Man denies murder of Liverpool woman Ashley Dale

A man has denied the murder of a council worker shot dead at her home.

Ian Fitzgibbon, 28, entered a not guilty plea when the charge of the murder of Ashley Dale was put to him at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.

Fitzgibbon, from St Helens, Merseyside, is one of five men about to go on trial accused of the murder of Miss Dale, an environmental health worker, found with a gunshot wound in the back garden of her home in Old Swan, Liverpool on August 21 last year.

James Witham, 41, of Ashbury Road, Huyton, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Miss Dale but denies murder.

Sean Zeisz, 27, of Huyton, Niall Barry, 26, of Tuebrook, and Joseph Peers, 29, of Roby, all Merseyside, are also in the dock and deny Miss Dale’s murder.

All five also deny conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, a Skorpion sub-machine gun, and ammunition.

A sixth defendant, Kallum Radford, 25, of no fixed address, denies assisting an offender.

On Monday a prospective jury panel of 18 potential jurors was selected by random ballot, with 12 to be sworn as jurors later to hear the case when the trial begins.

Trial judge Mr Justice Goose told Liverpool Crown Court the trial is expected to last around six weeks.

The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday morning.

Published: 02/10/2023 by Radio NewsHub