Jessie Cole, jailed for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, has been flagged as a violent risk to staff at high-security HMP Whitemoor.
The 24-year-old prisoner has also been marked as a climber by bosses at the prison in Cambridgeshire, amid reports that fellow inmates are terrified of him and that his behaviour would pose a danger in a more open facility.
The details emerged in a report by The Sun newspaper, which revealed that Cole remains held in maximum security despite being earmarked for freedom under a government early release scheme aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.
Despite official warnings on his prison file, Cole remains on a standard prison regime. This status grants him privileges including access to television, DVDs, phone calls, and an allowance of £20 per week to spend in the prison canteen.
A prison source told the newspaper: "He is a difficult and dangerous prisoner and a lot of inmates and staff are terrified of him."
Cole and Albert Bowers were jailed in 2020 for the manslaughter of newlywed Thames Valley Police officer PC Andrew Harper during a theft getaway in Berkshire. The pair received 13-year prison sentences after being cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.
The killing of PC Andrew Harper
PC Andrew Harper, aged 28, was killed in the line of duty after responding to reports of a quad bike theft near Stanford Dingley, Berkshire, in August 2019.
While pursuing the thieves, who were fleeing in a SEAT Toledo car, PC Harper's foot became caught in the vehicle's tow rope. The police officer was subsequently dragged down a road for more than a mile.
Driver Henry Long was jailed for 16 years for his role in the death. Passengers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were each sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020.
High-security status and past behaviour
Cole is currently classified as a Category A prisoner, representing the highest security rating in the prison system, and has several alerts recorded on his file.
A source stated that prisoners are normally transferred to a lower-security facility towards the end of their sentence to prepare for potential release. The source noted that Cole's continued detention in a high-security prison indicates he is not viewed as someone who will be freed soon.
Cole, who is described as a trained boxer, was previously held at Feltham Young Offender Institution before his transfer to an adult prison.
During his time at Feltham, Cole was allegedly known for bullying other inmates and scaling physical structures to exert pressure on staff. Reports indicate he would climb onto a second-floor unit and go over safety railings when protesting decisions, such as missing a gym session.
A source added: "Feltham was full of killers and gang members but he was the worst."
Early release scheme and political pressure
Cole and Bowers are currently eligible for early release as part of a broader government effort to address severe overcrowding across prisons in England and Wales.
The prospect that the pair could be freed in January after serving half of their sentences, rather than the standard two-thirds requirement, has sparked widespread public anger.
The early release initiative is expected to see 5,000 prisoners freed early under revised sentencing rules. This target was reduced from 6,000 after ministers introduced exemptions for rapists and serious child sex offenders.
However, Whitehall insiders reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham is increasingly confident that Cole and Bowers will be excluded from the early release program.
A source said: "Jessie should never have been considered for early release because of his crime. But his behaviour and danger risk also show exactly why Jessie is not ready to be freed."
Public petition and family campaign
Public opposition to the potential release of Cole and Bowers has mounted significantly. A petition organized by Aileen O'Connor, Chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation, seeks to prevent their early release from custody.
As of Friday morning, the petition had accumulated more than one million signatures, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to ensure the pair remain behind bars when the early release scheme takes effect in October.
PC Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, expressed deep distress over the uncertainty surrounding Downing Street's intentions regarding whether Cole and Bowers will remain imprisoned rather than being released in January.
Speaking on the Daily Mail's Trial podcast, Adlam warned she would be "absolutely furious" if the Prime Minister reneged on a pledge to block their release.
"This would have been all for nothing, I would just be absolutely furious because Andrew's life was ended in such a horrific way," Adlam said.
She added: "The country expects justice and it just seems like we're being pushed off a cliff right now. I really don't know how I would get by if that was to happen."
Adlam noted that she felt "absolutely drained" by the lack of a clear decision from Downing Street.
Policing leaders call for safeguards
The potential early release of Cole and Bowers has drawn strong condemnation from Police Federations and 50 senior policing leaders across the United Kingdom.
A formal letter from chief constables and law enforcement leaders urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to establish an additional public protection safeguard for the most serious offenders whenever future early release schemes are introduced.
Darren Harris, Chair of the Suffolk Police Federation, stressed the impact of the decision on police officers and their families.
"Every officer who puts on a uniform knows there are occasions when they may have to put themselves in harm's way," Harris said. "That is part of the responsibility we accept when we become police officers."
"But there also has to be confidence that the system will stand behind us when something goes catastrophically wrong," Harris added.
Harris concluded: "Officers and their families need to know that the sacrifice involved in this job is understood. They need to know that an officer's life is not treated as an unfortunate footnote when decisions are made about sentencing and release."
