PC Andrew Harper’s family and former colleagues have welcomed the UK Government’s decision to change its early-release rules, after a campaign that placed renewed attention on the potential release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers.
Harper’s mother, Debbie Adlam, said she was “grateful” that her son’s killers would no longer be released early, although she also stressed that the family had been put through significant emotional strain during the process. His widow, Lissie Harper, had also campaigned against the proposed release arrangements.
The government announced on August 30 that offenders convicted of unlawful k!lling, including manslaughter, would be excluded from the early-release scheme. That change means Cole and Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter following Harper’s d3ath in 2019, will not benefit from the controversial reduction in time served.
The decision followed weeks of public pressure, including a peтιтion that attracted more than a million signatures. Police leaders and Harper’s family had repeatedly urged the government to reconsider the policy.
For those closest to Andrew, the reversal does not erase the pain of losing him — but it has brought a sense of relief that his case was finally heard. As his mother put it, the family got the answer they had been seeking, even though reaching it came with its own scars. 💙
SOURCES:
ITV News — Harper family reacts to the early-release reversal
