Lee Harrison, whose girlfriend was murdered in a gang feud, has been jailed for drug trafficking.
The boyfriend of Ashley Dale, a woman brutally murdered in a gang dispute, has been sentenced to five years in prison for running a drug operation. Lee Harrison, 27, was arrested after police discovered a ‘graft phone’ used to handle drug deals, exposing his involvement in a heroin and crack cocaine network.
Ashley Dale, 28, was gunned down in her Liverpool home in August 2022 when a hitman, targeting Harrison, sprayed her house with bullets. Harrison, who was out at the time, refused to cooperate with police, claiming ignorance about who wanted him dead. His former friend, gang leader Niall Barry, later emerged as the mastermind behind the killing.
Despite the brutal murder of his long-term partner, Harrison continued his criminal activities. In November 2024, police stopped a BMW in Kirkdale, north Liverpool, where they found Harrison and his associate, Terence Rice, 36. Officers discovered a Nokia phone used to conduct 247 drug deals. Further searches at Harrison’s home uncovered a cocaine stash worth nearly £12,000, cutting agents, and weighing scales.
Julie Dale, Ashley’s grieving mother, condemned Harrison’s actions, stating he had ‘no regard’ for her daughter, even after her death. ‘He clearly thought nothing of Ash, as he carried on with his ways,’ she said. She also revealed that Harrison has never contacted her to apologise or offer answers.
Defence barrister Stephen McNally argued that Harrison was merely a ‘foot soldier’ in the drug trade and not a high-ranking dealer. He claimed Harrison’s involvement was fuelled by financial struggles after losing his job and moving back in with his mother. However, Judge Simon Medland KC dismissed any sympathy, stating both Harrison and Rice had ‘built a business on destroying people’s lives.’
Rice, also involved in a separate violent altercation at a Cumbria caravan park, was sentenced alongside Harrison. Both men will now serve time behind bars, marking a dark chapter in a case already stained by tragedy.
Ashley’s mother hopes her daughter’s story will serve as a warning to young women about the dangers of relationships with men involved in organised crime. ‘There’s no celebration here,’ she said. ‘Just one broken, grieving mum who wishes Ashley had never met Lee Harrison.’
