Families welcome changes to early release scheme
Family handoutsThe families of two children killed in separate crimes have welcome changes to the early prison release scheme, meaning those guilty of involvement in their deaths will stay in prison.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said anyone convicted of unlawful killing or allowing the death of a child would be excluded from the scheme.
The mother of Archie York, 7, who died in a Newcastle explosion caused by an illegal drugs lab in the flat below, said "we have finally got the news we wanted".
The great aunt of toddler Maya Chappell, who was shaken by her mother's boyfriend in Shotton Colliery, said the news was "such a relief". Maya's mother was also jailed for allowing the death of a child.
Burnham said offenders jailed for all forms of manslaughter, historic child sex offences and causing or allowing the death of a child would be excluded from the scheme, which sims to ease prison overcrowding.
Extra prison space would be created by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing some inmates serving indefinite sentences, he said.
However, the Conservatives warned dangerous criminals could still be freed under the prime minister's changes.
Northumbria PoliceDrug dealer Reece Galbraith was jailed for 14 years after admitting manslaughter in connection with the huge drugs lab explosion in Newcastle's West End that killed Archie in 2024.
Archie's mum, Katherine Errington, said: "Manslaughter is a heinous crime and I am so happy that Galbraith will be serving the years he was given by the court.
"Reducing his sentence to potentially just seven years would have been an injustice."
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I am so happy that Archie's voice has been heard.
"These last weeks have been hard and horrible for us as a family, but we were not going to accept it and we have finally got the news we wanted."
Gemma Chappell, great aunt of Maya Chappell, was also relieved to hear the toddler's mother would become ineligible for early release under the changes.
Maya died after being violently shaken by her mother's boyfriend, Michael Daymond, at her home in 2022.
Her mother, Dana Carr, was jailed for nine years after being found guilty of child cruelty by neglect and allowing the death of a child.
Chappell said: "I am so over the moon that we've got this decision."
"The fact that the PM has listened to the victims, and to the families as secondary victims of these crimes, has shown that he is willing to have that conversation with the public and people like us or Katherine's family."
