Family of Ashley Dale break down in tears as her final messages read to the court

The family of a council worker killed at her home broke down in tears as her final messages were read to court.

Ashley Dale, 28, was fatally shot in her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of 21 August 2022.

Five men - James Witham, 41, Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29 - deny her murder, which is alleged to have happened following a feud with her partner Lee Harrison.

During evidence in her murder trial, Liverpool Crown Court heard the final messages sent from Ashley Dale's phone, including one, just minutes before her death, where she tells her boyfriend "I'm dead".

At 11.40pm, Miss Dale sent a message to her partner Lee 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.”

Gunman attended football game hours before council worker's death
Ashley Dale’s phone became crucial evidence Credit: Family handout/PA

The jury were shown photos of damage caused to the tyres of Miss Dale’s car, which were allegedly slashed at 11.40pm on the same evening in an attempt to lure the occupants of her home on Leinster Road outside.

The court heard Miss Dale messaged her mother, Julie Dale, at 11.46pm, after the tyres were damaged, and told her rain set off her car alarm.

Her mother replied: “Bloody hell really. Wanna see the leaves round here.”

Ms Dale messaged her mother saying: “Saw that on the news today x

“Because of the heat wave x.”

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.

Ashley Dale’s sister, mother Julie Dale and stepfather Rob Jones (left to right) at Liverpool Crown Court. Credit: PA Images

Tissues were passed to other relatives and friends in tears in the public gallery of the court.

A picture was shown to her trial, it was taken less than an hour before her death and showed Miss Dale with her pet dachshund Darla.

The court heard she sent the picture to a friend at 11.51pm on 20 August 2022 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.”

Phone records show Miss Dale called her partner 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 Miss Dale’s road at 12.30am and left the road two minutes 36 seconds later.

Witham, of Huyton, admits Ms Dale’s manslaughter but denies murder.

He and his four co-defendants also deny conspiracy to murder Mr Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition.

Kallum Radford, 26, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender.

The trial will continue on Wednesday and is expected to last 6 - 8 weeks.