Ashley Dale's haunting last text 30 minutes before she was gunned down
Four men have been found guilty of gunning down council worker Ashley Dale in her own home following a feud about the Glastonbury music festival.
Ashley Dale was just 28 when she was shot dead at home in the Old Swan area of Liverpool on August 21 last year. The court heard she was not the intended target and was shot as a gunman burst into the home looking for her partner. The young woman who worked as an environmental health officer was at home alone with her dog when James Witham burst into her home and killed her with a Skorpian machine gun.
James Witham, 41, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29, all denied her murder, with Witham admitting manslaughter. Today (Monday, November 20) they were found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court. All four will be sentenced on Wednesday. Earlier in the trial, Ashley's family were in tears as her final messages were read to a court.
A selfie of Ms Dale with her dachshund Darla, taken less than an hour before her death, was shown to her trial at Liverpool Crown Court. The court heard she sent the picture to a friend at 11.51pm on August 20 with the message: “Any need for my child. I’ve never known anything like it. She’s scared of something outside before in back a cat or a rat. She’s got me nerves gone coz am scared of both. And now won’t leave me side like an actual baby.”
(PA)The jury was also shown photos of damage caused to the tyres of Ms Dale’s car, which were allegedly slashed at 11.40pm on August 20 in an attempt to lure the occupants of her home on Leinster Road outside. The court heard Ms Dale messaged her mother, Julie Dale, at 11.46pm, after the tyres were damaged, and told her rain had set off her car alarm. Her mother replied: “Bloody hell really. Wanna see the leaves round here.” Ms Dale messaged her mother back saying: “Saw that on the news today x. Because of the heat wave x.”
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Detective Sergeant Graeme Sutton told the court: “The last message to her mum read ‘world’s ending’.” Mrs Dale was in tears as the last messages her daughter sent her were shown to the court. Tissues were passed to other relatives and friends in tears in the public gallery of the court.
(Liverpool Echo)
(PA)At 11.40pm, Ms Dale sent a message to her partner Mr Harrison saying her car alarm was going off. He replied just over 20 minutes later saying: “Hahahaha you think your in a horror movie. R u okay? Alive.” At 12.07am, less than half an hour before she was shot, Ms Dale replied: “No I’m dead.”
The jury was told data from Ms Dale’s phone showed at 12.32am she moved five steps. Phone records show she called Mr Harrison at 12.33am but he did not answer and she left a one minute 43 second voicemail. CCTV showed the Hyundai used in the shooting drove onto Ms Dale’s road at 12.30am and left the road two minutes 36 seconds later.
Ashley’s father Steve Dunne walked out of court as body worn footage showing police officers arriving at the house was played. Mrs Dale and Ashley’s stepfather, Rob Jones, left as medical evidence was read to the jury.
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