Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked the Justice Secretary to identify a method to exclude Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, convicted of PC Andrew Harper's manslaughter, from an early release scheme. The scheme is designed to alleviate prison overcrowding.
Mr Burnham is confident a solution can be found to remove Cole and Bowers from the government plan, the BBC has been told. Both men were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020 and are set to become eligible for release in January 2027, having served half their sentences, under changes to the Sentencing Act made this year.
Previously, prisoners convicted of certain serious violent or sexual crimes would have served at least two-thirds of their sentence before being considered for release. Downing Street had earlier stated it would be difficult to exclude individual offenders convicted of manslaughter from the early release of prisoners.
A government spokesperson confirmed the Prime Minister has asked the Justice Secretary to explore options to keep more serious offenders in prison, including PC Harper's killers. A source indicated that Justice Secretary Alex Norris would outline how the government plans to exclude Cole and Bowers from early release in due course.
PC Harper, 28, died in 2019 after being dragged behind a getaway car following a quad bike theft in Berkshire. His widow, Lissie Harper, has been among those advocating against the early release of Cole and Bowers.