Nearly seven years after losing her son in one of Britain’s most shocking attacks on a police officer, Debbie Adlam says the grief has never eased.

Every day, she thinks about PC Andrew Harper, the 28-year-old Thames Valley Police officer who was killed while trying to stop thieves stealing a quad bike in August 2019.

Now, she fears another painful chapter may be approaching.

Two of the men convicted over her son’s death could soon become eligible for early release under the government’s new sentencing reforms, forcing Adlam to confront the possibility that those responsible for Andrew’s death may soon be back in the community.

For the grieving mother, the prospect is almost impossible to accept.

“I’m thinking about my son every moment of every day, and then this,” she said.

“The insult is beyond anything able to be put into words.”

“It makes me feel sick. Andrew’s life doesn’t get to come back.”

Her comments come amid growing criticism of the government’s planned early release measures, which are designed to reduce pressure on overcrowded prisons.

Under the Sentencing Act 2026, thousands of inmates could become eligible for release earlier than previously expected once the changes take effect in September.

Victims’ groups, police representatives and opposition politicians have questioned whether the reforms adequately balance prison capacity with public safety and justice for victims’ families.

For Debbie Adlam, the issue is deeply personal.

Although public outrage over Andrew Harper’s death ultimately led to the creation of Harper’s Law—which introduced mandatory life sentences for offenders convicted of killing emergency workers while committing other crimes—the legislation did not apply retrospectively.

As a result, the men convicted over Andrew’s death were sentenced under the law that existed at the time.

Henry Long, who drove the getaway vehicle, admitted manslaughter and received a 16-year prison sentence.

His accomplices, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, were each convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years.

Now, Debbie has been informed that Bowers and Cole could potentially benefit from the government’s revised release arrangements.

She learned of the possibility through a letter sent by her victim liaison officer.

According to the notification, further information will be provided before the end of August confirming whether release dates in the case will change.

For Debbie, receiving the letter reopened wounds that have never truly healed.

“I wasn’t very happy with what they got to start with,” she said, referring to the original sentences.

She believes any further reduction would undermine confidence in the justice system.

“Any reduction makes a mockery of sentencing,” she said.

“It’s a gift for prisoners to be let out early.”

“The cost is to us, the victims, and then the public, who they become a risk to, potentially.”

In her view, prison sentences should mean exactly what judges impose.

“If you are given a sentence for a crime, you should be serving that sentence,” she said.

“They have put themselves in for their actions.”

Following renewed attention to the case, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the potential early release of Andrew Harper’s killers would be reviewed.

The intervention came after Debbie publicly voiced her concerns and after calls from senior policing figures for further action.

Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, even suggested emergency legislation should be considered if necessary to prevent the offenders from leaving prison early.

While Debbie welcomed the announcement, she remains cautious.

She described the Prime Minister’s response as “a good start” but stressed that she wants meaningful action rather than symbolic promises.

“We shouldn’t be talking about this,” she said.

“It shouldn’t be an issue.”

“We should have a justice system that works, but it doesn’t.”

She added that she hopes the review leads to concrete decisions.

“I don’t want it to be lip service.”

Her son’s death remains one of the most devastating attacks on a serving British police officer in recent history.

Only weeks after marrying his childhood sweetheart, Lissie, Andrew was finishing his shift when he and a colleague responded to reports of thieves attempting to steal a quad bike in Berkshire.

The suspects were armed with an axe, three crowbars and a hammer.

During the pursuit, Andrew became entangled in a tow rope attached to the offenders’ vehicle.

He was dragged for more than a mile along country roads before eventually becoming detached.

The catastrophic injuries he suffered proved fatal.

The image of the smiling young officer, whose honeymoon had not yet taken place, became a symbol of the dangers faced daily by frontline police officers.

The three offenders later fled to a nearby traveller site, where investigators said evidence was destroyed before police arrested them.

During the subsequent trial, authorities implemented special protections for jurors after uncovering allegations that associates of the defendants had attempted to intimidate members of the jury.

Although the defendants were acquitted of murder, the manslaughter convictions generated widespread public criticism.

That reaction eventually resulted in Harper’s Law, championed by Andrew’s widow, Lissie Harper.

Under the legislation, offenders convicted of killing emergency workers while committing another offence now face mandatory life sentences.

“If they were to be let out early, there would be another outcry,” Debbie said.

“The public are very much behind keeping them in and Andrew being remembered for the right reasons.”

She admitted that simply contemplating their release causes ongoing anxiety.

“The thought of those responsible for killing Andrew being released from prison already really impacts my thoughts, and worries me for the future.”

“The thought of them getting an early release is just unthinkable.”

For Debbie, grief has become a permanent part of everyday life.

She says there is no end point to losing a child under such horrific circumstances.

“We do not have an end date for the loss of Andrew in such a horrifying manner,” she said.

“Learning to live without him is the hardest thing I’ve ever lived with and will live with for the rest of my life.”

Two years after Andrew’s death, she chose to honor his memory with a tattoo incorporating his police collar number—7605—into a design featuring forget-me-not flowers.

The tattoo serves as a permanent reminder of her son and the life he lived in public service.

Her pain is also sharpened by memories from the original court proceedings.

She recalls seeing Andrew’s killers laughing after leaving court.

“They celebrated when they went in,” she said.

“Can you imagine how it makes me feel to know how they will be celebrating if they get out early?”

Debbie says neither the offenders nor their families have ever expressed genuine remorse.

“I have not received anything to indicate remorse,” she said.

She believes victims’ experiences are too often overlooked within the criminal justice system.

“The justice system needs to think of the victims.”

“There are many of us who have had a bomb thrown into our lives.”

Although the government insists public safety remains its highest priority, Debbie questions whether current safeguards will prove effective.

Ministers argue that the sentencing reforms are necessary to address severe prison overcrowding while ensuring the most dangerous offenders remain incarcerated.

Officials have also highlighted expanded electronic monitoring, tougher licence conditions and wider use of exclusion zones for released prisoners.

However, Debbie says she has little confidence in electronic tagging following reports that thousands of offenders who should have been monitored were not wearing functioning ankle tags.

“I have no faith in the tagging system,” she said.

She believes releasing offenders early sends the wrong message to both victims and society.

“People are getting a free pass for crime in this country.”

“I like to try to be proud of my country, but this isn’t something to be proud of.”

Beyond her own family’s suffering, Debbie worries about the broader message sent to police officers still serving on the front line.

Andrew died while protecting the public, carrying out the duties he had sworn to perform.

Today, as debate continues over sentencing reform, she cannot help wondering how today’s officers view the risks they face.

Her question remains painfully simple.

“Why would you want to be a police officer in this climate?”