PM confident of blocking early release of PC Harper's killers
Andy Burnham has asked for a plan to prevent the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers, reversing earlier statements that it was impossible.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has said he is increasingly confident that two of the men convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper will not be released early from prison. The case has become the focus of a public outcry over the government's early release scheme, which was introduced to ease chronic overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales.
Albert Bowers and Jesse Cole were passengers in a car that dragged PC Harper to his death in 2019. They were each sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter. Under the current early release scheme, they would have been freed in January after serving half their sentences. The driver, Henry Long, is serving a life sentence and is not eligible.
Last week, the government announced that rapists, child sex offenders and those convicted of grooming offences would be excluded from the scheme. But the two killers remained eligible, prompting a petition that has now gathered more than a million signatures. PC Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, said she was "more angry than ever" and challenged the Prime Minister to meet her.
Initially, Downing Street said it was not possible to exempt one or two individuals convicted of manslaughter, because that would require exempting the whole category. But the Prime Minister later said he had asked the Justice Secretary to present a plan in early September to keep a greater number of serious offenders in prison, including PC Harper's killers. He said: "I have not accepted that it is impossible to do more."
The change came after 50 police chiefs wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to use every lawful option to prevent the early release. The letter said there was "a profound strength of feeling across policing" about the case. The Prime Minister is also considering other measures to free up prison space, such as deporting foreign offenders, using the female prison estate for male offenders, and reviewing indefinite sentences.
But the case has also raised wider questions about the early release scheme. Other families, such as that of Frankie Jules-Hough, who was killed by a dangerous driver, have said they are concerned that their loved ones' killers could also be released early. The government says the scheme is necessary to prevent the prison system from collapsing.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Bowers and Jesse Cole, convicted of manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, were eligible for early release under the government's prison overcrowding scheme. | ||||||||
| The Prime Minister asked the Justice Secretary to find a way to keep the killers in jail. | · | |||||||
| Rapists will be banned from early prison release under a new scheme. | · | · | ||||||
| Downing Street initially said it was not possible to exempt specific offenders from the early release scheme. | · | · | · | |||||
| Over 300,000 people signed a petition to stop the release of Cole and Bowers. | · | · | · | |||||
| Police chiefs sent a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to block the early release of PC Harper's killers. | · | · | · | |||||
| The government is considering options including faster removal of foreign offenders and using female prison estate for male offenders to create space. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The petition against early release received between almost 900,000 and over a million signatures. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| A legal exemption for the killers would require keeping many other manslaughter convicts in prison. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Henry Long, the driver in the PC Harper case, is not eligible for early release. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| The government was accused of inconsistency and U-turns over the early release of PC Harper's killers. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| The Prime Minister expressed confidence that prison capacity work will allow a reduction in early release, including for the killers of PC Andrew Harper. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 focused on the emotional impact on PC Harper's family and the Prime Minister's shift from saying it was impossible to expressing confidence. It highlighted the mother's anger and the challenge to the PM, as well as the wider implications for other victims.
- “The Prime Minister insists today he is increasingly confident he can stop the killers of PC Andrew Harper from being set free under the early release scheme.”
- “I think I'm more angry than ever.”
- “The proposal will be to find new ways of freeing up space within the prison system so that we do not have to release offenders early, and particularly the most serious offenders like those involved in the killing of PC Andrew Harper.”
Sky News focused on the legal and technical difficulties of exempting the two killers, and the political pressure on the PM. It also reported on the police chiefs' letter and the PM's statement of confidence.
- “There is frustration from victims that certain people are still being released, PC Harper's killers for instance.”
- “But as the Times is reporting this morning there appears to be some kind of technical difficulty in terms of how they actually do that legally.”
- “The prime minister says he is increasingly confident that work to increase space in prisons will allow the government to reduce the number of offenders being freed early, including the killers of police officer Andrew Harper.”
BBC ONE West focused on the initial statement that it was not possible, then the PM's change, and the police chiefs' letter. It also highlighted the family's rollercoaster of emotions.
- “Downing Street has said it's not possible to exempt one or two defenders convicted of manslaughter from the government's early release scheme amid pressure over the eligibility of PC Andrew Harper's killers to be freed before the end of their sentences.”
- “The Prime Minister says he is increasingly confident that two of the three men who killed PC Andrew Harper in 2019 will not be released from prison early.”
- “Tonight, 50 police chiefs have written to Andy Burnham, urging him to prevent the early release of PC Harper's killers.”
BBC NEWS focused on the timeline and the PM's order to the Justice Secretary, and the legal complexity. It also included the mother's reaction and the petition's progress.
- “Downing Street has said it is not possible to exempt one or two offenders convicted of manslaughter from the government's early release scheme amid pressure over the eligibility of PC Andrew Harper's killers to be freed before the end of their sentences.”
- “The Prime Minister has asked his Justice Secretary to find a way to keep the killers of PC Andrew Harper in jail.”
- “It's standing at almost 900,000.”
BBC TWO focused on the legal and political complexity, the PM's determination, and the wider implications for victims. It also discussed alternative options and the PM's daily calls on the issue.
- “Today Downing Street confirmed it wasn't possible to exclude Jesse Cole and Albert Bowers from the early release scheme.”
- “We understand that the prime minister is determined to find a way and that he has been holding daily calls about this for the last week or so.”
- “The prime minister has asked the justice secretary to work through further options to keep a greater number of the most serious offenders in prison, including the killers of PC Harper.”
GB News focused on the U-turn and the political implications, and also promoted Reform UK's proposal to send foreign prisoners abroad. It was more opinionated and critical of the PM's handling.
- “Now, after an entire weekend of rumours that the Government would make an exemption to its early release scheme and block the release of PC Andrew Harper's Two Killers, today it was finally confirmed that the Government, in fact, will not apply any such exemptions.”
- “The Prime Minister has told the Justice Secretary to find a way to block the release of PC Harper's killers even though the government told GB News earlier today that an exemption wouldn't be possible.”
- “Reform UK announced this plan. Send people back to their country of origin...”
5 focused on the petition reaching a million signatures and the PM's confidence, as well as the police federation's role in starting the petition.
- “Andy Burnham says he is increasingly confident he can stop PC Andrew Harper's killers being released early.”
- “A petition set up to stop two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper being released early from prison has now received more than one million signatures.”
- “The prime minister has ordered his justice secretary to find a way to keep these two men behind bars.”
Channel 4 focused on the political trap for the PM, the emotional impact on the family, and the wider implications for the justice system. It also mentioned the probation officers' strike vote.
- “Andy Burnham now promises that the killers of PC Harper won't get early release, but can he escape the trap between doing what's right and doing what's necessary?”
- “The Prime Minister says he is determined to work out a way to stop PC Andrew Harper's killers from being freed early from prison.”
- “The Conservatives have accused Andy Burnham of constant U-turns, saying that victims have been re-traumatised.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.