Former detective shares views on Andrew Harper case amid release row

PC Andrew Harper, 28, died in August 2019 after being dragged along a country lane by a car while responding to a call about a quad bike theft near Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

Former detective Stuart Blaik, the senior investigating officer in the case, spoke publicly for the first time amid the row over early release.

In July 2020, Henry Long was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter, while Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers each received 13 years, giving the three men a combined sentence of 42 years.

The current dispute arose in July 2026, when two of Harper’s killers could qualify for early release under Labour’s prison overcrowding plans. That provoked anger from Harper’s family, who described the prospect as an “insult” and said it felt “devastating”, “crushed” and “forgotten”. Police leaders warned that the decision risked undermining confidence inside the service as officers continued to carry out high-risk duties.

On 5 August 2026, Thames Valley Chief Constable Jason Hogg said he would consider joining legal action to block the release of two of Harper’s killers, calling the situation “perverse”. On the same day, Thames Valley Police Federation chair Aileen O’Connor said the move would damage morale among serving officers and described it as “unacceptable” and “gut-wrenching”.

The policy change at the centre of the row tightened the government’s position, with exemptions for prisoners convicted of rape, grooming and serious child sex offences in England and Wales. Manslaughter was not included in those exemptions, leaving the Harper case inside the scope of the early release scheme.

Harper’s death also became the catalyst for Harper’s Law, introduced in response to the killing of emergency workers.