Ashley Dale: Murder-accused 'threatened to shoot victim's boyfriend'

Ashley Dale worked as an environmental health officer for Knowsley Council

A man accused of murdering a council worker said he would shoot her boyfriend, according to messages she sent to friends in the weeks before her death.

Ashley Dale, 28, died after she was shot in the Old Swan area of Liverpool on 21 August 2022.

Jurors have heard how Ms Dale's partner had been the intended target.

Five men deny murder, conspiracy to murder and firearms offences while a sixth man denies assisting an offender.

Miss Dale was hit in the abdomen by a bullet when gunman James Witham, 41, kicked down the door of her home, his trial at Liverpool Crown Court has heard.

Mr Witham has admitted her manslaughter but he and four other men - Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, Joseph Peers, 29 - deny murder.

The court heard Miss Dale had expressed concerns about her partner Lee Harrison attending a funeral and wake for friend Rikki Warnick, who died in July last year, because Mr Barry, known as Branch, may also be there.

The court heard Miss Dale and Mr Barry both attended the wake on 10 August but Mr Harrison did not.

The court was shown messages Miss Dale sent to friends on 12 August in which she discussed another friend who had been standing with Mr Barry.

Ms Dale was found in the back garden of her home on Leinster Road

She said: "Like not being funny but you're meant to be my mate and my fella hasn't come coz he's saying he's gonna shoot him.

"So he hasn't come coz he doesn't want the trouble for Rikki's mum."

The trial has heard Barry and Mr Harrison had "heavy beef" for years, according to Miss Dale, and the feud was reignited when both attended Glastonbury festival in June last year.

The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is being held at Liverpool Crown Court

In messages to her friend Mol on 1 August, Miss Dale said: "I don't want to have to go to Lee's funeral next and I just have a bad, bad feeling about everything.

"Me nerves are gone, when am out in the car with Lee just feeling like I'm looking over me shoulder all the time."

In voice notes played to the court, Miss Dale told another friend she had asked Mr Harrison to be "honest about everything" so she could prepare for "the worst".

She added: "I don't normally want to know but I need to know what's going to happen."

In the messages, she said Mr Harrison did not want the feud and would "squash it" if Mr Barry wanted to.

She added: "Lee could end up in jail or whatever, like, worse."

The jury was shown photos recovered from Miss Dale's phone following her death which showed some of the defendants with her and Mr Harrison.

In one photo Miss Dale and Mr Harrison posed with Mr Witham as he made the peace sign.

Det Con Lauren Hunter told the court it was not clear when the photos had been taken.

The prosecution allege Miss Dale died after Mr Barry, Mr Zeisz and Mr Fitzgibbon dispatched "foot soldiers" Mr Witham and Mr Peers armed with a Skorpion sub-machine gun to kill Miss Dale's boyfriend, Lee Harrison, at his home and "to deal with anyone that got in their way, leaving behind no witnesses".

Miss Dale was at the couple's home alone when the attack happened.

The trial, expected to last six to eight weeks, continues.

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