as Prime Minister.
Mr Norris said he “wanted to go further” with the exemptions, but was unable to do so as the prison estate would fill up “very quickly”.
Speaking during a visit to HMP Welland Oaks, a prison currently 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.”
Addressing 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, warning it had placed “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.
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