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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ordered Justice Secretary Alex Norris to find a legal way to prevent Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, the two men convicted over the death of PC Andrew Harper, from being released early from prison. The move follows a public petition that has passed one million signatures and mounting pressure from Harper’s family, police leaders and supporters.
Bowers and Cole were sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2020 for unlawful act manslaughter following the death of Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper in Berkshire in August 2019. Under the existing early-release arrangements, the pair could be released before serving their full sentences, with reports indicating that their release could take place in January 2027.
The prospect has generated an unusually large public campaign. The petition calling for the pair to remain in prison crossed the one-million mark in August, intensifying demands for the Government to intervene before the first relevant releases under the new prison policy.
The Government has not yet confirmed a final legal mechanism, but ministers are examining a broader change to the early-release rules rather than creating an exemption solely for Harper’s killers.
One proposal under consideration would exclude prisoners convicted of unlawful act manslaughter from the relevant early-release arrangements. That approach could apply to hundreds of prisoners rather than being written specifically for Bowers and Cole, potentially making it more defensible against a legal challenge. The Times reported that as many as 470 current prisoners could be affected by such a change.
The issue is particularly sensitive because the Government's wider early-release policy is designed to ease pressure on an overcrowded prison estate. Ministers have been attempting to balance the need for additional prison capacity with demands from victims' families and police organisations that serious offenders should not benefit from accelerated release arrangements.
Speaking to LBC, Communities Secretary Angela Rayner said the Justice Secretary would set out the Government's plans when Parliament returns in September, including measures intended to keep the most serious offenders in prison. She confirmed that the approach would include people responsible for crimes against police officers.
The petition's rapid growth has become a central feature of the campaign. The Police Federation of England and Wales reported on 12 August that support had already approached one million signatures, describing the scale of the public response as significant for serving officers.
By 14 August, the petition had crossed one million signatures, placing considerable political pressure on the Government to provide a clear answer before the early-release programme progresses.
Police leaders have also intervened. Pressure has come from senior policing figures who have called on the Prime Minister to ensure that the men convicted over Harper's death do not benefit from the policy.
For Harper's family, the issue is about more than sentencing policy. His mother, Debbie Adlam, has publicly urged Mr Burnham not to disappoint the family again as ministers consider their options.
PC Andrew Harper was killed while responding to a reported theft in Berkshire in August 2019. He became caught in a tow rope attached to a vehicle and was dragged behind it, suffering fatal injuries.
Bowers and Cole, who were teenagers at the time of the offence, were convicted of manslaughter and received 13-year sentences. A third defendant, Henry Long, was convicted of manslaughter and received a 16-year sentence.
The case has since become closely linked to the wider debate over how the prison system deals with serious offenders. The Government's early-release programme is intended to reduce overcrowding, but the Harper case has exposed difficult questions over whether certain categories of violent offenders should be excluded.
Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the Government's immediate priority is to establish a legally sustainable mechanism rather than simply announcing a case-specific exemption. That distinction matters because ministers must ensure that any change can withstand scrutiny under existing sentencing and human-rights principles.
The next major development is expected when Parliament returns in September 2026, when Justice Secretary Alex Norris is expected to explain how the Government intends to alter the rules.
Read more: One Million Back Call to Keep PC Harper Killers Jailed
Until that announcement, it would be premature to say that Bowers and Cole are definitely being kept in prison for their full sentences. The Government has indicated that it wants to prevent their early release, but no final legal change has yet been confirmed.
For Harper's family, the police community and the more than one million people who have signed the petition, September is therefore likely to be a decisive moment. The Government must now demonstrate whether its stated intention can be translated into a legally enforceable change before the existing release arrangements take effect.
