Ashley Dale's killer 'went shopping with his son two days after shooting'

13 October 2023 , 14:13

1017     0

Ashley Dale was found lifeless with a gunshot wound (Image: PA)

A dad went on a shopping spree with his son days after killing environmental health officer Ashley Dale, a court has heard.

James Witham is one of five men on trial for the murder of the council worker and, though he has admitted manslaughter, he denies the more serious charge, and counts of conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison, possession of a prohibited weapon - namely a Skorpion submachine gun and ammunition - with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon with intent to endanger life.

CCTV was today played at Liverpool Crown Court showing Witham, 41, and his son at a branch of Footasylum in the city centre on August 23, two days after Ms Dale, 28, was fatally wounded. The prosecution allege Witham made a number of purchases, including a size 8.5 pair of trainers, totalling to £245.94.

James Witham and co-defendant Joseph Peers were recorded on camera hours before Ms Dale died (PA)

The jury was shown a receipt, on which are included: a baseball cap, three-pack of socks, Nike socks, Nike Elemental Crossbody (£24.99) and trainers at £124.99. Further footage showed Witham at the till. It showed him taking cash, which had been tucked into a passport, and paying for the items, reports Liverpool Echo.

Giving evidence, Detective Sergeant Graeme Sutton, of Merseyside Police, said Witham left the shop to go to the Everton Two club store, before heading towards the food court of a shopping centre.

Russian model killed after calling Putin a 'psychopath' was strangled by her ex

Witham’s bank account shows he spent £129.70 in Everton Two on his card, jurors were informed. DS Sutton told the court Witham was wearing shoes with a white sole at that point but, after he was seen on CCTV entering a Zizzi restaurant with his son, the officer said footage appeared to catch Witham "change his footwear to the trainers he’s purchased earlier on, from Footasylum".

Ashley Dales' sister (left), mother Julie Dale and stepfather Rob Jones arrive at Liverpool Crown Court (PA)

A £44.40 transaction to Zizzi was later recorded on his bank account, Liverpool Crown Court heard.  At this point, Ashley Dale’s dad, Stephen Dunne, left the public gallery. Following the meal, Witham, of Huyton, Merseyside, was seen on CCTV attending a Lloyds bank on Church Street, shortly before 3pm where he was said to have deposited £1,000 in cash into his account. A further £60 was put into the machine but the machine refused to accept it due to the total being over the limit, the prosecution said.

Ms Dale was found with a gunshot wound in the back garden of her Old Swan home, on Leinster Road, on August 21 last year. She is not believed to have been the intended target of the killing. Merseyside Police detectives previously said that a gunman had burst through her front door and fired multiple shots "indiscriminately", one of which struck the young woman.

Ian Fitzgibbon, 28 and from St Helens, Niall Barry, 26, of Tuebrook, Sean Zeisz, 28, of Huyton, and Joseph Peers, 28, of Roby, all Merseyside, also stand trial accused of murder, conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison, possession of a prohibited weapon - namely a Skorpion submachine gun and ammunition - with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon with intent to endanger life.

Sean Zeisz, of Dovecot, Liverpool, Niall Barry, of Old Swan, and Joseph Peers, of Mossley Hill, Liverpool have also pleaded not guilty to the same charges previously. Fitzgibbon pleaded not guilty on Monday, October 2. A sixth man, Kallum Radford, 25, of no fixed address, has been charged with assisting an offender in the wake of Ms Dale’s death.

Jonathan Humphries