Man accused of Ashley Dale's murder has denied being the leader of an organised crime group

Ashley Dale, 28, worked for Knowsley council as an environment health officer. Credit: Family photograph

A man on trial for murdering a council worker in her own home has denied being the leader of an organised crime group.

Ashley Dale, 28, was shot with a Skorpion machine pistol at home in Old Swan, Liverpool at about 12:30am on 21 August 2022, by gunman James Witham, who admits manslaughter.

While giving evidence at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, defendant Niall Barry, 26, admitted he had a "fall out" with Miss Dale's partner Lee Harrison and also confirmed in the past he had been able to access a Skorpion machine gun.

Before killing Miss Dale, Witham, 41, was in a flat in Pitch lane in Huyton with Barry and three other co-defendants.

Miss Dale told her friends she was nervous about the unfolding situation. Credit: Family photograph

Cross-examining Barry, Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, suggested there were two possibilities.

He said: “The first, that a man left your company to attack the home of a man, who was someone you had fallen out with, with the type of firearm you had had access to, but all of that is entirely coincidental?”

Barry replied: “Yes.”

Greaney added: “The second possibility is that you commissioned the attack in your role as leader of an organised crime group that dealt in drugs and had access to firearms?”

Barry said: “I’m not the leader of no organised crime group and I’ve got no authority to send anyone to anyone’s house and I never would and I didn’t.

“That’s the truth.”

He told the court he was dealing in drugs with values of tens of thousands of pounds, but denied that Witham had been working for him.

The court heard Barry and Witham had attended Glastonbury festival in 2022 together.

The pair was searched by police on their way to the music festival, a knife was found in a bag which also contained Barry's passport.

Witham told officers it belonged to him, the court heard.

Mr Greaney said: “That was an example, I suggest, of Mr Witham taking the blame for something that was your responsibility because he is, or was, your lackey.”

Barry was then asked if Witham was his “joey”, someone who does things for you.

He said: “No, not at all. Mr Witham’s a 40-year-old man, he’s not my joey.”

Barry, Witham, Sean Zeisz, 28, Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, and Joseph Peers, 29, deny the murder of Miss Dale, 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.