A Liverpool council worker who lived a “champagne lifestyle” thanks to her drug dealing boyfriend’s spoils was told to pay back the last of the ill-gotten gains.
Courtney Randles, 26, was jailed for three years and four months in July after admitting money laundering for convicted murderer Christopher Kenny.
Kenny, 26, is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 30 years behind bars for the stabbing of rival dealer Anthony Duffy in Aintree in May last year.
When police raided the luxury flat the couple shared at the Unity Building in Rumford Place in Liverpool city centre, they discovered nearly £62,000 hidden in a cavity behind a bathroom mirror.
Cash found in Courtney Randles’ bathroom
Randles, of Nickleby Close, Toxteth, was also carrying nearly £7,000 in cash in her handbag when she was arrested by officers.
The former model, who earned £18,000 a year from her council job, blew thousands of pounds during “lavish shopping sprees” with Kenny’s drug money.
She posed for selfies on first and business class transatlantic flights and took pictures of bags bursting with designer items from Juicy Couture in New York.
Today Liverpool Crown Court heard the authorities had already banked £68,766 of her total benefit of £77,944, which was forfeited when she was arrested.
Henry Riding, prosecuting, said her remaining assets – jewellery, an iPad and iPhone – amounted to £5,460, which he asked to be confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Courtney Randles has been jailed for three years and four months for laundering drug money, Here are some designer bags
Rachel Cooper, defending Randles, asked for 28 days for her client to pay the sum.
Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, ordered the money to be confiscated and warned that if it was not paid, Randles would face another four months behind bars.
Randles did not speak during the brief hearing.
Kenny conspired to murder Duffy, 33, with Shaun Walmsley, 26, after they found out he was plotting to burgle their £60,000 cannabis farm.
Prosecutors said Randles knew Kenny was a major international drug dealer.
When police raided their apartment, accounts and tick lists showed he kept a daily running balance of around £475,000.
Kenny and Walmsley were arrested at Manchester Airport, while trying to flee the country on flights booked on Randles’ laptop.
Police arrested her at work, where she was attempting to arrange “emergency leave”.
A ‘to-do’ list in her handbag included “money in bank for flights” and “get mirror”.
Courtney Randles who has been jailed for three years and four months for laundering drug money. Here is Courtney in business class onboard a plane
In August 2013 she sent a text to a woman who won £2m on EuroMillions.
She asked if she took her £100,000 to £200,000 in cash, would she make a payment back to them, because Kenny “could not get rid of it”.
She also asked the lottery winner if “our Ant” could give her £15,000 in cash, so she could transfer the money back for him to buy a Mercedes-Benz.
Randles secretly looked at council tax records of a man called Brian Thomas, who was minding Kenny and Walmsley’s cannabis farm.
She pleaded guilty to money laundering, disclosing personal data without consent and possession of the Class C designer drug TFMPP.
When sentencing Randles, Judge Goldstone said: “I do not consider for one moment that you were coerced, intimidated or exploited – you were greedy.”
Kenny, of Tilston Road; Walmsley, of Wallace Street; plus their informant John Hore, 54, of Caldy Road; all Walton; and weapon supplier Kirk Mello, 31, of Manor Grove, Kirkby, were found guilty of murder.
Kenny and Walmsley were jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years, Hore to life with a minimum of 21 years and Mello to life with a minimum of 22 years.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/