Petition to block early release from jail of killers of former Thames Valley Police officer attracts more than 650,000 signatures
A petition to block the possible early release from jail of the killers of former Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper has attracted more than 650,000 signatures.
The petition, started by chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation Aileen O’Connor has attracted 655,654 signatures at the time of writing.
PC Harper, 28, from Wallingford in Oxfordshire, died from his injuries in 2019 when he got caught in a tow rope attached to a vehicle, and was dragged behind the getaway car of three teenagers who had fled the scene of a quadbike theft.
Two of PC Harper’s killers - Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers - are eligible for early release in 2027, under a Government scheme to address overcrowding issues at prisons across the country.
The new Sentencing Act was passed in January but has since been halted by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham in response to concerns as to which offenders are eligible for early release.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister confirmed that rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers were not eligible for early release but said that domestic abusers and killers could be released after serving half of their sentences.
Writing in the petition Thames Valley Police Federation chair Aileen O’Connor said: “I am absolutely outraged that the Justice Secretary and the Prime Minister have decided that killing a police officer in the execution of their duty is somehow less serious than other offences deemed too dangerous for early release.
“On behalf of Thames Valley Police officers, I challenge the Prime Minister and the Justice Secretary to stand before PC Andrew Harper's widow, Lissie, his family, or indeed any police officer in this country, and explain why those responsible for killing a police officer should still be eligible for early release.
“This decision pours salt into wounds that have never healed. It is an insult to Andrew's family, his friends, his colleagues and the entire policing family.”
Bowers and Cole were sentenced to 13 years for the manslaughter of PC Harper, while Henry Long, the driver of the getaway car, who is not eligible for early release, was jailed for 16 years for the same offence.
Earlier this week Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said he was ‘beyond disappointed’ that PC Harper’s killers were eligible for early release, describing the news as ‘demoralising’ for police officers and fellow emergency service workers.
Speaking on the BBC’s Newsnight programme, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said: “The Government can very easily exclude these individuals {from early release}, and I support the idea of an amendment when this emergency legislation comes to Parliament in September.”
Former Detective Superintendent Stuart Blaik, the senior investigating officer in the case told the BBC’s Breakfast programme: “This was a very serious case of manslaughter, and you have seen clips of their behaviour at the remand hearing, the way they reacted to the cameras and the fact they showed absolutely no remorse.
“I don’t understand why something of this nature and this seriousness could ever be part of this early release scheme - it doesn’t make any sense to me.”