Harriet Wran’s prison letters: Co-accused Lee wrote to brother about relationship with her

DRUGS brought them together in a romantic relationship, and when Michael Lee wrote to his brother to gush that his new girl was “just what the doctor ordered”. He was referring to Harriet Wran.

Wran at Liverpool Court

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DRUGS brought them together in a romantic relationship.

But Michael Lee wrote to his “Dear Brother” to gush that his new girl was “a keeper” and “just what the doctor ordered”.

He was referring to Harriet Wran.

Fingerprint dust on the door and a message from a friend at the scene of Daniel McNulty’s death in Redfern. Picture: Adam Taylor

In another letter, Lee claimed to have “kissed” and “hooked up with” the daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran after she started flirting with him during a chance meeting at a Darlinghurst drug house. After that first meeting, he claims, they were rarely apart.

A series of letters by Lee — written before and after he was arrested with Wran and Lloyd Edward Haines and charged over the murder of drug dealer Daniel McNulty and other offences — give his account of the sliding-doors moment that started his brief relationship with Wran.

All three have pleaded not guilty and are listed to stand trial on June 20.

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In one letter, written on August 11, 2014, Lee told his brother, who was in jail: “The one hectic good thing that ended up happening is that (I) hooked up with this girl, Bro, and she was just what the doctor ordered.

“It’s been (two weeks) now since we got together and (I) think that she’s a keeper Bro and I’m doing my best to make that happen.”

Lee didn’t say who Wran was, but wrote: “Also the girls dad is one of the best liked guy(s) in Australia. And I’m telling you Bro you would freak if you knew who the dad is.”

Drug dealer Daniel McNulty died in his unit in Redfern.

The letter was written a day after small-time drug dealer Daniel McNulty was murdered at his public housing unit in Redfern.

Two days later, on August 13, Lee and Wran were arrested with Haines and charged with murdering the ­48-year-old.

Wran has pleaded not guilty to murder, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and robbery in company. Lee and Haines have pleaded not guilty to murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and robbery in company causing wounding.

The trio allegedly murdered McNulty on August 10, 2014, before wounding and robbing a flatmate who came to his defence.

With their respective backgrounds, Wran and Lee were an ­obvious odd couple. Wran was the daughter of Neville Wran and his wife Jill Hickson-Wran, and grew up among Sydney’s elite in Woollahra.

Drug-taking debris and other rubbish litter the lawn outside the McKell building, where Daniel McNulty was allegedly stabbed by Harriet Wran and her boyfriend. Picture: Adam Taylor

Lee’s background was not so privileged and likely wouldn’t have got Mrs Hickson-Wran’s approval.

Lee wrote that he “kissed” and “hooked up” with Wran after meeting at a drug house on Oxford St, where the pair talked and connected.

The terrace house was near ­Taylor Square and was owned by a drug dealer, who let users stay in it and take drugs, Lee wrote.

Lee claimed in one of the letters that it was Wran who started flirting with him and made contact over the phone the following day.

In the second letter, dated August 21, Lee wrote to “My Dear Sister” Jen, revealing how the relationship began: “So it was a few days from my birthday I think when I met this girl Harriet at a house in Oxford St. I was at this house cause (sic) the people I was with knew the owner of the place and I was just with them.”

Police tape at the crime scene. Picture: Richard Dobson

In Lee’s account, Wran arrived about an hour after and later told him the owner said she could stay for “as long as she needed” after running away from a stint in a rehab clinic.

“We started talking (and) I found out that she was Neville Wran’s (daughter) who I know of course was the Premier of NSW and had passed away not long ago and had a big state funeral and was a really loved man in this state and country,” Lee wrote.

“I really didn’t care or thought too much of her until maybe a few hours into the night.” According to Lee, Wran started talking to him again and there was some obvious “flirting from her”. As the conversation continued Lee wrote that the pair “connected over a lot of things”.

“But when my mate(s) were ready to leave I left with them and before I left I got her number and that sort of shit and I went home to Marrickville. The next day she called me to meet up which (I) did and went back to the same house and she was there smoking the ice.”

He said the pair were almost inseparable until their arrest and that he was surprised at the level of her ice addiction. “Now over the few days after that I guess we were rarely apart or really I should say that till the day I got picked up with her we were pretty much together non stop,” he wrote.

Despite using drugs himself but having a preference for heroin and cocaine, Lee told his sister: “I could tell how bad (Wran’s) addiction was.”

Lee wrote that it wasn’t long before they became romantically linked.

“Even with (her) ice problem I’m starting to like her and we were getting (close) and end up kissing and shit and pretty much just hooking up,” Lee wrote.