Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reviewing plans for the early release of thousands of serious offenders, including killers and rapists, following outrage from PC Andrew Harper's family. The move, aimed at easing prison overcrowding, faces warnings from reform groups about potential criminal justice system collapse.
PC Andrew Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, called the potential early release of two of his killers "deplorable." Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a review of the Sentencing Act, which allows early release for thousands of offenders in England and Wales, citing prison overcrowding.
PC Andrew Harper's mother has called it an insult that two of her son's killers may qualify for early release under the government's prison scheme. The Ministry of Justice says offenders deemed the most dangerous will not be included.
A memorial to PC Andrew Harper, who was dragged for a mile and killed while confronting quad bike thieves in Berkshire in 2019, has been unveiled by his widow Lissie Harper in Reading. His death led to tougher sentences for those who kill emergency workers. Mrs Harper, married just 28 days before his death, told the ceremony: "The world lost a hero, but I lost the person I was meant to grow old with."
