STORY
More than 500,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Government to prevent Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole from being released early from prison. The petition was launched by Aileen O’Connor, chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation, after it was confirmed that the two men remain eligible for release under changes intended to reduce pressure on prison capacity.
Bowers and Cole were each sentenced to 13 years after being convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper. The Thames Valley Police officer died in August 2019 after becoming caught in a strap attached to a car as the defendants fled from the theft of a quad bike in Berkshire. Henry Long, who was driving the vehicle, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for release under the scheme.
PC Harper’s widow, Lissie Harper, has supported the petition and urged the Government to exclude the two men from the changes. Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg has said he may support legal action being considered by the Police Federation if ministers do not reverse the decision. The Government has argued that selecting individual prisoners for exemption would not be lawful and that releases are necessary to prevent the prison system running out of places.
The petition is located at https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-stop-the-early-release-from-jail-of-pc-andrew-harper-s-killers.