KILL OR HELP TO KILL — NO EARLY RELEASE. JUSTICE MUST MEAN JUSTICE - SUCCESS
KILL OR HELP TO KILL — NO EARLY RELEASE. JUSTICE MUST MEAN JUSTICE
Petition Creator: Michael Lord-Castle -Thames Valley
The UK government has blocked the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers and is moving to exclude offenders convicted of "unlawful act" manslaughter from its emergency prisoner release scheme.
Following a massive public backlash, by 2 petitions signed by over one million people, and an open letter from 50 UK chief constables, Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Justice Secretary Alex Norris performed a major policy U-turn. The updated position on these categories of offenders is outlined below:
PC Andrew Harper's Killers
Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole: Under the initial rollout of the Sentencing Act 2026, these two individuals (sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020) were eligible to be freed at the halfway mark of their sentences in 2027. The Ministry of Justice has now confirmed they will be explicitly barred from early release and must remain in prison.
Henry Long: The driver of the getaway car was handed a longer 16-year sentence and was never eligible for the early release scheme.
"Other Killers" (Manslaughter and Murder)
Murder Convictions: All individuals serving life sentences for murder, terrorism, or other highly severe violent crimes were automatically excluded from the outset of the scheme.
Unlawful Act Manslaughter: The government is introducing secondary legislation to amend the Sentencing Act 2026. This will completely exclude anyone convicted of "unlawful act" manslaughter (where a death is caused while committing a separate illegal act) from early discharge.
Accomplices ("Those Who Helped Other Killers")
Legally, individuals who actively assist in a killing but do not deliver the fatal blow are often charged and convicted under the principle of joint enterprise or as accomplices to murder or manslaughter.
Because the government's blanket ban applies to the offence type itself (i.e., murder and unlawful act manslaughter), anyone serving a sentence for these crimes—regardless of whether they were the principal perpetrator or an accomplice who helped—is excluded from early release. [1, 2, 3]
Broader Scheme Exemptions
To address critical prison overcrowding while maximizing public safety, the government has delayed the wider scheme's commencement to 1 October 2026. Alongside killers, the Prime Minister has also completely banned the early release of rapists, child sex offenders, and grooming gang perpetrators.