PM Orders Plan to Block Early Release of PC Harper Killers

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has instructed Justice Secretary Alex Norris to develop a plan to block the early release of two men convicted of killing police officer Andrew Harper, reversing the government's previous position that such an exclusion was not possible. The decision, announced on August 11, 2026, comes after days of intense public and political pressure, including a petition that has gathered more than 900,000 signatures.

Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers are serving 13-year sentences for the manslaughter of PC Harper, a Thames Valley Police officer who died in 2019 after being dragged behind a getaway car during a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. Under the Sentencing Act 2026, an emergency policy designed to alleviate severe prison overcrowding in England and Wales, the pair would become eligible for release in January 2027 after serving half their sentence. The third man involved, driver Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for early release.

Downing Street had previously stated it was not possible to exempt Cole and Bowers because manslaughter is a broad legal category, not a standalone offense specific to emergency workers. However, a...