Liverpool: Ashley Dale last text messages read at court | UK News

The family of a council worker who was shot dead in her own home broke down in tears when her last text messages were read out in court.

Ashley Dale, 28, was shot dead in Old Swan, Liverpool, on August 21 2022.

Miss Dale was not the intended target and was shot dead when a gunman allegedly entered her home to target her partner, Lee Harrison, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

James Witham, 41, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29, all deny her murder, which is alleged to have happened over a feud with Lee Harrison although Witham has admitted manslaughter.

They also all deny conspiracy to murder Mr Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition.

Kallum Radford, 26, denies assisting an offender.

The court was shown a selfie Miss Dale took with her pet dachshund Darla less than an hour before she was shot dead.

She sent the picture to a friend at 11.51pm on August 20 and it said: ‘Any need for my child.

‘I’ve never known anything like it. She’s scared of something outside. She’s got me nerves gone.

‘And now won’t leave me side like an actual baby.’

Photos were also shown to the jury of Miss Dale’s car’s slashed tyres which were damaged at 11.40pm to lure the occupants out of the house.

She sent a message to Mr Harrison at that time which said her car alarm was going off.

He replied: ‘Hahahaha you think your in a horror movie.

‘R u okay? Alive.’

Less than half an hour before she was shot, Miss Dale replied: ‘No I’m dead.’

Miss Dale messaged her mum, Julie Dale, at 11.46pm, saying the rain had set her car alarm off.

Mrs Dale replied: ‘Bloody hell really. Wanna see the leaves round here.’

Miss Dale replied: ‘Saw that on the news today. Because of the heat wave x.’

Detective Sargent Graeme Sutton told the court: ‘The last message to her mum read “world’s ending”.’

When the messages were shown to the court, Mrs Dale was left in tears.

The jury was told data from Miss Dale’s phone showed at 00.32 she moved five steps.

She called Mr Harrison a minute later but he did not answer and she left a one minute 43 second voicemail, phone records show.

A Hyundai car used in the shooting drove onto Miss Dale’s driveway at 00.30am and left the road two minutes 36 seconds later, CCTV showed.

Miss Dale’s dad, Steve Dunne, had to walk out of the court when body worn footage showing police officers arriving at Miss Dale’s house was played.

As medical evidence was read out, Mrs Dale and Miss Dale’s stepdad had to leave the court.

Alex Langhorn, prosecuting, said Miss Dale had been hit in the abdomen by a bullet which passed through her liver and the right chamber of her heart.

The court heard she was pronounced dead in hospital at 01.48am.

The trial continues.

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