Pressure Mounts Over Release of Officer's Killers
The government came under mounting pressure over its prison early-release scheme after it emerged that the men jailed over the death of PC Andrew Harper could still qualify for release. The Police Federation called the prospect “unacceptable”, and police representatives signalled they could seek to challenge any release. Ministers had tightened the scheme to exclude serious sexual offenders.
Harper, a Thames Valley officer, was dragged to his death behind a car in 2019, in a case that shocked the country and led to tougher laws on killing emergency workers. That his killers remain within scope of early release, when rapists and child abusers have been barred, has exposed the awkward compromises of a scheme forced on ministers by overcrowded jails. The government insists public protection comes first and that the most serious offenders are excluded. The row is a headache for a government already stretched on law and order. Watch whether ministers move to close the loophole.