A WOMAN who lived in the lap of luxury from the earnings of her boyfriend's gangland empire has been jailed for 18 months.

Shareena McAuley, 27, bought expensive cars, lavish furnishings and had a wardrobe packed with £15,000 worth of designer clothes while claiming jobseekers allowance.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how she afforded her luxurious lifestyle by living off the proceeds of Allan Foster's drug dealing.

Foster is now one of Britain's most wanted men and is claimed to have been the gunman who executed David 'Noddy' Rice as he sat in Marsden Grotto car park in South Shields almost two years ago.

The court was given an insight into Foster's underworld lifestyle as his long-term partner and mother of his child was put behind bars - while he is still on the run.

Prosecutor Caroline Goodwin told the court how between June 2000 and September 2006 McAuley had around £1,600 per month on top of her job seekers allowance passing through her bank accounts, a total in excess of £140,000.

During the same time Foster had around £24,000 of unidentified income passing through his accounts each year.

As well as the money the couple, who lived together in Sunderland, bought cars including a £80,000 Porsche Carrera, a £60,000 Range Rover and a £40,000 Mercedes.

Between 2003 and 2006 Foster spent £21,000 in one clothing shop alone.

Miss Goodwin told the court: "There is here a considerable lifestyle being achieved by this defendant through Foster.

"It cannot be said there is anything other than an illegitimate form of income for the purchases of these and it lies at the door of Allan Foster.

"Foster had set up a system whereby he was able to launder his dirty money.

"Foster was a known drugs dealer. He was a man who made a deal of money over a course of time.

"It has been the Crown's case that Foster was involved in the shooting of David Rice who was the subject of effectively an execution on Wednesday May 24 2006 while he sat in his car at Marsden Grotto in South Shields."

McAuley, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal the proceeds of criminal property at an earlier hearing.

Her barrister Jamie Adams told the court how McAuley had "fallen under the spell" of Foster when she was just 13 and was in a relationship with him until he went on the run after the murder of Mr Rice.

He said McAuley was "besotted" by Foster and stood by him through his many stints in jail.

But Mr Adams said Foster always made it clear to her the money and the luxury that went with it was his and if she left him she would walk away with nothing.

Mr Adams said: "Allan Foster controlled everyone connected with him because they were frightened to do otherwise.

"Control her he certainly did. She lived in awe of him, awe in the terrible sense, awe in the frightened sense.

"She did live in dread of him.

"He made it clear everything she had was down to him, that she had nothing.

"It is not simply a question of her living in the style of Posh and Becks in South Shields, it was not that at all.

"She really had little control over what went through their bank account, they weren't her bank accounts, they were his and it suited him for these monies to go through her."

The court heard McAuley, who has been living with her mother in South Shields, since Foster fled, was made bankrupt last year and has no money "secreted" away.

Mr Adams said the two years since the murder of Mr Rice have been "hell" for McAuley and she has realised what a "brute and a monster" Foster is.

Judge Esmond Faulks sentenced her to 18 months behind bars.

He told her: "At the same time you were claiming job seekers allowance you were also making large deposits into two bank accounts, the total over six years being in excess of £140,000.

"You entered into finance agreements to buy a number of expensive cars such as a Porsche Carrera for £80,000, a Mercedes for £44,000 and a Range Rover for £60,000.

"It is apparent you also bought expensive clothes and furniture.

"Clearly you were assisting Allan Foster to conceal the proceeds of crime and you were enjoying a luxury lifestyle - this is what is called money laundering.

"It is apparent you were living the high life on the proceeds of crime.

"I accept now all that has turned to ashes and you have become bankrupt with no suggestion of any secret bank accounts in this country or abroad.

"The public has a right to know those who benefit financially from crime will receive an appropriate punishment."

Her mother Marilyn McAuley, 56, of Mozart Street, South Shields, admitted possessing criminal property in that she knew or suspected £65,815 in cash found at her home two days after Mr Rice's murder, as well as £8,000 found some months later was from the proceeds of crime.

Foster's finger prints were found on the bag the cash was stored in.

McAuley snr was sentenced to 36 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years.

After the hearing Mr Rice's family wished to thank the police for their continued investigation into the murder and said they were happy with the sentences.

Foster sometimes goes under the name Sean Wilkinson and is known to have associates in the Kent area and links to the Canary Islands and Majorca.

A police spokesman said yesterday; "We are still trying to trace Allan James Foster.

"We would urge anyone who has knowledge of Mr Foster's whereabouts to get in touch."