Father's 'Jokey Nature' Turned Tragic as He Shot Daughter Before Airport Trip
An alcoholic father known for his "jokey nature" is believed to have aimed a gun directly at his daughter while attempting to tase her, resulting in her fatal shooting, a coroner's inquest has heard. The tragic incident occurred just moments before the young woman was due to leave for the airport to return home to England.
Holiday Visit Ends in Tragedy
Lucy Harrison, aged 23, was on holiday in the United States with her boyfriend Sam Littler when she was fatally shot on January 10, 2025. The couple had been staying at her father's home since their arrival on December 28, 2024. The inquest into her death took place at Cheshire Coroner's Court in Warrington on Wednesday, February 11.
The court heard how Lucy's father, Kris Harrison, took her by the hand into his bedroom shortly before he was scheduled to drive her and Mr Littler to the airport. Approximately fifteen seconds later, Mr Littler reported hearing a loud bang, followed by Kris shouting for his wife Heather.
Mr Littler, Mrs Harrison, her two daughters, and a neighbour rushed to the bedroom, where they discovered Lucy lying on the floor shortly before 3pm. The young woman had been shot in the chest at medium range, with the coroner noting the gun was pointed directly at her across the room.
Alcohol Consumption and Secret Drinking
Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish described Kris Harrison as a "functioning alcoholic" and emphasized his drinking in the lead-up to the fatal incident. She stated that Mr Harrison had not been truthful initially about his alcohol consumption to those representing him.
"I find that Kris Harrison did not immediately tell the truth about his drinking to those representing him," Ms Devonish said. She added that US police reported Mr Harrison smelled of alcohol and eventually admitted to drinking continuously since the morning of the incident.
"He was a secret drinker... It was irresponsible of him to plan to drive Lucy and Sam to the airport that afternoon, in the circumstances," the coroner remarked. "I am left in no doubt whatsoever that he had been drinking continuously on 10 January. This was normal for him and he could function. No-one in the family suspected that he had been drinking that day."
The court previously heard that Mr Harrison had consumed at least 500ml of chardonnay from a carton before the shooting. Despite telling police he was "not under the influence," officers did not conduct a breathalyzer test or take a blood sample.
Reckless Handling of Firearm
Ms Devonish detailed how Mr Harrison retrieved the box containing the gun from his bedside cabinet and removed a 9mm semi-automatic Glock handgun. The coroner rejected the possibility that the weapon discharged accidentally as it was being removed from the box, citing the room layout and the location where Lucy's body was found.
"To shoot her through the chest whilst she was standing would have required him to have been pointing the gun at his daughter without checking for bullets and pulled the trigger. I find this action to be reckless," Ms Devonish asserted.
She concluded that Lucy Harrison was unlawfully killed, with no prosecutions occurring after a grand jury reviewed the evidence in June of the previous year. "Accidental discharge of a gun into the chest of a person whilst pointing a gun at their chest and pulling the trigger must meet the threshold of being 'gross'," the coroner stated.
"The wound to the chest can only have occurred with the gun being pointed directly at her across the room. Such behaviour was 'gross' due to the existence of a reasonably foreseeable and obvious risk of death. He had a personal and moral responsibility to ensure he could use/keep the gun safely in his home to protect his family."
Ms Devonish added that the grossness of his actions was aggravated by his alcohol use, though she noted that on his own evidence, he was not inebriated and therefore could not use alcoholism as an excuse. She formally found that "Lucy Harrison died due to unlawful killing on the grounds of gross negligence manslaughter."
Father's Heartfelt Statement
In a statement released to the Liverpool Echo in his absence from the proceedings, Mr Harrison expressed his profound grief. "Lucy was the light of my life," he said. "I fully accept the consequences of my actions, and there isn't a day I don't feel the weight of that loss - a weight I will carry for the rest of my life, and I know that nothing I say can ease the heartbreak this tragedy has caused."
The case highlights the devastating consequences of reckless firearm handling combined with alcohol consumption, leaving a family shattered by an avoidable tragedy.
