Two teenagers convicted of the 2019 manslaughter of British police officer Andrew Harper are eligible for early release under a government scheme aimed at reducing prison overcrowding, set to begin in September 2026.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 17 at the time, were sentenced to 13 years in custody for their roles in Harper's death. They had tied the 28-year-old officer to a vehicle and dragged him more than a kilometre along a road in Berkshire. Under the new Sentencing Act, some prisoners will serve just 40 percent of their sentences behind bars instead of half. The driver, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for the scheme.
The Police Federation of England and Wales called the early release policy "disgusting". Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, successfully campaigned for legislation extending life sentences for those convicted of killing emergency workers on duty.