Key facts
- Thames Valley Police chief constable Jason Hogg may join legal action to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.
- PC Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car while responding to a quad bike theft.
- Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years, making them eligible for early release.
- Harper's Law, enacted in 2022, mandates life sentences for those convicted of killing emergency workers, but it is not retroactive.
- The government plans to release approximately 5,000 prisoners early to alleviate prison capacity issues.
Thames Valley Police chief constable Jason Hogg has stated he will consider joining legal action to prevent the early release of two men convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper. Hogg is in discussions with the Police Federation of England and Wales, which is also exploring legal avenues.
PC Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car while on duty responding to a quad bike theft. The two passengers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter and are eligible for early release after serving half their sentences. The driver, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for early release.
Hogg expressed that while he understands the pressures on the prison system, he believes individuals responsible for taking a life should not be released early. He noted that Harper's Law, introduced in 2022 to mandate life sentences for killers of emergency workers, is not retroactive and therefore does not apply to Cole and Bowers.
Sentencing Minister Jake Richards confirmed to the BBC that manslaughter is not among the offenses excluded from the government's early release scheme, stating it would be unlawful to single out individual cases. He also warned of potential prison capacity crises if fewer prisoners were released early, with the government planning approximately 5,000 additional releases in batches starting in October.
The Ministry of Justice has announced an additional £10 million for victim support services and updated the list of exclusions from the early release scheme to include rapists and those convicted of child sex offenses and grooming, in addition to murderers and terrorists.