Ashley Dale's grieving family marked what would have been her 30th birthday yesterday by thinking back on their "precious memories".
Relatives came together to share their sadness, around 16 months on from her murder at the hands of James Witham, Sean Zeisz, Niall Barry and Joseph Peers. The woman's family said they "won't be celebrating" on what otherwise would have been a joyous occasion.
"No words can describe the deep sadness we feel today. On what should have been a day full of happiness and celebrations. The past four weeks since the trial has ended, have probably been the worst yet," Ms Dale's family said in a poignant statement. With lots of very down and low days, as we try and come to terms with the senseless loss of Ashley. As people continue with their lives, enjoying the festive period, birthdays and Christmas will never be same for us again.
"We have been left with a huge void, that will never be filled. With no real answer as to why our beautiful girl was cruelly taken from us. We won’t be celebrating today. Our heartbroken family will be getting together to remember the precious memories we have and cherish of Our Ash. Raising a glass to our beautiful girl, who is loved and missed beyond words every single day."
Ashley's mum Julie Dale is pictured at the memorial bench and tree at a park (Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)All four men were convicted of Ms Dale's murder in November after a seven-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court. They were jailed for a total of 173 years. The court heard Witham opened fire with a Skorpion submachine gun in the property in Old Swan, Liverpool, on August 21, 2022.
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He, Peers, Barry and Zeisz were also found guilty of conspiracy to murder Ms Dale's boyfriend Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, and ammunition with intent to endanger life, Liverpool Echo reports. Ian Fitzgibbon was cleared of these three charges while a sixth defendant, Kallum Radford, was acquitted of assisting an offender.
Emergency services rushed to the back garden of a house in Old Swan, Liverpool, after the shooting (Liverpool Echo)
Ashley Dale was remembered on what would have been her 30th birthday (PA)Speaking today, Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings, from Merseyside Police, said: "Today, Ashley’s family should be gathered with her to mark her 30th birthday, singing to her, giving her gifts and looking forward to Christmas. Instead, they are left grieving her loss at such a tragically young age.. This is the real impact of gun crime. The criminals who store, carry and so recklessly fire these weapons destroy the lives of many, leaving those left behind to go on with their lives without their loved one.
"No family should have to go through this, and Merseyside Police is committed to taking firearms out of circulation and bringing offenders to justice so that they don’t. We continue to ask for the support of the public to tell us where firearms are stored and who is using them so that other families do not experience the devastation Ashley’s have had to endure."
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