Ashley Dale murder documentary - part 2: Death foretold

At 11.30pm on Saturday, 20 August, Ashley Dale was sat in her home in Old Swan, cuddled up to her beloved dog, Darla, when three of the tyres on her car were damaged and the alarm went off.

Just over an hour later, the 28 year old was lying in the back garden of her Leinster Road home with a fatal gunshot wound. Convicted killer James Witham had forced his way into her home and opened fire with a skorpion sub-machine gun.

Ashley had foretold her own death. She had recorded her growing fears on voice notes on her phone. The evidence it provided at the murder trial was described as 'unprecedented'.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings said: "It's the first time I've ever seen evidence of the murder victim playing such a crucial role in a court case. Ashley was narrating her own story and events that led up to her death. There was barely a dry eye in the courtroom as her increased fear and anxiety was played out from recovered voice notes from her phone."

• Watch the video above for part two of our Ashley Dale murder documentary: Death foretold
• Ashley Dale murder documentary - part 1: Tragic shooting in own home