Key facts
- PC Andrew Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, is outraged that her husband's killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, will still be eligible for early release.
- Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in the 2019 killing of PC Harper.
- The Sentencing Act, which includes new exemptions, is set to be implemented in October.
- Despite exemptions for other offenders, Cole and Bowers remain eligible for release.
- Lissie Harper called the government's decision an "absolute betrayal" and expressed disgust at the prospect of their release.
Lissie Harper, the widow of PC Andrew Harper, has expressed profound anger and disappointment with the government after it was revealed that two of her husband's killers will still be eligible for early release.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in the 2019 killing of PC Harper, are expected to be eligible for release in October under the new Sentencing Act. This comes despite recent announcements by Prime Minister Andy Burnham that rapists and child sex offenders would be exempt from similar early release schemes.
Harper, who has become a campaigner for victims' families, stated she was "beyond appalled" and "bristling with anger" at the prospect of Cole and Bowers being freed. She criticized the government's decision, calling it an "absolute betrayal" and questioning the message it sends about the severity of killing a police officer. She emphasized that the killers have shown no remorse and should remain incarcerated.
PC Harper, 28, was killed when his car was dragged by a vehicle driven by Long, with Cole and Bowers as passengers. Long, the driver, is serving a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for early release under the scheme. The Sentencing Act's implementation has been delayed until October to allow probation officers more time to plan and to give victims a say in offender restrictions.