Cole and Bowers, who were teenagers at the time, were convicted of manslaughter and given 13-year sentences in 2020. A new law introduced after PC Harper’s death now mandates a life sentence for killing an emergency worker, but it cannot be applied retrospectively, so it has no bearing on Cole and Bowers’ case. The driver of the car, Henry Long, was given a longer, 16-year extended sentence and is not affected by the early release scheme. She has said she is not seeking special treatment for her son’s case specifically, but wants any early release scheme to exclude those who kill emergency workers more broadly. A public petition calling for Cole and Bowers to remain in prison has now passed 900,000 signatures.