Ashley Dale: Four guilty of murder after row at Glastonbury

The picture was obtained from a family member.

Ashley Dale was not the person who was meant to be shot.

A gang of four individuals has been convicted of fatally shooting a lady during a violent altercation prompted by issues between her lover and another party. The offender fired a weapon inside her residence, resulting in her death.

On the 21st of August 2022, James Witham discharged a Skorpion sub-machine gun in Ashley Dale's Liverpool residence which unfortunately led to her demise at the age of 28.

Joseph Peers, 29, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, and Witham, aged 41, were found guilty by Liverpool Crown Court.

Ian Fitzgibbon, a 28-year-old man, was found not guilty of the murder of Ms Dale.

During the trial, it was revealed that Ms. Dale's significant other had been the intended victim of the shooting. This was due to a long-standing conflict with Barry, which had escalated once again at the Glastonbury festival.

A woman named Ms. Dale, who worked as an officer in environmental health, lost her life. Witham, the perpetrator, acknowledged the act of killing her, but declined the charge of murder. This incident took place when Witham broke into Ms. Dale's residence located in the neighborhood of Old Swan in the city.

In the dining room, he shot a total of 10 bullets, with one of them hitting Ms. Dale in the abdomen while she was standing near the back door. Additionally, he fired five bullets at the wall of a bedroom located on the upper floor.

The mother of Ashley Dale stated that Witham, who was responsible for firing the lethal bullet, ruined their lives.

During the trial, Peers was characterized as an enlisted member for his role in driving a Hyundai to the location and participating in the associated effort with Witham to puncture the tires on Ms. Dale's car as a method of coaxing out the couple from their home.

Barry and Zeisz were discovered to have assisted in arranging and promoting the murder, which occurred following a disagreement with Ms Dale's partner Lee Harrison.

The photo credit goes to Merseyside Police

James Witham and Joseph Peers have been convicted of murder. Witham was responsible for firing the sub-machine gun that led to the death of the victim. Both individuals were found guilty in a court of law.

During the trial, the court listened to voice notes sent by Ms Dale to her friends over a two-month period before she was killed. The recordings included her own account of the arguments between her partner and Barry.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that her mobile device was discovered nearby her body. In her last moments, she attempted to contact Mr. Harrison, who was socializing with acquaintances.

According to the jury, Barry and Mr. Harrison had an ongoing dispute that began approximately three years before the shooting. Allegedly, Mr. Harrison aligned himself with the Hillside organized crime group after they reportedly stole drugs from Barry, which only added fuel to the ongoing feud.

According to the prosecution, the conflict was sparked once again when they both appeared at the Glastonbury festival in June 2022.

Police detained James Witham, who provided them with a fake name during questioning.

After the shooting, Mr. Fitzgibbon flew to Dubai and was later extradited from Spain in August. During the trial, he testified that he had seen Barry making threats to stab Mr. Harrison at the festival.

The family of Ms Dale stated that she had developed an attachment to an unsuitable individual, as they vented their frustration towards the reprehensible partner whom the killers were after.

Julie Dale, who is 46 years old, expressed her strong frustration and indignation towards Mr. Harrison. He was romantically involved with her daughter for approximately five years, until her untimely passing.

The photograph has been provided by the Merseyside Police department.

Niall Barry, who was on the left side, and Sean Zeisz on the right side, were both found guilty of committing a homicide.

At times, I feel like my anger towards Lee Harrison is greater than the anger I have for the person who committed the crime and ended Ashley's life. If it weren't for Lee Harrison, this tragic event would never have occurred.

She said, "His behavior following this event has been completely disgraceful."

"He hasn't shown any regret. He hasn't provided any assistance. He hasn't acknowledged any involvement in the matter."

Throughout the legal proceedings, it was revealed that following the passing of his girlfriend, Mr. Harrison had been completely unhelpful and uncooperative with law enforcement. Additionally, he had made multiple trips to Dubai.

According to Rob Jones, the stepfather of Ms Dale, the issue they continuously encounter is the fact that Ashley developed feelings for the unsuitable young man.

I'm not denying that Ashley had feelings for him, but it's evident from his actions that he doesn't reciprocate those feelings.

The Merseyside Police captured a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase yesterday. The incident took place in Wallasey, and the police arrested the driver after chasing him for some time. The car was driving above the speed limit and nearly hit other vehicles on the road. The police used a stinger device to stop the vehicle, and the driver was handcuffed at the scene. An investigation is currently underway, and the police are urging anyone with information on the incident to come forward.

During the trial, a photograph of Ms Dale's front door was presented, revealing that it had been forcefully kicked in before she was shot.

According to her mother, the challenging part is that almost every defendant was acquainted with Ashley in a friendly manner.

Don't worry about doing what they did. However, lying about it and gossiping about her afterward is not acceptable.

It irritates me greatly when they bring up her name.

When the decisions were announced, the mother and stepfather of Ms. Dale were embraced by their family members who were sitting behind them. After the proceedings ended, they stood up and hugged each other while crying.

The family of the men who were found guilty were also weeping, and a few of their loved ones left the courtroom, resulting in the judge temporarily halting the trial.

Witham, Peers, Barry, and Zeisz were found guilty of planning to kill Mr Harrison and plotting to have an illegal weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and bullets.

Fitzgibbon, who lives in St Helens, was found not guilty of those accusations.

Kallum Radford, who is 26 years old, was found not guilty of charges of aiding a perpetrator. He was accused of playing a role in the storage of the vehicle that was used during the commission of the murder.

The four men who were found guilty will receive their sentence on Wednesday at 11:00 Greenwich Mean Time.

Have you considered giving a follow to BBC North West on Facebook, X or Instagram? Additionally, if you have any story ideas, don't hesitate to send them via email to [email protected].

Story Update: Learn More

The BBC cannot be held liable for the information displayed on websites that are not under their control.