Two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers ‘are set to be kept in prison and barred from early release’ as Justice Secretary plans law change
Two men convicted over the killing of PC Andrew Harper are reportedly set to be barred from an early-release scheme under a planned change to sentencing law. The proposal would respond to public anger over the prospect of Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole leaving prison next year, and could create a new exemption for prisoners convicted of unlawful act manslaughter.
PC Harper was killed in 2019 after becoming caught in a strap attached to a vehicle fleeing a quad bike theft in Berkshire; Bowers and Cole received 13-year sentences, while driver Henry Long received 16 years and is already ineligible for early release. The scheme, introduced to relieve prison overcrowding, generally permits eligible fixed-term prisoners to leave after serving 40% of their sentence, potentially falling to one-third under the 2026 Sentencing Act; around 5,000 people are expected to be released early under the wider changes.
- Harper killers may lose early-release eligibility.
- Proposed change targets unlawful act manslaughter.
- Scheme aims to ease prison overcrowding.
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PC Andrew Harper was a Thames Valley Police officer who died in August 2019 while responding to the theft of a quad bike near Reading, Berkshire. He became caught in a strap attached to a vehicle as those involved tried to get away.
Three men were convicted in connection with his death. Henry Long, who drove the vehicle, admitted manslaughter, while Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were convicted of manslaughter after a trial; all had been cleared of murder.
The case has remained prominent because of questions about how long the men will serve in custody. It also highlights the wider debate over rules allowing some prisoners serving fixed-term sentences to be released before the end of their terms, particularly as ministers seek to reduce pressure on prisons.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that people convicted of causing a police officer’s death through unlawful conduct should not receive early release intended for lower-risk or less serious cases. They contend that the gravity of PC Harper’s killing, public confidence in sentencing and the need to recognise the risks faced by emergency workers justify a clear exemption, even amid legitimate pressure on prison capacity. In this view, serving a substantial proportion of a court-imposed sentence is an important element of justice for victims’ families and deterrence.
The case against
Opponents argue that sentencing and release rules should be principled, predictable and applied consistently, rather than changed in response to understandable public anger about a particular case. They may contend that a broad exclusion for unlawful act manslaughter risks overlooking major differences in culpability between cases, while retrospective changes could undermine legal certainty. They also argue that early-release schemes can be necessary to manage overcrowding safely, provided release is accompanied by supervision and decisions remain grounded in evidence of risk.