A COUNCIL worker was shot dead in her home in a revenge attack against her boyfriend after a rival gangster was “humiliated” at Glastonbury, a court heard.
Ashley Dale, 28, was blasted “deliberately and mercilessly” with a Skorpion sub-machine gun after James Witham burst into her home in Liverpool, it is said.
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Ashley Dale was shot dead at her home in LiverpoolCredit: PA
She managed to stagger to her back garden where she collapsed to the ground after a bullet passed through her abdomen causing “catastrophic” damage.
Witham then fired five bullets into the wall in Ashley’s bedroom, which was a “firm message” to her boyfriend Lee Harrison, jurors heard.
Paul Greaney, KC, prosecuting, said this message was that Lee was the “principal target of this attack and he too should be dead, along with Ashley”.
Witham, 41, is on trial for murder alongside Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, and Joseph Peers, 28.
Liverpool Crown Court was told tensions had boiled over after “trouble broke out” at Glastonbury in June 2022.
Ashley and Lee had attended the festival, as well as Zeisz, Barry – nicknamed “Branch” – Fitzgibbon and Witham.
Another group was also present that Lee had an “association” with.
One of the members of that gang, Jordan “Dusty” Thompson, attacked Zeisz because the alleged killer had been “arguing” with everyone, the court heard.
Zeisz’ girlfriend Olivia (Liv) then stayed with Thompson, Lee and Ashley following the assault, which left Zeisz feeling “deeply humiliated”, it was said.
As Ashley said in a text: “Zest got smacked saturday and again last night by all Joker and that. Dusty hit him too. I dunno if Liv got hit. She ended up legging Zest.”
Voice notes were also played to jurors where Ashley told Olivia her boyfriend was “obviously fuming” and was “taking it out on you”.
Ashley added: “It’s heavy cos at the end of the day you’ve stood by him through everything. You’re proper torn and stuck in between the two.
“Emotions are heightened from Glasto anyway. He’s gonna be on one. You’re gonna have to give him a few days. I know your heads probably t**ted. Let him cool down for a few days.”
But jurors heard Zeisz didn’t cool down and instead the humiliation reignited an old feud between the two groups.
Barry, who had “heavy beef” with Ashley’s boyfriend, used this to direct threats towards Lee, it was said.
He, Zeisz and Fitzgibbon then allegedly dispatched Peers and Witham to Lee’s home armed with the powerful gun to “kill [him] and deal with anyone that got in their way”.
On the night of August 21 last year, Lee had gone out with pals leaving Ashley alone in the house with their dog.
Her alleged killers made an attempt to lure her outside by slashing the tyres of her Volkswagen T-ROC to trigger an alarm, it was said.
But Ashley sent a text at this time saying she believed the rain had set it off so she stayed inside where she was safe, or “so she no doubt thought”.
Around 50 minutes later, Witham kicked the front door in causing Ashley to scream and flee towards the back door of the house, jurors heard.
She was then pursued by the gunman, who opened fire as she desperately tried to flee.
Tragically, the court heard Ashley was found lying on the ground in her back garden “groaning in pain”.
When police arrived, her alleged killers had fled and stricken Ashley could not be saved.
Mr Greaney said: “There can, suggests the prosecution, be no doubt that Ashley’s death was murder.
“She was shot deliberately and mercilessly by a man who entered her home intending to kill.”
Jurors were told Lee has been “uncooperative” with the investigation and stopped using his mobile phone number around 12 hours after Ashley was shot.
The prosecutor said this “probably reflects the world of criminality in which he appears to have been involved”.
The court was told Witham admits kicking Ashley’s door in and shooting her dead but he denies murdering her.
He claims he went to the address that night to “send a message” to Lee following a drug dealing dispute.
Witham, who has admitted manslaughter, says he “never saw or heard Ashley” and claims he shot her by accident, jurors heard.
The court heard he was snared by the brand new On Cloudflow trainers he had bought, which left a distinctive footprint on the front door he kicked in.
Witham, along with the four other defendants, deny murdering Ashley.
They have also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition.
A sixth defendant, Kallum Radford, 25, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender.
The trial continues.
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Ashley was blasted through the stomach in an alleged revenge attackCredit: Facebook
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The council worker’s boyfriend was the alleged intended targetCredit: PA
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Five men are on trial accused of murdering AshleyCredit: PA
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Her family held hands as they arrived at court earlier this weekCredit: PA
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The horror unfolded while Ashley was home aloneCredit: CHRIS NEILL
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Source: tiengtrunghaato.edu.vn