10 October 2023 , 17:39
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The family of a council worker who was shot in her home broke down in tears as her final messages were read to a court.
Environmental health worker Ashley Dale, 28, was fatally shot in her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year. Five men – James Witham, 41, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29 – deny her murder, which is alleged to have happened following a feud with her partner Lee Harrison.
On Tuesday, a selfie of Ms Dale with her dachshund Darla, taken less than an hour before her death, was shown to her trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
This picture of Ashley was released by her family on the first anniversary of her death (Liverpool Echo)
Ashley was killed in the early hours of August 21, 2022 (Liverpool Echo)The court heard she sent the picture to a friend at 11.51pm on August 20 with the message: “Any need for my child. I’ve never known anything like it. She’s scared of something outside before in back a cat or a rat. She’s got me nerves gone coz am scared of both. And now won’t leave me side like an actual baby.”
The jury was also shown photos of damage caused to the tyres of Ms Dale’s car, which were allegedly slashed at 11.40pm on August 20 in an attempt to lure the occupants of her home on Leinster Road outside.
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The court heard Ms Dale messaged her mother, Julie Dale, at 11.46pm, after the tyres were damaged, and told her rain had set off her car alarm. Her mother replied: “Bloody hell really. Wanna see the leaves round here.” Ms Dale messaged her mother back saying: “Saw that on the news today x. Because of the heat wave x.”
Detective Sergeant Graeme Sutton told the court: “The last message to her mum read ‘world’s ending’.” Mrs Dale was in tears as the last messages her daughter sent her were shown to the court. Tissues were passed to other relatives and friends in tears in the public gallery of the court.
Niall Barry, who denies organising the murder of Ashley Dale (Liverpool Echo)At 11.40pm, Ms Dale sent a message to her partner Mr Harrison saying her car alarm was going off. He replied just over 20 minutes later saying: “Hahahaha you think your in a horror movie. R u okay? Alive.” At 12.07am, less than half an hour before she was shot, Ms Dale replied: “No I’m dead.”
The jury was told data from Ms Dale’s phone showed at 12.32am she moved five steps. Phone records show she called Mr Harrison at 12.33am but he did not answer and she left a one minute 43 second voicemail. CCTV showed the Hyundai used in the shooting drove onto Ms Dale’s road at 12.30am and left the road two minutes 36 seconds later.
Ashley’s father Steve Dunne walked out of court as body worn footage showing police officers arriving at the house was played. Mrs Dale and Ashley’s stepfather, Rob Jones, left as medical evidence was read to the jury.
CCTV image issued by Merseyside Police of Joseph Peers in Ten Streets, Liverpool (PA)Alex Langhorn, prosecuting, said Ms Dale had been hit in the abdomen by a bullet which passed through her liver and the right chamber of her heart. She was pronounced dead at hospital at 1.48am, the court heard.
Witham, of Huyton, admits Ms Dale’s manslaughter but denies murder. He and his four co-defendants also deny conspiracy to murder Mr Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition. Kallum Radford, 26, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender.
The trial will continue on Wednesday.