When Parliament changes the law on sentencing, the debate can easily become about numbers, prison places, and release dates. But behind those figures are lives changed by crime and families who have to live with its consequences for years to come.
Victims should be able to trust that when a court hands down a sentence, it means what it says. Sadly, the Government’s Sentencing Act passed earlier this year risks undermining that confidence.
Under this new Act, prisoners serving certain fixed-term sentences would become eligible for release much earlier than under the current system.
The Government says these changes are intended to deal with very real pressures on the prison estate. They have ignored calls from the Opposition so far for a different approach, such as instead deporting the 10,000 foreigner national offenders who have chosen to come to our country and break our laws. This is an alternative I strongly support.
As a consequence, one family who could now feel the impact of these changes is that of PC Andrew Harper.
Seven years ago this month, PC Harper was killed while responding to a reported theft in Berkshire. He was just 28 years old and had been married to his wife, Lissie, for only four weeks.
Three men were convicted over his death. Two of them, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were each sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, could become eligible for earlier release. For Lissie and Andrew’s family, the possibility of those responsible for his death being released earlier than expected is understandably devastating.
I first met Lissie in 2020. She had every reason to withdraw from public life following the loss of her husband. Instead, she spent years campaigning for what is now known as Harper’s Law, designed to ensure tougher sentences for those who kill emergency workers in the course of their duties. It is not right that Lissie and her family are left to feel once again that the justice system is failing them.
The Prime Minister has now paused the planned changes and ordered a review following public outcry. That pause must be used to get this right.
Across our corner of Lincolnshire, I have made sure that public safety remains one of my key priorities. I am proud to have supported tougher laws and backed Lincolnshire Police, including securing 189 additional officers in the last Parliament, alongside a dedicated Rural Crime Action Team and £900,000 of Safer Streets CCTV funding.
Although PC Harper’s case is a national one, the principle at its heart is one that matters to us all. We should all be able to feel safe in our homes and on our streets. It is important that our justice system puts victims first and ensures that criminals serve sentences that properly reflect the harm they have caused.
PC Harper’s family has already paid an unimaginable price. We owe it to them, and to every victim of serious crime, to make sure our justice system never loses sight of who it is there to protect.
