Four men jailed sentenced for machine gun murder of Ashley Dale

Environmental health worker at Knowsley Council Ashley Dale was killed when gunman James Witham, 41, forced his way into her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year and opened fire with a Skorpion submachine gun.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, Witham was given a minimum jail term of 43 years.

Niall Barry, 26, who was described by the prosecution as the “malign presence” behind Ms Dale’s killing, was sentenced to a minimum term of 47 years.

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Joseph Peers, 29, said to be a “foot soldier” who drove Witham to the scene, was sentenced to at least 41 years and Sean Zeisz, 28, who was accused of organising and encouraging the attack with Barry, was told to serve a minimum of 42 years.

The four men were found guilty following a seven-week trial of the murder of Ms Dale, conspiracy to murder her boyfriend Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a a prohibited weapon – a Skorpion sub-machine gun – and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

The sentencing took place at Liverpool Crown Court today (Image: Newsquest)

The jury heard a feud between Barry and Mr Harrison, which started years before over the theft of drugs, was “re-ignited” at the Glastonbury festival in June 2022.

During the festival, Barry was heard threatening to stab Mr Harrison and Zeisz was assaulted by a group said to include Jordan Thompson – a friend of Mr Harrison’s and member of the Hillside organised crime group with which he was associated.

Voice notes and messages sent to friends by Ms Dale in the two months before her death were played during the trial describing the fall-out, which intensified when mutual friend Rikki Warnick took his own life in July last year.

Ashley Dale (Image: Merseyside Police)

Witham admitted manslaughter, claiming he was acting alone and believed the house was empty when he went to Leinster Road in the early hours and fired 10 shots downstairs, one which fatally struck Ms Dale, and five in an upstairs bedroom.

The prosecution alleged Witham was the “fall guy” and was lying to get his co-defendants “out of it”.

Mr Harrison, who did not co-operate with police following his girlfriend’s death, was out on the night of the murder and has since spent time in Dubai, the court heard.