Outrage grows as PC Andrew Harper's killers eligible for early release

Lissie Harper received the devastating news of her husband PC Andrew Harper's death on what she believed was his return from work. Married only four weeks prior, her world shattered. "Everything I had known in my life to be true was robbed away. Every ounce of beautiful peace, gone," she later recounted.

“

Everything I had known in my life to be true was robbed away. Every ounce of beautiful peace, gone.

The couple, who met as teenagers and shared 13 years together, were described as "true childhood sweethearts." Their plans for a honeymoon were abruptly canceled by the tragic events of that night.

“

true childhood sweethearts, loving one another more and more with each passing day

The case has resurfaced in headlines due to government plans to release approximately 6,000 prisoners early to alleviate prison overcrowding. Two of PC Harper's killers, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, are among those who could be released early, having served half of their manslaughter sentences. This prospect has reignited outrage among PC Harper's family, fellow officers, and the public.

“

going beyond the call of duty

PC Harper died after his ankles became caught in a strap attached to a stolen quad bike being towed by a car driven by Henry Long. He was dragged for over a mile, his police badge and stab vest found scattered along the route. The three teenagers involved were tried for murder, but the jury convicted Bowers and Cole of manslaughter, while Long had pleaded guilty to the same offense. The jury was not convinced that the killers knew they were dragging an officer, a fact that led the judge to describe the case as manslaughter "very close to a case of murder" in its severity. Despite a public backlash and a review of the early release policy, Bowers and Cole were not excluded from the scheme, a decision Lissie Harper called "disgraceful and disgusting."

“

very close to a case of murder