EX-TV PRODUCER CONVICTED OF HIRING HITMEN TO KILL PARTNER
A former TV producer who had worked on the show The Bill has been convicted of attempting to hire a hitman to murder his partner.David Harris, aged 68, was caught when police officers, posing as a hitman, recorded Harris offering to pay an undercover officer £150,000 to kill Hazel Allinson.
Jurors at the Old Bailey heard Harris wanted to inherit her estate and an £800,000 house so he could run away with a sex worker named Ugne Cekaviciute, aged 28.
Harris claimed he was researching a spy novel and denied soliciting murder.
The CCTV and audio recordings released by the police depict Harris’s sinister intentions.
An officer who recorded the conversations described Harris as "utterly sinister, utterly convincing and utterly intent on the death of Hazel." Harris expressed his certainty by saying he was "100% sure" about wanting his partner dead.
During court hearings, Hazel Allinson, who is a cancer survivor and a church chorister, refused to cooperate with the prosecution but provided testimony supporting her distantiation.
Harris’s actions and words painted a troubling picture.
He approached multiple men to carry out the murder, including London mechanic Christopher May in March 2016, offering him £250,000, and Duke Dean in October 2016, offering up to £175,000.
When May tried to warn Allinson, Harris turned to Dean, who alerted police.
Harris was then arrested after offering £150,000 to an undercover officer.
Prosecutor William Boyce QC described Harris’s behavior as "absurd" and "manipulative".
Detective Adele Michael commented, "This is a man who presented himself as a retired pensioner but was in fact a ruthless individual orchestrating multiple murder attempts for personal gain." Harris also used Allinson’s good reputation as a parish councillor and church chorister to borrow money from neighbors to fund his affair, which lasted five years.
The court heard Harris sneaked the young sex worker, Ugne Cekaviciute, into their shared house in Amberley, West Sussex, and even took photographs of her on a bed, while often lying to Allinson about visiting his sick brother in a mental hospital.
Harris explained his relationship with Cekaviciute by saying, "I thought she was too young and too nice to be in a brothel," and admitted spending about £50,000 on romantic outings with her.
The sentencing hearing has been postponed to July 14 for a report on Harris’s future risk.
Judge Anne Molyneux QC described his conduct as "utterly sinister" and highlighted his long-term deception and callousness, stating, "There was a prolonged period of almost a year where he actively sought to murder his life partner...
during that year, he displayed an ability to lie almost instinctively.
He also demonstrated a lack of empathy and a willingness to do whatever was necessary to achieve his own ends." Harris is facing significant imprisonment and further judicial review.
