Fugitive child rapist could be in line for early release under Labour's prison scheme - despite not serving a day behind bars

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:45, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 00:45, 25 July 2026 A fugitive child rapist could be in line for an early release under Labour's prison scheme even though he has not served a single day of his sentence.  Brian Green, 76, who fled after being granted bail before facing trial, was sentenced in his absence to 22 years at Leeds Crown Court in 2024 for five counts of rape.  But now his victim has been informed that the pensioner, who is thought to be hiding in Thailand, will be eligible for early release even if police manage to find him. His victim, who he assaulted between the ages of nine and 13, said she was notified recently by liaison officers.    'I got an email with the subject 'Developments' and thought 'they've got him', she told The Sun. 'But it read, 'I have to tell you once he's apprehended, he will be let out early'. This is not justice. How can this be right?' As it stands, vile sex offenders such as Green serve two-thirds of their prison sentence under the new Sentencing Act; they could get freedom after just half.  However, Andy Burnham recently paused Labour's prison early release scheme amid outrage at PC Andrew Harper's killers being freed from jail. Brian Green, 76, who fled after being granted bail before facing trial, was sentenced in his absence to 22 years at Leeds Crown Court in 2024 for five counts of rape But now his victim has been informed that the pensioner, who is thought to be hiding in Thailand , will be eligible for early release even if police manage to find him (file image) The Prime Minister said he and his new Justice Secretary Alex Norris would conduct an 'urgent review' of the policy, which had been due to start on September 2.  The move threatens to plunge the prison system into fresh chaos, with Mr Burnham insisting no prisoners will be released under the scheme until the review is complete.  It will leave officials scrambling to work out prison release plans for thousands of criminals who are due to become eligible for early release. The PM indicated the scheme could yet face a major overhaul by Mr Norris, with Mr Burnham saying he would 'not hesitate' to make changes. 'Keeping the public safe will always be my top priority,' he said in a statement. 'I am working closely with the new Justice Secretary and have instructed my team to put a pause on the changes that were due to start in September. 'No prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public. Where changes are needed, we will not hesitate to make them.' Andy Burnham announced a 'pause' on Labour's prison early release scheme amid an outrage at PC Andrew Harper's killers being freed from jail PC Harper was 28 when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019  The Government has so far failed to say whether killers, rapists and paedophiles will be exempt from the scheme. Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch lambasted the new Prime Minister as she said a pause did not go far enough.   She wrote on X: 'I welcome this "pause" but you have only suspended one part of early release, pending yet another review. We have been campaigning against this dangerous scheme from day one.' She called for killers, rapists and child abusers to be exempted from the scheme permanently, adding: 'Your scheme is still letting offenders out early, today, every day.' Ms Badenoch also pointed out that the early release scheme has already cost people their lives, after inmate Liam Matthews went on to kill 26-year-old Lewis Bell just hours after being released early from prison. Matthews joined two others to hunt down and kill Lewis Bell over a drug den feud in Stockton on September 19, 2024. He had been released from prison the previous morning under the Government's scheme to ease pressure on crowded prisons, having been jailed three and a half months prior for attacking a separate man. It follows the news that two of PC Harper's killers are being considered for early release under the scheme. PC Harper was 28 years old when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019. The driver of the vehicle that dragged PC Harper until he was dead, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence, and would not have been eligible for the scheme. The Ministry of Justice confirmed Jessie Cole, left, and Albert Bowers might be eligible to be released from prison halfway through their sentences PC Harper and Lissie Harper were married just four weeks before the Thames Valley Police officer was killed in 2019  But early release was on the cards for Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and had been handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020. Both men could have become eligible to be released from prison after serving half of their sentences, rather than two-thirds. Lissie Harper, PC Harper's widow, described the scheme as 'deplorable', and his mother, Debbie Adlam, said Burnham's 'pause' was 'not enough'. 'It's not enough. It's a good start, and it really is a good basis to begin working on some sensible alternatives and looking at options for going forward, because there's so many people this affects, it's not just us,' she said on Thursday. 'It's incredibly personal to us, but it's not just us. And I think it really needs a good looking at, not just a quick meeting and 'that's it, we'll move on'. 'It needs to be looked at thoroughly and that's what I'm hoping for. We want to see some results from it.' The Daily Mail has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment.