Labour MP Emily Darlington has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to exclude those convicted of manslaughter and killing emergency workers from upcoming changes to prison sentences, saying MPs across the Thames Valley had been pressing for action to ensure PC Andrew Harper’s killers were not released early.
The Milton Keynes Central MP said the changes were an important response to concerns raised by victims’ families, police and local representatives.
Writing on X, Darlington said:
“Myself and other MPs in the Thames Valley Policing area have been pushing for these changes to make sure Andrew Harper’s killers are not released early.”
She also welcomed the wider decision to exclude all manslaughter offences from the sentencing changes, highlighting its significance for tackling violence against women and girls.
Darlington added:
“I also welcome the exclusion on manslaughter esp those that have killed partners in our aim to cut VAWG by 50%.”
The Government confirmed on 30 August that all forms of manslaughter, killing an emergency worker in the line of duty, death by dangerous or drink driving, causing or allowing the death of a child and historic child sexual offences will be excluded from the forthcoming sentencing changes.
The move means Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, will not have their sentences shortened under the new arrangements. Burnham told the BBC the pair would remain behind bars.
Harper, a Thames Valley Police officer, was killed in 2019 after becoming caught in a strap attached to a vehicle as offenders fled following the theft of a quad bike.
Burnham said the case had been a particular concern as the Government reviewed the sentencing reforms. Labour Home reported the wider announcement that hundreds more serious offenders would be kept in prison for longer, following an earlier instruction to prevent the early release of some of the country’s most serious offenders.
“This means that the awful criminals responsible for the killing of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentence shortened,” the Prime Minister said.
The decision follows sustained representations from across Thames Valley.
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg had met the Lord Chancellor alongside Police Federation representatives and the Police and Crime Commissioner to raise concerns about the proposed arrangements.
Following the Government announcement, Hogg said the decision would be welcomed across policing and local communities and thanked ministers for listening to the concerns raised by victims, families and officers.
The Government said hundreds more serious offenders will now be excluded from the changes.
Burnham acknowledged the acute pressure facing prisons, with adult male prisons currently operating at around 98% capacity, but said public safety and the interests of victims had to remain at the heart of the system.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris is expected to set out further details as Parliament returns from its summer recess.
Alongside the changes, the Government is proposing tougher supervision for offenders leaving prison, including greater use of electronic tagging and new restriction zones designed to prevent some violent and sexual offenders from approaching victims.
For Darlington, the announcement represents a significant victory for campaigning MPs and communities across the Thames Valley, while the inclusion of all manslaughter cases also strengthens the Government’s wider commitment to protect victims and halve violence against women and girls.
