Ashley Dale killers named as potential suspects in Olivia murder

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was fatally shot in her own home

Two of the men convicted of murdering Ashley Dale were named as potential suspects in the shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, it can now be reported.

The nine-year-old was shot by Thomas Cashman, 35, as he chased drug dealer Joseph Nee into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on 22 August last year.

The shooting came the day after gunman James Witham, 41, killed Ms Dale at her home in Old Swan, Liverpool.

Sean Zeisz, 28, and Niall Barry, 26 were among those jailed for her murder.

• Live updates as men jailed over Ashley Dale killing

During a trial in March, lawyers representing Cashman sought to introduce evidence to his trial about other people who had been named as potential suspects in Olivia's murder.

Those named during legal argument included Zeisz and Barry, who went on to be convicted of Ms Dale's murder, and Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, who stood trial for her murder and was found not guilty.

Niall Barry, left, and Sean Zeisz, were jailed earlier over the murder of Ashley Dale

In arguments heard in private but summarised in a ruling by judge Mrs Justice Yip, the defence asked for disclosure of information relating to Mr Fitzgibbon, who was extradited from Spain in August to stand trial for Ms Dale's shooting.

The judge said: "The outstanding dispute is in relation to disclosure of information about a man who is believed to have left the United Kingdom around the time of this shooting having made arrangements to do so the day before.

"As will emerge later in this ruling, the name of this man appears in intelligence as being potentially connected to this shooting.

"The defence seek disclosure of antecedent information about him, information about whether he did in fact leave the country and about what steps have been taken to find him."

Ashley Dale was not the intended target of the shooting

The defence also wanted to elicit evidence about a feud involving the family of Mr Nee.

Zeisz and Barry were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm to his brother, Jamie Nee, although both were acquitted at a trial earlier this year.

In an interview with police, Mr Nee speculated the attack on him could be linked to an arrest of Barry, as he was likely to believe Mr Nee was responsible for it.

But the prosecution in Cashman's trial argued there was evidence which meant the suspects had been ruled out as the gunman who killed Olivia.

The appearance of Barry and Mr Fitzgibbon did not match the height and build of the gunman in Olivia's shooting and there was telephone and ANPR evidence relating to Zeisz which excluded him, the court heard.

Thomas Cashman was convicted following a trial, which lasted more than three weeks

The defence also wanted to elicit evidence which suggested Mr Nee was at odds with the Hillside organised crime group - which Ms Dale's boyfriend Lee Harrison was associated with and his friend Jordan Thompson was part of.

But the prosecution said there was telephone evidence to exclude Mr Thompson while Mr Harrison had an alibi and there was no evidence of his involvement.

The court heard during the course of the investigation into Olivia's murder many names were mentioned as being responsible for it, including Cashman's on multiple occasions.

The defence application to introduce evidence about other suspects was dismissed by Mrs Justice Yip.

She said: "The issue in this case is whether Mr Cashman was the gunman."

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