Hampshire's chief constable joins call to prevent early release of PC Harper's killers
Fifty police officers across the UK unite
Hampshire’s chief constable joins the call to prevent the early release of two teenagers involved in the death of a police officer.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Chief Constable Alexis Boon is among 50 policing and law enforcement leaders calling on the Prime Minister to assess whether the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers can be prevented.
PC Harper was 28 when he was killed in the line of duty while responding to a theft near Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019. During the incident, three teenagers attempted to flee the scene but Harper’s ankles became caught in a trailing tow rope attached to their getaway car. He was dragged for more than a mile and sustained fatal injuries.
The vehicle’s passengers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were both convicted of manslaughter, but changes to the Sentencing Act, the pair sentenced to 13 years for in 2020, are set to become eligible for release from custody after serving half of their sentences. The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, will not be eligible for early release.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the leaders said there was “a profound strength of feeling across policing” about those responsible for his death potentially benefiting from arrangements that could see them released substantially earlier than expected.
It continued: “When the state asks people to run towards danger on behalf of the public, they should be able to trust that the justice system will stand behind them when the worst happens.
“PC Andrew Harper lost his life while protecting the public and serving his community. Following his death, Lissie Harper campaigned for a change in the law, leading Parliament to establish Harper's Law, recognising the exceptional risks emergency workers take while protecting others.
“While Harper's Law cannot retrospectively alter the sentences imposed following PC Andrew Harper’s death, the principle behind it remains important. Those who serve and protect the public should know that the justice system recognises the risks they take on society's behalf.”
The letter also stresses that the concern extends beyond PC Harper and policing.
The signatories said families across the country were facing the distress of discovering that offenders could be released earlier than they had understood when a sentence was passed. They called for victims and bereaved families to be properly considered whenever significant changes are made to sentencing or release arrangements.
The leaders continued: “We therefore ask government to consider three measures. First, we ask that every lawful option is examined to determine whether the earlier release of those responsible for PC Andrew Harper's death can be prevented.
“Second, we ask government to establish an additional public protection safeguard in cases involving the most serious offenders whenever future changes to sentencing on release arrangements are considered.
“Third, victims and bereaved families must be properly considered whenever significant changes are made to sentencing or release arrangements.”