Lissie Harper: PM weighs move to keep PC Harper's killers jailed

Last updated: 8 August 2026

Nearly seven years after PC Andrew Harper was killed on a dark Berkshire road, his widow Lissie Harper is again fighting over what justice for her husband should mean. Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, two of the three men convicted of his manslaughter, are currently eligible for earlier release under sentencing changes designed to relieve prison overcrowding. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is now examining options that could keep them behind bars.

What People Are Searching For

The immediate question is whether Cole and Bowers will actually leave prison earlier than previously expected. Both received 13-year sentences for manslaughter in 2020 after Harper's death while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. Henry Long, who was driving the car, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible under the scheme.

Interest has also centred on Lissie Harper because her campaigning after her husband's death helped secure a change in the law. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 means people convicted of manslaughter of emergency workers on duty now face mandatory life sentences, but that change cannot be applied retrospectively to Harper's killers.

What Is Confirmed

Harper was 28 when he died on 15 August 2019. He had married Lissie just four weeks earlier and was preparing to go on honeymoon. His ankles became caught in a strap trailing behind a car used during the theft of a quad bike, and he was dragged for more than a mile.

Cole and Bowers remain eligible under the planned sentencing changes. The wider scheme is now expected to release about 5,000 prisoners over 10 months from October, rather than the previously planned 6,000. The government has excluded rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming offences following a review.

Thames Valley Police chief constable Jason Hogg has said he would consider joining legal action if the government does not reverse its position, subject to legal advice. The Police Federation is exploring the possibility of a judicial review.

The government's own explanation is prison capacity. A government statement on sentencing changes says adult male prisons are at 98% capacity, while 14,000 new prison places are expected by 2031.

What Is Unconfirmed

The biggest unresolved point is whether the government will change the rules specifically enough to prevent Cole and Bowers being released early. According to The Telegraph's latest report, Burnham is considering two approaches: excluding prisoners responsible for the deaths of emergency service workers, or excluding all prisoners convicted of manslaughter.

No final option has been selected. The Telegraph reports that a decision is expected within the next fortnight, after which ministers could table legal changes. Officials have also raised concerns about the legal implications of treating the killing of emergency workers differently because there is no standalone manslaughter charge specifically for such cases.

The Bigger Picture

The dispute brings together two competing pressures: the demand that serious offenders serve the sentences victims' families expected, and the government's attempt to prevent prisons reaching capacity. The official plan introduces earlier potential release points for some determinate sentences while making release dependent on behaviour and imposing stronger supervision in the community.

For the Harper family, however, the argument is intensely personal. Lissie described the prospect of Cole and Bowers benefiting from the scheme as “disgraceful and disgusting”. A petition opposing their early release has attracted more than 750,000 signatures, according to the BBC.

The case also has implications beyond one family. Police representatives have warned about the effect on morale, while the debate could shape how ministers distinguish between different manslaughter cases when deciding who should qualify for earlier release.

Latest Status

As of the latest supplied report, Cole and Bowers remain eligible for early release, while Long does not. Burnham has not yet announced whether he will amend the scheme to exclude them or a wider category of prisoners.

The next decisive development would be a government decision on the two options under consideration. Until such a legal change is announced, reports that the pair have definitely been blocked from early release are not confirmed.

FAQ

Who is Lissie Harper?

Lissie Harper is the widow of PC Andrew Harper. They had been together for 13 years and had married four weeks before he was killed while on police duty in August 2019.

Why could Andrew Harper's killers be released early?

Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers are eligible under sentencing changes intended to reduce pressure on overcrowded prisons. Both were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, while driver Henry Long received 16 years and is not eligible under the scheme.

What is Harper's Law?

The change secured after campaigning by Harper's family means people convicted of manslaughter of emergency workers on duty now face mandatory life sentences. It cannot be applied retrospectively to the men convicted over Andrew Harper's 2019 death.

Has Andy Burnham blocked their early release?

No final decision is confirmed in the supplied reports. Burnham is considering options including excluding those responsible for killing emergency workers or excluding a wider group of prisoners convicted of manslaughter.

When could the early-release rules change?

The latest report says Burnham is expected to decide which option to pursue within the next fortnight. Ministers could then table legal changes to the release scheme.