A COUNCIL worker was murdered in her home in a revenge attack on her boyfriend after a rival gangster was “humiliated” in Glastonbury, a court heard.
Ashley Dale, 28, was blown up “deliberately and mercilessly” with a Skorpion submachine gun after James Witham broke into her home in Liverpool, it was said.
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Ashley Dale was shot dead at her home in LiverpoolCredit: PA
She shouted “get the fuck out” at the attacker as she tried to “run for her life”, Liverpool Crown Court was told.
Ashley managed to stagger to her back garden where she collapsed to the ground after the bullet went through her stomach causing “catastrophic” damage.
Witham then fired five shots into the wall in Ashley’s bedroom, which was a “strong message” to her boyfriend Lee Harrison, jurors heard.
Paul Greaney, KC, prosecuting, said the message was that Lee was “the main target of this attack and he 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.
The court was told tensions boiled over after “trouble broke out” at Glastonbury in June 2022.
Ashley and Lee attended the festival, as did Zeisz, Barry – aka “Branch” – Fitzgibbon and Witham.
Another group with which Lee had “collaboration” was also present.
One of the gang members, Jordan “Dusty” Thompson, attacked Zeisz because the alleged killer was “falling out” with everyone, the court was told.
Zeisz’s girlfriend Olivia (Liv) then stayed with Thompson, Lee and Ashley after the attack, leaving Zeisz feeling “deeply humiliated”, it said.
As Ashley said in the text, “Zest got hit on Saturday and again last night by Joker and stuff. And Dusty hit him. I don’t know if Liv got hit. She ended up wearing Zest.”
Voice notes were also played to jurors where Ashley told Olivia that her boyfriend was “obviously angry” and was “taking it out on you”.
Ashley added: “It’s hard because at the end of the day you’ve stood by him through everything. You’re properly torn and stuck between the two of them.
“Emotions are running high from Glast anyway. He’s going to be on one. You’ll have to give him a few days. I know your heads are probably reeling. Let him cool off for a few days.”
But jurors heard that Zeisz did not cool down and instead the humiliation reignited an old feud between the two groups.
Barry, who had a “serious beef” with Ashley’s boyfriend, used it to make threats towards Lee, it was said.
He, Zeisz and Fitzgibbon then allegedly sent Peers and Witham to Lee’s home armed with a high-powered gun to “kill [him] and deal with anyone who gets in their way.”
On the night of August 21 last year, Lee went out with friends, leaving Ashley alone at home with their dog.
Her alleged killers tried to lure her out by slashing the tires of her Volkswagen T-ROC to set off the alarm, it was said.
But Ashley sent a message at the time saying she believed the rain had caused it so she stayed inside where she was safe, or “so she no doubt thought”.
About 50 minutes later, Witham kicked down the front door, causing Ashley to scream and run towards the back door of the house, jurors heard.
She was then pursued by the attacker, who opened fire as she desperately tried to escape.
Tragically, the court heard Ashley was found lying on the ground in her back garden “groaning in pain”.
When the police arrived, her alleged killers had fled and the stricken Ashley was in danger.
Mr Greaney said: “There is no doubt, the prosecution suggest, that Ashley’s death was a murder.
“She was shot deliberately and mercilessly by a man who entered her home with the intention of killing her.”
Jurors were told Lee was “uncooperative” with the investigation and stopped using his cellphone number about 12 hours after Ashley was shot.
The prosecutor said this “probably reflects the criminal world in which he appears to have been involved”.
The court was told Witham admits kicking down Ashley’s door and shooting her dead, but denies killing her.
He claims he went to the address that night to “text” Lee after a dispute over drug dealing.
Witham, who admitted manslaughter, says he “never saw or heard Ashley” and claims he shot her by accident, jurors heard.
The court heard he was caught in the brand new On Cloudflow trainers he had bought, which left a distinctive print on the front door which he kicked down.
Witham, along with four other defendants, deny murdering Ashley.
They also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion assault rifle 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 boyfriend of a city worker was the alleged target Credit: PA
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Five men stand 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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