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Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
A Police Federation chief has threatened to take the Government to court to stop PC Andrew Harper’s killers being released from prison early. Aileen O’Connor, who chairs the body that represents officers in the force in which PC Harper served, said the decision to release Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers would anger and demoralise serving officers in the area.
Thames Valley Police officer PC Harper, 28, was killed in August 2019 when responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.
Cole and Bowers remain eligible for early release after their convictions for manslaughter a year later. They were both given 13-year sentences and are eligible for release halfway through. While the Government announced on Monday that some crimes would be exempted, including rape, serious sexual abuse of children and grooming gang offences, other criminals are still due to be released earlier than scheduled.
The policy has been brought in as prison capacity has been put under severe strain, and fears that courts may not be able to jail offenders if the crisis continues. Ms O’Connor agreed and said she would “not forget the Government’s inexplicable and unforgivable decision to allow those who kill police officers to be released early from jail”.
She said: “We will throw everything at this through a proper legal challenge from KCs, barristers, you name it. Our colleagues will accept nothing less. We will do what we have to do to protect Andrew Harper’s legacy and other victims up and down the country who don’t have a platform to put their points across.”
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1 min ago08:29 Steph Spyro
Thames Valley chief constable 'receiving legal advice' on legal action
The Thames Valley chief constable has said he is “receiving legal advice” and would “certainly consider” joining the Police Federation’s legal action over the possible release of Pc Andrew Harper’s killers.
Asked if he would join the case, Jason Hogg told the BBC’s Today programme on Wednesday: “This is something I certainly would consider. But like I said, I urge the Government now.
“I do think that the public opinion is overwhelming in this matter, but I think it’s unfair and I do believe confidence in the criminal justice system risks being damaged.
“It’s right for the Government to have a look at this matter.”
He added that their possible release has had a “profound impact” on his force.
3 mins ago08:27 Steph Spyro
Concerns loophole allows historical child sex abusers to be released early
A minister said the Government “cannot carve out every single offence people might want us to” amid claims a loophole means historical child sex abusers will still be eligible for early release from prison.
Asked about The Times reporting that the rules will not apply to child sex offences that took place before the law changed in 2003, justice minister Jake Richards told Sky News: “Well, we’ve set out and published all the offences which have been now carved out of the new scheme that begins in October.
“Those are all online, several pages. But what we have been very clear is that we cannot carve out every single offence that people might want us to do so.
“We would like to do that, the Prime Minister has been very clear in his public pronouncements on this.”
Andy Burnham has stopped the early release of some prisoners (Image: PA)
4 mins ago08:26 Steph Spyro
Early release scheme 'fundamentally different' from previous ones, minister says
A minister insisted the Government’s early release regime was “fundamentally different” from previous schemes which he claimed were “rushed” and “not thought through”.
Justice minister Jake Richards told BBC Breakfast that “previous early release schemes… were rushed”.
He added: “They weren’t thought through. There was no preparatory work at all done by the government because they were essentially running a system which was out of control, and that this is fundamentally different.”
He said the new scheme would ensure every victim was contacted and invited to share what measures they want in place to “ensure that they can be kept safe”.
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6 mins ago08:24 Steph Spyro
Minister says he understands 'strength of feeling' among police
A minister said he understood the “strength of feeling” among police about Pc Andrew Harper’s death but that without prison places officers would not be able to do their jobs.
Jake Richards said that Harper’s Law strengthens the sentence for perpetrators who commit such offences but that “it doesn’t work retrospectively”.
“I understand the strength of feeling from police officers generally, but of course within that force in particular after the awful incident with Pc Andrew Harper,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“If we do not have prison places available then the police, the good work that they do every day on the streets, finding perpetrators, locking them up, it would be impossible.”
Jake Richards MP (Image: Parliament)
8 mins ago08:22 Steph Spyro
Two of Pc Andrew Harper’s killers still subject to early release scheme
Two of Pc Andrew Harper’s killers will still be subject to the early release scheme from October and it would be “wrong to pick out individual cases within different offending cohorts”, a minister has said.
Asked about the two who remain eligible, Jake Richards told BBC Breakfast: “The new regime comes into effect from October the first.
“The sentences, or the offences, sorry, which have been carved out, have been published online.
“Manslaughter is not one of those offences, and it would be wrong to pick out individual cases within different offending cohorts. That wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be lawful either.
“So it is correct that those two individuals will be subject to the new regime from October.”
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