Liverpool, England: Four men have been found guilty of the murder of 28-year-old council worker Ashley Dale in Liverpool last year. Ms. Dale tragically lost her life after sustaining a gunshot wound in the garden of her home on August 21.
The intended target, her boyfriend Lee Harrison, was described in court as a drug dealer embroiled in a feud with a rival gang.
The culprits, James Witham (41), Joseph Peers (29), Niall Barry (26), and Sean Zeisz (28), were convicted of murdering Ms. Dale and conspiring to murder Lee Harrison.
The jury heard that Witham forcibly entered Ms. Dale’s home in Old Swan, firing 10 bullets into her dining room. One of the bullets struck Ms. Dale in the abdomen as she stood by the back door. Witham also fired five bullets into an upstairs bedroom wall to send a message to Lee Harrison.
Although Witham admitted to Ms. Dale’s manslaughter, the jury found him guilty of her murder. Joseph Peers, described as a fellow “foot soldier,” played a role in the crime by driving a Hyundai to the scene and helping Witham stab the tires of Ms. Dale’s car to lure out the occupants of the house.
Niall Barry and Sean Zeisz were found to have organized and encouraged the killing.
The feud between Lee Harrison and Niall Barry reignited after an assault on Zeisz at the Glastonbury festival. Despite being the principal target and losing his girlfriend, Harrison did not cooperate with the police investigation.
During the trial, it was revealed that Ms. Dale had messaged Harrison on the night of her death, informing him that her car alarm was going off.
Photos of the damaged tires of her vehicle were presented as evidence. Harrison’s chilling response, “Hahahaha, you think you’re in a horror movie,” was followed by a message 20 minutes later asking if she was okay.
Tragically, at 12:07 am, less than half an hour before she was shot, Ms. Dale responded, “No, I’m dead.”
The courtroom witnessed heart-wrenching scenes as Ms. Dale’s family broke down in tears while the final messages before her death were presented.
Ian Fitzgibbon was cleared of the charges, and Kallum Radford was found not guilty of assisting an offender by helping to store the car used in the murder.
This case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of feuds and criminal activities, leaving a community in shock and mourning the loss of a young life.
The convictions mark a step toward justice, but the scars of this tragedy will undoubtedly linger for those affected by Ashley Dale’s untimely death.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
, Joseph Peers (29), Niall Barry (26), and Sean Zeisz (28), were convicted of murdering Ms. Ashley Dale){kind=link}