The boyfriend of Ashley Dale, who was shot dead in her home in 2022, has been jailed for five years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Lee Harrison, 27, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after his trial heard he had been jointly in control of a line supplying crack cocaine and heroin in October and November last year.
Ashley Dale, 28, died after being shot with a sub-machine gun while standing by the back door of her home.
The council worker’s killing followed a feud between Harrison and her attackers.
Four men were convicted of her murder and sentenced to minimum terms of more than 40 years in November 2023.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo after Harrison’s sentencing, Ms Dale’s mother, Julie, said it brought “no justice” for her.
She added: “But it does bring me some comfort that Lee Harrison will be spending five years behind bars. There’s no celebration or karma here, just one broken, grieving mum and family who wish Ashley had never met Lee Harrison.”
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Harrison and co-accused Terence Rice were stopped in a BMW X3 after travelling into Liverpool through the Wallasey tunnel on 25 November, the court heard.
Holly Menary, prosecuting, said: “Lee Harrison was observed to be very agitated and nervous when stopped.”
Harrison was in the passenger seat and was holding an iPhone but refused to provide police with the pin code, the prosecutor said.
Ms Menary said a Nokia mobile phone found in the car was used for a drugs line which had sold class A drugs on at least 247 occasions during October and November.
The drugs had a street value of up to £22,230.
Officers searched Harrison’s address on Liverpool Road, Huyton, which he shared with his mother Sharon, and found cocaine with a value of up to £11,900 as well as adulterant for cocaine, scales and small plastic bags.
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He admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and possessing cocaine with intent to supply at a hearing in December.
Stephen McNally, defending Harrison, said: “This offending came on the back of a difficult period in his life for reasons which he does not wish me to ventilate in open court, which I stress he does not claim excuse any of his offending.
“He suffered a significant bereavement in his life. Following that he lost his employment, lost his home, returned to living with his mother and had to claim benefits to make ends meet.”
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He said Harrison had sought a “quick fix” for his financial situation.
Sentencing Harrison, the judge said: “This is serious offending, not least because class A drugs, particularly, destroy people’s lives and you were making a commercial business out of destroying people’s lives.
“These drugs break up families, corrode society, they very adversely affect people’s mental health and wellbeing, and you were making a trade out of that misery.”
