Who is Daniel Harris? Towie star Cara Kilbey’s boyfriend jailed for hoarding drug gang’s cash – here’s what we know
THE boyfriend of Towie star Cara Kilbey has "champagne tastes but lemonade money", he admitted in court as he was accused of masterminding a cocaine dealing gang.
Daniel Harris, 33, was cleared of plotting to supply heroin and cocaine, but was jailed for two years after he was found guilty of of stashing £116,000 of criminal cash in his daughter's bedroom.
Here's what we know about him...
Who is Daniel Harris?
Harris grew up in Liverpool before moving to London where he worked in as a City trader at RBS.
He met ex-Towie star Cara Kilbey in Spain in July 2014 having moved there to live with his expat father - who is a drug dealer, an Old Bailey judge said.
Harris told a court how he moved back to the UK just months later to settle down after Cara became pregnant with their child Penelope Blu.
They lived together in Theydon Bois, Essex.
A court heard how he lived a comfortable lifestyle despite having no job and only a vague ambition to open a Crossfit gym.
Why was Daniel Harris on trial?
Harris was accused of being the ringleader of the gang that raked in nearly £500,000 a week by selling drugs across London between 2012 and 2016.
Moped couriers ferried cocaine while disguised as trainee black taxi drivers, a court heard. Cops also foiled a £200,000 heroin deal.
Harris was seen by cops driving a Porsche registered in Cara's name to meet other members of the alleged drugs conspiracy, a court heard.
He was arrested last March and when police raided his Essex home they found £116,000 in cash in an Asda bag his daughter's bedroom.
Harris claimed the money was for legal fees for his father after he was arrested in Spain in over allegations he was involved in importing cocaine in December 2015.
He claimed "dangerous men" might harm his daughter
Jurors were told that while Cara Kilbey was independently wealthy, Harris had no job and only a vague ambition to open a Crossfit gym.
The 33-year-old said he stashed his encrypted BlackBerry phone away from his girlfriend, hiding it in a lift as she "disapproved" of his associates.
Harris had borrowed £50,000 from his partner’s father in two instalments in December 2014 and January 2015 and another £10,000 from his mother.
But bank records showed he had just £75 in his account when he was arrested.
He told jurors he had “champagne tastes” but “lemonade money” as he denied living in luxury from an illicit drugs trade.
Cara's father, businessman Gary, 58, told the jury he financed the couple's lifestyle and even gave them a £35,000 Porsche.
Gary said he was relieved when she met Daniel because she slowed her party-hard lifestyle.
He said: “She changed because she fell pregnant – she met Daniel and fell pregnant, which was a big shock because we’d only known Daniel five minutes.
“But the good thing was that when she met Daniel and fell pregnant because Daniel’s financial situation was quite tight she stopped going to the Ivy and Nobu and was more buy-one-get-one-free down the local shop."
Harris, of Theydon Bois, Essex, was acquitted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply heroin.
But he was found guilty of possessing criminal property in relation to the cash at his home.
He was jailed for two years, but could be reunited with Cara within weeks as he has spent almost a year on remand in Wandsworth prison.
Judge Nicholas Cooke told him he knew the cash came from organised crime.
Referring to Harris' father he said: "But you knew he was a drug dealer. You knew where the money came from. It came from organised crime.
"It involved ruthless men who might have placed your small child at risk.
"I warn you that association with people of the type that you associated with in this case, which brought you to the Central Criminal Court charged with exceptionally serious offending, is likely to ruin your life.
"And if there is any good in you, you should turn your back on such people. If you fail to do so, the future will be bleak."
READ MORE
Daniel Harris used ‘secret’ phone to ‘hide multi-million pound cocaine ring from her’
Ex Towie beauty Cara Kilbey’s lover charged in connection to cocaine dealing conspiracy