PC Harper's killers to stay in jail as PM announces early release scheme changes

The Sentencing Act 2026 was designed to address the prisons overcrowding crisis, by releasing large numbers of inmates earlier than had been previously planned. The early release scheme is scheduled to start on 1 October.

But it was met with fierce opposition from some, including family and former colleagues of PC Harper.

Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020 and would previously have become eligible for release under the scheme after serving half of their sentences, down from two-thirds.

The driver of the getaway car, Henry Long, was given an “extended” sentence of 16 years for manslaughter and was therefore not eligible for release.

PC Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, had described the prospect of their sentences being reduced as “deplorable”.

His mother Debbie Adlam told BBC Breakfast earlier this month she was in “turmoil” following conflicting reports about whether the killers would be released, describing the handling of the situation as a “hash”.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp previously accused Burnham and Labour of “re-traumatising victims and their families with their constant U-turns”.

During his early days as prime minister, Burnham announced the changes brought in by the Sentencing Act would be paused while a review was carried out.

On 3 August, the government announced prisoners guilty of rape, serious child sex offences and grooming would be excluded from the new policy.

Prisoners serving sentences for murder would not be eligible for early release.

While Downing Street initially warned it would not be possible to exclude “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter, Burnham later said he was “confident” of being able to block PC Harper’s killers from the scheme.

It marked a shift from a week earlier, when he said there was “nothing more” he could do without risking the collapse of the prison system.

The Sentencing Act made a number of key changes designed to mean fewer people were sent to prison, and to free many inmates earlier than planned.

The prison population in England and Wales on 24 August was 86,843, which is 97.6% of the total capacity.

Additional reporting by Jack Fenwick and Claire Keenan