Prison nurse funded by drug lord boyfriend for ‘luxury’ lifestyle escapes prison

Liverpool football star’s prison nurse’s daughter She avoided prison by living a “luxury” lifestyle funded by a drug lord boyfriend she met behind bars.

Georgia Harkness, 27, began seeing Salford drug dealer Ashley Brackett when she was working as a prison nurse after meeting him in prison while he was serving his sentence.

The daughter of former Liverpool footballer Steve Harkness, Harkness fathered Brackett’s child and helped him keep his criminal empire running while in prison.

Blackett, who was jailed for 12-and-a-half years last month, arranged to send money to a prison nurse to pay £34,000 for designer clothes, £13,000 for jewellery, and allow her to drive an Audi A5.

Harkness tried to cover up the extent of her involvement by refusing to give police her cell phone PIN number, but police eventually cracked the device and discovered the incriminating material. .

Ashley Brackett, who was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison last month, arranged to send money to a prison nurse to spend £34,000 on designer clothes and £13,000 on jewelry so she could drive an Audi A5.

Harkness is the daughter of Liverpool footballer Steve Harkness (pictured), who played over 100 games for Liverpool in the 1990s.

Harkness was supported at court by her father, who played more than 100 games for Liverpool in the 1990s, but escaped prison after a judge ruled she had no criminal record and could care for her young children and rehabilitate. rice field.

“Ashley Brackett has pretty much ruined your life,” Judge Nicholas Dean told her.

“You’re smart, but you seem completely ignorant of Ashley Brackett’s true personality.”

A Manchester Criminal Court heard that Harkness had provided character references at Blackett’s court hearing, and that a relationship between the two appeared to be “ongoing.”

“He definitely professes to care and love you, but he took advantage of you,” the judge continued.

“I’m not the one to try to convince you to drop the relationship, but anyone close to you recognizes that Ashley Brackett has had a very bad effect on you. He is a career and a committed criminal.

The court was told that she and Blackett, 35, first met in 2017 at HMP Risley in Warrington. When he was released, she became pregnant with his child within a short period of time.

Former footballer Steve Harkness supported his daughter in court

Blackett’s brother Wesley Blackett and his right-hand man Christopher Taylor (pictured) supplied cocaine and heroin out on Blackett’s behalf.

He was later recalled to prison and used illegal phone calls from his prison cell to direct drug deals. His brother Wesley Brackett and his right-hand man Christopher Taylor externally supplied cocaine and heroin on Brackett’s behalf.

Investigators examined Blackett’s financial records and found that Harkness transferred him over £1,000 through his prison payment system over the course of nine months in 2019.

She bought him expensive designer clothes and he paid for the gifts he sent her, said prosecutor Joe Allman. By doing so, he was also involved in money laundering, he said.

Mr Allman said Harkness had “lived well beyond the means” and had indulged in “luxury” spending. I found clothes and jewelery worth £13,000.

Bank records show that she purchased from designer stores such as Tessuti and Flannels.

Allman said there was evidence that Brackett paid her rent every month, even though she was in prison.

Steroids worth £2,000 were also found during the search.

Harkness was arrested in July 2020. Harkness refused to give his PIN to the police, but the police gained access to it on their own.

Harkness, a St. Helens native, has been charged with possession of criminal property, transfer of criminal property, possession of testosterone, a class C drug, for the purpose of supplying it, and failure to provide the police with his cell phone PIN number, resulting in a Section 49 charge. pleaded guilty to the offense.

“You pleaded guilty to a serious crime,” Judge Dean told her at Friday’s sentencing hearing.

“You come from a positive and supportive family. You describe yourself as a good nurse, and you definitely were.

Her mother said that if Harkness hadn’t met Blackett, she “would never have gotten involved in any illegal activity.”

But the judge told the defendant, “You must have admitted that what you were doing was wrong.

“You must have realized that you were supporting Ashley Brackett’s illegal activities. Maybe you were enjoying the lifestyle that he helped facilitate for you to some degree, I do not know.

“I don’t understand why you continued to behave like that.”

Harkness was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to undergo 10 days of rehab work.

She is scheduled to face a further hearing under the Criminal Proceeds Act later this year, where prosecutors will attempt to recoup her ill-gotten gains. was imprisoned after pleading guilty to conspiring to supply a mobile phone while in prison.

34-year-old Christopher Taylor, 34, was homeless and was jailed for seven years, and Wesley Brackett, 37, lived in North George Street, Salford, and was jailed for five-and-a-half years. Both have admitted to being involved in a drug conspiracy.