Online stalking victim Naomi Timperley has applauded Andy Burnham’s decision to pause a scheme that would have seen thousands of prisoners in England and Wales become eligible for early release.
Timperley received a Ministry of Justice letter informing her that her attacker, Sam Wall, could be released as early as October after serving a third of her sentence, as part of the early release scheme.
The move was introduced in response to prison overcrowding but prompted an outcry from victims of crime.
Earlier this week, the family of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in 2019 after being dragged behind a car down a country road by three teenagers, spoke out after being informed that two of his killers were set to be released early.
Wall was jailed in October 2025 for 28 months for a ‘prolonged, deliberate and calculated’ campaign of online abuse against high-profile figures from the business and tech industry.
Timperley, who previously called on LinkedIn to close her stalker’s account, has written an open letter after Burnham announced an urgent review of the early prison release scheme.
BusinessCloud has published the letter in full (see below).
Dear Prime Minister,
Today, I simply wanted to say thank you.
A few weeks ago, I received a letter informing me that changes to sentencing legislation could mean the person who stalked me might be released from prison earlier than expected.
Reading those words brought back feelings I had worked so hard to manage, fear, anxiety and the uncertainty that every victim hopes they have finally left behind.
For victims of stalking, there is no neat ending when a sentence is passed. Healing takes time. The thought that someone who has caused such profound harm could return to the community earlier than expected can reopen wounds that have barely begun to heal.
When I heard that you had paused the planned early release scheme pending an urgent review, I felt something I hadn’t felt for several weeks: relief.
I know there are incredibly difficult decisions to make around our prison system, capacity and rehabilitation. I also believe that rehabilitation is important.
But I also believe that victims deserve to be heard.
Thank you for recognising that public safety must come first, and for taking the time to review a policy that has caused genuine fear for so many victims and their families.
My hope is that, whatever the outcome of that review, the voices of victims remain at the heart of the conversation. We are not statistics. We are people whose lives have been changed forever by the actions of others.
Thank you for listening.