James Francis Hurley was born in 1962 in England. Very little public information is available about his upbringing, family background, or early life prior to his involvement in criminal activity. However, by the late 1980s, Hurley had become involved in serious organized crime. He was known to be connected with individuals involved in armed robberies, suggesting a path into a dangerous and violent lifestyle. 

On 14 April 1988, a robbery was taking place in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, targeting a security van. James Francis Hurley was behind the wheel as the getaway driver, while his accomplices carried out the armed heist. Frank Mason, a 27-year veteran police constable with Hertfordshire Police, was off-duty and happened to be walking in the area when he stumbled upon the robbery in progress. Despite being unarmed and not on duty, Mason intervened. In the chaos, he was shot in the back by Hurley. Mason later died from his injuries at West Hertfordshire Hospital. The murder shocked the nation and became a symbol of the risks officers take even while off-duty.

Hurley was convicted in 1989 of PC Frank Mason’s murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, on 16 February 1994, while being transported to Wandsworth Prison, Hurley managed a daring escape along with another inmate during a routine prison transfer. He fled the UK and disappeared for over a decade.

It wasn’t until 9 November 2007 that Dutch police, during a raid on a suspected drug dealer’s residence in The Hague, arrested Hurley. He had been living in the Netherlands under an assumed identity and had remained hidden from authorities for 13 years. After serving a 6-year sentence in the Netherlands for unrelated charges—of which he completed four years—Hurley was extradited back to the UK in November 2011 by Hertfordshire police.

Once back in British custody, Hurley was returned to prison to continue serving his life sentence for the murder of PC Mason. However, in a surprising move, Hurley began to challenge his conviction. On 30 July 2015, he brought his appeal to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to have his murder conviction overturned. Though the appeal was heard, no decision has been made public as of yet. Hurley remains in prison, serving his life sentence while continuing legal efforts to contest his conviction.