Ashley Dale: Defendants' mums rowed in heated exchange during murder trial

23 November 2023 , 14:07

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Ashley Dale was shot dead inside her own home in Liverpool (Image: Knowsley Residents/Facebook)

A row between the mothers of two defendants in the Ashley Dale murder trial broke out as the pair shifted blame between their sons involvement in the senseless killing.

Ashley, 28, was gunned down inside her home located in Old Swan, Liverpool, on August 21 last year. James Witham, Joseph Peers, Niall Barry and Sean Zeisz were accused of her murder and were slapped with a combined jail sentence of 173 years this week.

The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder the council worker's boyfriend Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and ammunition with intent to endanger life. The charges were dropped against Ian Fitzgibbon, while a sixth defendant, Kallum Radford, was found not guilty of assisting an offender.

Sean Zeisz, Niall Barry, Joseph Peers and James Witham (left to right ) were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court (PA)

Tension simmered between the mothers of Barry and Fitzgibbon as they exchanged heated words towards the close of the case, reports Liverpool Echo. Their argument erupted following a morning of legal disputes on Thursday in the absence of the jury.

Standing in the public gallery, Barry's mum was heard to remark: "Your son gave him a knife." Fitzgibbon's mum, who was situated near the exit to courtroom 51, then shouted back: "Tell your son not to touch a hair on his head."

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The row then continued outside on the landing. The flare up reportedly cooled after one of Peers' family members intervened. It came after Fitzgibbon claimed in his evidence that Barry had pulled out a knife to him at Glastonbury Festival and threatened to "stab up" Harrison.

Voice notes found on Ms Dale's phone meanwhile alleged that Fitzgibbon had given Harrison a blade following this incident. Mr Greaney told jurors during the prosecution's opening last month that gunman Witham and "driver" Peers, were "dispatched" to Leinster Road to assassinate Harrison and "leave no witnesses".

Ashley's mother Julie Dale got emotional outside Liverpool Crown Court (PA)

They had allegedly received their orders from Barry, Zeisz and Fitzgibbon - who were said to have been "directing operations" from a flat on Pilch Lane in Huyton. The court heard that, at around 11.40pm on August 20 2022, two men approached Ashley’s white Volkswagen T-Roc car - which was parked outside the house - and slashed its tyres, causing the alarm to sound, in an effort to "lure" the occupants out.

But it is thought Ashley believed the alarm had been set off by heavy rain and, as a result, did not leave her home, where she was spending the evening alone with her dachshund Darla.

Mr Greaney said: "The men who had damaged the car were not deterred. Fifty minutes later, at about 12.30am, they returned. This time, they were not to be diverted from their intention to kill. One of the men approached the front door of 40 Leinster Road and he kicked it in. Ashley plainly became aware of what was happening. She screamed and fled towards the back door of the house, but the man entered the house and he pursued her. He was armed with a machine gun and opened fire. Ashley was struck by a bullet - it passed through her abdomen, causing catastrophic damage."

Mr Greaney said that "certain events at Glastonbury Festival" in June 2022 had "played an important part" in the alleged motive behind the attack, adding: "Ashley Dale and Lee Harrison, her boyfriend, attended the festival, as did at least four of the defendants - Sean Zeisz, Niall Barry, Ian Fitzgibbon and James Witham. A group of other young men from Liverpool were also present, one of whom was a person called Jordan Thompson - who was known as Dusty.

Julie Dale left Liverpool Crown Court after her daughter's killers were sentenced (PA)

"Lee Harrison seems to have had an association with the group of which Dusty was part. Whilst at the festival, Sean Zeisz was assaulted, and his attackers included Jordan Thompson. This attack appears to have occurred because Sean Zeisz was, as it was later expressed, arguing with everyone for Niall Barry - who was known as Branch. To compound the loss of face for Sean Zeisz, in the aftermath of the assault his girlfriend - a woman called Olivia, known as Liv, McDowell - stayed with the group of which Jordan Thompson, Lee Harrison and Ashley Dale were part. It is clear that Sean Zeisz felt deeply humiliated from what had happened at Glastonbury."

The court also heard that Barry then sided with Zeisz, with this "fresh" dispute having compounded a "separate and longstanding antagonism towards Lee Harrison", who was not present at the time of the attack. The suicide of Rikki Warnick, who had apparently been "bullied" by Thompson before his death, was also said to have increased tensions between the two factions.

On Thursday, all four men were jailed. Gunman Witham was imprisoned for life with a minimum term of 43 years, and getaway driver Peers was told he must serve at least 41 years behind bars before he will become eligible for release. "Organisers" Barry and Zeisz were also handed life sentences with 47 and 42 year tariffs.

Monica Charsley