PM Excludes Manslaughter Convicts From Early Release Scheme

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on August 30, 2026, that prisoners convicted of manslaughter, indecent assault, and death by dangerous driving will be exempt from the government's early release scheme, a move that ensures the killers of PC Andrew Harper will remain in prison. The decision follows intense public and family pressure, with more than a million people signing a petition to keep the officers' killers incarcerated.

PC Harper was killed in 2019 after being dragged down a road in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, while responding to a quad bike theft. Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were passengers in the getaway car, were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Under the original early release scheme, designed to alleviate severe overcrowding in England and Wales, they would have been eligible for release after serving half their sentence. The Prime Minister confirmed their sentences will now not be shortened.

Burnham stated the changes would see hundreds more inmates remain in prison. He explained the move was necessary to correct an injustice, noting that some individuals on lesser sentences were scheduled for release while those convicted of...