Feud which led to woman’s shooting began with cocaine theft, court told

Ashley Dale was shot with a Skorpion machine gun in her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year.

Ashley Dale (Family/PA)

A feud which led to the shooting of a 28-year-old woman began with the theft of £40,000 worth of cocaine and was reignited at Glastonbury festival, a court has heard.

Environmental health officer Ashley Dale was shot with a Skorpion machine gun in her home in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of August 21 last year, after an alleged feud between her partner Lee Harrison and the five men accused of her murder.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, defendant Sean Zeisz, 28, accepted that co-defendant Niall Barry, 26, had a problem with Mr Harrison.

He said: “Niall got robbed by all the lads who hang round by Lee’s and Lee’s just stayed with them and Niall stopped speaking to them all when he got robbed.”

Zeisz said Barry had been robbed of a kilo and a half of cocaine, worth about £40,000.

Being cross-examined by Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, Zeisz said the robbery had been carried out by a group called the Hillsiders, with whom the court has heard Mr Harrison was associated.

The court heard Zeisz had been assaulted while at the Glastonbury festival in June last year, which was also attended by Miss Dale and Mr Harrison.

Asked if he was embarrassed that he had been hit while at the festival, in front of his then girlfriend Olivia McDowell, Zeisz said: “A little bit yeah, more worried about more trouble breaking out though.”

Mr Greaney said: “From those small origins in Glastonbury a really deep feud reignited?”

Zeisz said no.

He denied he had been hit by a man called Jordan Thompson, a friend of Mr Harrison’s.

He said Mr Thompson, who began seeing Ms McDowell after her relationship with Zeisz ended, had been blamed for the suicide of his close friend Rikki Warnick in July 2022.

The court has heard Mr Thompson was reported to have discharged a firearm outside Mr Warnick’s mother’s house when he believed Zeisz was inside.

Asked if he was aware of the incident, Zeisz said: “I did hear rumours and gossip. I phoned Rikki’s mum and asked her and she said ‘no, no-one’s been here and nothing like that’s happened’.”

As he finished his cross-examination, Mr Greaney said: “Your violent hatred and vanity drove what happened that night?”

Zeisz replied: “Never.”

Mr Greaney added: “You encouraged an attack on Leinster Road, intending that Lee Harrison was killed and no-one be left behind.

“You fully supported the use of a machine gun to that end.”

Zeisz said: “Not a chance. Lee and Ashley are my friends, I never argued with Lee, never fell out with him.”

He told the court that in the summer of last year he was a drug dealer, trading in cocaine and cannabis.

He said he supplied drugs to Barry, but denied knowing that Barry and another co-defendant, James Witham, 41, were supplying drugs in North Wales.

Zeisz, Barry, Witham, 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.

Witham admits manslaughter.

Kallum Radford, 26, denies assisting an offender.

The trial continues on Wednesday.