22 November 2023 , 16:18
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One of council worker Ashley Dale's killers was branded a sick monster more than eight years after he attacked his ex-girlfriend in the back of a car, punching her in the face and biting her, it was reported.
Short-tempered gangland thug Sean Zeisz had a track record of violence against women, which came under scrutiny during the murder trial where his text messages were laid bare. Back in 2016, he was jailed for 16 months for assaulting his ex partner, after forcing her to get into a car during a night out in the city centre. On that journey, in October, 2015, she was punched and bitten in the face.
In a social media post that went viral at the time, the woman posted an image of her bruised and battered face with the caption: "Wasn’t going to do this but I am because I’m truly sickened to my stomach and believe people need to know that this boy is a monster.”
Sean Zeisz (left) with Niall Barry and Ashley's boyfriend Lee Harrison (right) (PA)
James Witham was convicted of murder (PA)Today, Zeisz - nicknamed Zest - was jailed for life with a minimum term of 42 years after being found jointly responsible for the death of 28-year-old Ms Dale. During the trial sickening messages to his most recent partner showed a man easily disposed to intimidating and threatening anyone who crossed him, Liverpool ECHO reports.
Most of the messages included deeply unpleasant threats, such as: “Stay away from me. Golly in your face in front of everyone. Send you home covered in p**" Another called her “vomit” and a “rat c***”. The most serious threat came in this message: “‘Watch, your t*** are getting it. Gonna cut your t*** off. Mum’s life. Rat”.
Ashley Dale murder case jury out - five key elements in fatal shooting
This tirade of abuse came after Zeisz got wind that an ex-partner had been seen with a man called Jordan Thompson, known by the street name ‘Dusty’. Dusty, a gang member affiliated with a Huyton based organised crime group known as the ‘Hillsiders’, was a close friend of Ashley’s boyfriend.
The prosecution case, presented by lead counsel Paul Greaney, KC, was that Zeisz and Thompson were at loggerheads for two main reasons. The first, was an alleged attack on Zeisz at Glastonbury Festival on June 25 last year. According to messages on Ashley’s phone, Zeisz had been set upon by a man called ‘Wally’, but ‘Dusty hit him too’.
She was shot while at home (PA)
Her killers have been convicted (PA)The second, and perhaps most toxic, situation was the proliferation of rumours, which Zeisz admitted he believed, that Dusty had bullied a close friend of his called Rikki Warnick. Mr Warnick died on July 21 last year, having thrown himself under a train. Under questioning from his own barrister, Adam Davis, KC, Zeisz said he was so furious at his ex-partner because: “She’s betraying Rikki. She was Rikki's friend as well. She’s driving round with him. He’s bullied him to death.”
It was perhaps the comment to his ex-partner, “You choose your side”, that was most telling.
Lead prosecutor Paul Greaney told the trial: “By August last year, the rage of Sean Zeisz was out of control. There’s simply no way to read and listen to his messages and come to any other conclusion. ‘Proper little trouble causer you mate. You f****** little rat, need to die’. Five days before Ashley’s death. He was up for something terrible to happen."
Zeisz, Niall Barry, James Witham and getaway driver Joseph Peers, 29, were all convicted by unanimous decision of murdering Ashley, conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.