How Andy Burnham could keep the killers of Pc Andrew Harper behind bars
The killing of police officer Andrew Harper by three teenagers fleeing a burglary scene in 2019 has resurfaces as a political crisis following Labour's Sentencing Act, which reduces custodial terms to address severe jail overcrowding. One attacker, Henry Long, received a 16-year extended sentence and remains ineligible for early release. However, his two accomplices, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, received standard 13-year sentences and would have become eligible for release next year under the new rules, which allow release at the halfway point for sentences exceeding four years.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham initially stated he had exhausted all options without risking systemic collapse, but returned from holiday to order Justice Secretary Alex Norris to identify alternative approaches to prevent their premature release. The government has made some concessions—exempting sexual offences from early release and delaying the scheme's start—yet these changes did not affect Harper's killers' eligibility. Burnham now claims growing confidence that the individuals will serve their full sentences, though the tension between prison capacity needs and public protection concerns remains unresolved.
In short
- Two teenagers convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper in 2019 faced early release under Labour's new Sentencing Act, designed to ease prison overcrowding
- Public outcry prompted PM Burnham to order a review and task the justice secretary with finding ways to prevent their early release despite legislative constraints
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The killing of a police officer is an exceptionally grave crime warranting full sentences be served in the interests of justice, victim rights, and public protection. Prison capacity is a serious problem, but allowing early release of those convicted of such heinous crimes would undermine sentencing proportionality and public confidence in justice. The government is right to seek alternatives that do not compromise consequences for the most serious offences.
The case against
The Sentencing Act was carefully designed to balance justice with pressing systemic needs, and creating exceptions for high-profile cases introduces political judgment into law enforcement, threatening the rule of law. A substantial 13-year sentence provides meaningful public protection, and a fair system applies consistent rules across all serious offences. Comprehensive reform that addresses overcrowding fairly serves the wider public better than ad hoc exemptions that undermine the entire reform.
Explained simply
Pc Andrew Harper was a police officer killed in 2019 while responding to a burglary. Three teenagers were convicted over his death: Henry Long received an extended sentence, while Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers received standard prison sentences.
The Sentencing Act changes when some prisoners can be released, as the prison system faces severe overcrowding. Under the rules, some people serving sentences longer than four years may be released after serving half their term. The debate is about how to manage pressure on prisons while deciding who should remain in custody for public protection.