Alleged getaway driver in Ashley Dale shooting tells court he was home with his mum

Miss Dale was shot dead at her home in Liverpool in August last year.

The alleged getaway driver in the shooting of Ashley Dale has told a court he was "at home" with his mum on the night of the killing.

Joseph Peers, of Roby, is one of five men on trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with murdering the environmental health worker.

Miss Dale, 28, was shot dead - with a Skorpion sub-machine gun - at her home in Old Swan in August last year. The prosecution say Mr Peers drove the gunman to and from the house.

Giving evidence on Friday, Mr Peers was asked if he was involved in the killing and answered: "Most definitely not... I was at home with my mother and my father and my two dogs."

He told jurors he was there watching a boxing match on TV: “I made my mum a cup of tea and was chilling on her bed for a bit before I came down and actually watched the fight.”

Miss Dale's front door was kicked down before she was killed with a sub-machine gun.

The defendant denies murder, as do four others - James Witham, 41 of Huyton, Niall Barry, 26 of Tuebrook, Sean Zeisz, 28 of Huyton and Ian Fitzgibbon, 28 of St Helens.

All five also deny conspiracy to murder Miss Dale's partner Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and ammunition.

Mr Peers said he knew Mr Harrison, who is alleged to have been in a feud with the defendants, but did not take any part in any plot to kill him.

“I knew him," he said, "he was a nice lad. Never had no trouble with him in my life."

He also added he did not know of any "beef" or tensions between the defendants and Mr Harrison: "I was unaware of anything, especially any beef."

The 29-year-old also told the court he had never seen a Skorpion sub-machine gun before.

The prosecution case is that Miss Dale was murdered after Mr Peers and Mr Witham were "dispatched" to kill her partner and ensure no witnesses were left behind. Mr Harrison was not home at the time.

Mr Witham has admitted Miss Dale's manslaughter but claims he did not know she was at home when he went to "send a message" to her boyfriend.

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