Andy Burnham accused of ‘betrayal’ of hero cop’s family over early release scheme_t

Holidaying Andy Burnham has been accused of betraying the family of PC Andrew Harper as pressure grows to take the government to court over the early release of his killers. The PM, who jetted off on a break after just two weeks in Number 10 on Monday, is facing mounting pressure over Labour’s disastrous prisoner early release scheme which could include those caged for killing PC Harper.

The chief constable and police federation of PC Harper’s Thames Valley Police force have both said today (Weds) they are considering legal action against the Government.

The 28-year-old officer’s death in 2019 sparked national outcry and his courageous widow Lissie, who he married just a month before he was killed, campaigned with his family to bring about Harper’s Law – which created mandatory life sentences for those convicted of the manslaughter of an emergency worker.

Sickeningly for PC Harper’s family, the law cannot be applied retrospectively to his killers, and they learned two of them, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, could now walk free with an early release in a matter of weeks.

Dame Priti Patel was the Home Secretary who worked with Lissie and his family to bring about the law which came into force in 2022. A furious Dame Priti told the Daily Express last night the Prime Minister had “betrayed” PC Harper’s loved ones by allowing the early release of two of his killers.

“Andy Burnham has failed them. He has let down our police officers who routinely run towards danger to protect us all,” she said.

“It is a travesty of justice to let Harper’s killers walk free and a damning indictment of the Government that ministers will not block the release of these killers.”

“The Prime Minister has betrayed the family of PC Andrew Harper.”

On Monday, hours before Mr Burnham began his summer getaway, Labour announced it had given the green light to release thousands of killers and domestic abusers early despite causing tremendous heartache for victims and their families.

PC Harper was dragged to his death on duty in 2019 after he had bravely tried to stop a getaway car carrying quad bike thieves, Bowers, Cole and Henry Long. Driver Long, 19, was sentenced to 16 years after admitting manslaughter. He is not eligible for early release.

Cole and Bowers, then both 18, were only convicted after subjecting their victim’s family to a trial at the Old Bailey. The pair mocked police officers giving evidence and were disgracefully pictured sniggering outside court.

Both were caged for 13 years in 2020.

The PM had previously said he would review the release of Cole and Bowers, but campaigners have since spoken of “deafening silence” from the Government.

More than 300,000 people have signed a petition in 24 hours demanding Labour stop the early release of PC Harper’s killers.

And Thames Valley Police Federation and the chief constable of the force, Jason Hogg, have said they would support legal action against the Government over the decision. Aileen O’Connor, Chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation which represents over 5,000 members, said she met with solicitors, barristers and KCs yesterday.

“Every legal challenge, if there is a legal challenge, every avenue around that is being considered,” she said.

“I’m very much throwing everything we can at this. This is a betrayal, it’s a betrayal to Andrew’s legacy and everything that he stood for and it’s a betrayal for police officers across my force that I represent and police officers up and down the country.

“It’s a kick in the teeth and rubbing salt in the wound and it’s unacceptable.

Ms O’Connor said the silence from the Ministry of Justice this week had been “deafening”, adding: “I haven’t had any contact from anybody in Government around this, but you know what, I am not going away, I am going to be a pain the backside to them, a thorn in their side, until we get justice for Andrew Harper and his legacy.”

Speaking about Bowers and Cole, Ms O’Connor described them as “heinous individuals” who “mocked officers giving evidence and who mocked the system with utter contempt”.

She added: “We’ve seen the sniggering photographs of the individuals as they were led away at court, and during that whole trial.

“Utter contempt is what they showed, and they’ve showed no remorse whatsoever, which just makes this 10 times worse.

“The fact they were told they were going to get early release before Andrew Harper’s family, before Lissie, where is putting the victims and the victims’ families at the heart of this? that what the Government are saying they are doing, that is for me, that is empty words.”

Serving Thames Valley Chief Constable Jason Hogg took the unusual step of also coming out against the Government.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said supporting legal action was “certainly” something he would consider, adding: “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.”

Speaking to the Daily Express last night PC Harper’s mum Debbie Adlam welcomed the idea of a legal challenge, adding: “When I saw the Police Federation and Jason’s comments it was really good for us, because we know now we are not standing still.”

Lissie Harper called the news of her late husband’s killers’ release “absurd” and a “gut punch” from the Government. “They should be ashamed of themselves,” she said.

“I am ashamed to be governed by these politicians and their short-sighted decisions. You show nothing but disrespect to Andrew, to his loved ones and to other families in the same horrific position.”

Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch said she supported the Police Federation in considering a judicial review.

She told the BBC: “I’m against early release of this dangerous category of rapists, paedophiles, killers, including the killers of PC Andrew Harper.”

Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after ministers exempted rapists and “serious” child sex offenders as part of the scheme to tackle overcrowding in jails.

Tiff Lynch, National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “The Government has recognised that some offenders are simply too dangerous to benefit from early release, yet those convicted of killing police officers have been left off that list. That is both deeply disappointing and impossible to justify.

“Allowing those who take an officer’s life to be released earlier to save the prison system from collapsing gravely risks undermining not only public safety but public confidence, causing real distress to bereaved families and sending entirely the wrong message about the value we place on those who protect us. The Government must urgently rethink this decision.”

Andy Burnham had said he had wanted to “go further” with the exemptions after ordering a review of the early release scheme, but this was “not possible without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing”.

The Ministry of Justice claimed those released will face tougher probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and possible bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches.

The changes were part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year that cut the minimum amount of time many offenders would have to spend in prison.

Questions have also been raised about the extent of exemptions for child sex offenders, with The Times reporting the rules will not apply to some historical cases.

The paper said victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman is seeking clarification after the Ministry of Justice was unable to say which offences would be excluded from the early release scheme.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The death of PC Andrew Harper was a horrific crime. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and we share the anger from the police community that we are in this position.

“Thanks to tireless campaigning by Andrew’s family, Harper’s Law means that anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime now gets a mandatory life sentence. This Government has gone further by introducing a presumption that anyone convicted of murdering a police, prison or probation officer is handed a whole-life order.

“We have been clear that we wanted to go further and block more offenders from getting out sooner into their sentence, but could not do so without risking prisons reaching capacity and collapsing. If that happened, police could not make arrests, courts could not remand offenders and there would be unchecked criminality on our streets.”