Family of Kaylan Hippsley devastated as killer Harley Whiteman to be freed early

The family of Kaylan Hippsley, a 13-year-old boy fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver, has expressed profound devastation following news that the man responsible is set to be released early from prison. Kaylan was hit by a car driven by Harley Whiteman while walking with friends toward a youth centre. Before the collision, Whiteman had been under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. After hitting Kaylan, Whiteman initially fled the scene but later returned, where he verbally abused bystanders attempting to assist the gravely injured boy. The impact threw Kaylan into the air, and he died three days later.

During the trial, the court heard that Whiteman swerved to avoid another vehicle, mounted the pavement, and struck Kaylan. In July 2024, the High Court, presided over by Lord Justice Davis, overturned Whiteman’s original sentence, describing it as “unduly lenient.” Despite this, the victim’s family has now been informed that Whiteman’s sentence has been reduced to four years and that he is expected to be released on licence—that is, under supervised conditions within the community—this autumn. If Whiteman breaches these conditions, he can be recalled to prison.

Kaylan’s cousin, Julie Craig, conveyed the family’s heartbreak over this development. She explained that they were contacted by the victim support team two weeks ago and subsequently received formal notification from the prison service that Whiteman’s sentence was being reviewed under the Sentencing Act 2026. Craig described the possibility of Whiteman returning to the community after only serving half his sentence as “beggar’s belief” and said the news felt like “a kick in the teeth.” She also shared the emotional toll on Kaylan’s grandmother, who is his legal guardian and has been unable to return to the home they once shared.

Determined to see the decision overturned, Craig emphasized that while she understood the pressures caused by prison overcrowding, these issues should not come at the expense of victims and their families. “Harley Whiteman will come out, he’ll have the rest of his life to live,” she said, “but Kaylan was only 13.” She called for decision-makers to keep this in mind and suggested, “If it means building new prisons, then that’s what they need to do.” The family has initiated a petition seeking to oppose Whiteman’s early release. Meanwhile, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson acknowledged the challenges of balancing early release policies with prison capacity, stressing ongoing efforts to protect the public through expanding prison places, increasing electronic tagging, and supporting victims by involving them in shaping offenders’ licence conditions

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