PC Harper killers' potential early release is an 'insult', says his mother

PC Harper killers may be eligible for early releaseImage source, Family photoImage caption, Police officer Andrew Harper suffered fatal injuries while on duty in 2019ByCurtis LancasterSouth of EnglandPublished22 July 2026, 07:50 BSTUpdated 2 minutes agoThe mother of police officer Andrew Harper has said it feels like an "insult" that two of her son's killers may be eligible for early release from prison.PC Harper was 28 years old when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.He died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and both 17 at the time, were handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020.Image caption, PC Harper's mother Debbie Adlam said it felt "like a slap in the face"Both men might be eligible to be released from prison halfway through their sentences, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed.Under the new Sentencing Act, due to come into force in September, some 6,000 criminals are set to be released under the early prison release scheme.The government has so far failed to rule out whether killers, rapists and paedophiles will be exempt from the scheme.The driver of the vehicle which caused PC Harper's death, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence, and will not be eligible for the scheme.Image caption, A tribute to PC Harper sits opposite Reading Crown CourtSpeaking to The Telegraph, PC Harper's mother Debbie Adlam said she had received a letter from the MoJ confirming their sentences might be reduced.She said: "It makes me feel sick. Andrew's life doesn't get to come back. It feels like a slap in the face and an insult."She added that "people are getting a free pass for crime" in the UK.An MoJ spokesperson...