Ashley Dale murder: Trial date set as fifth man appears in court over shooting death

A man extradited from Spain and charged with the murder of Knowsley Council worker Ashley Dale appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday. Ian Christopher Fitzgibbon, 28, of Heigham Gardens, St Helens, who is on remand at Manchester prison, appeared via video link.

Ms Dale, 28, was found fatally injured after a gunman burst into her home on Leinster Road, Old Swan, in the early hours of Sunday, August 21, last year and fired multiple shots. She was found in her backyard by police at around 12.40am with a gunshot wound to her body. Ms Dale, who is not believed to be the intended target, was taken to hospital but sadly died a short time later.

Fitzgibbon also faces charges of conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison; possessing a firearm, a Skorpion sub machine gun, with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to possess a firearm, a Skorpion sub machine gun, with intent to endanger life. Those offences also allegedly occurred on August 21.

The defendant, wearing a dark blue Nike sweater, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth and was not asked to enter pleas to the charges.

Alex Langhorn, prosecuting, asked the court for Fitzgibbon to be further remanded in custody until September 11 to link up with four other men, who have already denied murder charges, for a trial management hearing. They are Sean Zeisz, 27, Niall Barry, 26, James Witham, 41, and Joseph Peers, 28.

The judge fixed a trial date of October 2, when the other four defendants are already due to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court along with Kallum Radford, who denies assisting an offender. No bail application was made and the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary, KC, formally refused to grant bail and Fitzgibbon was further remanded in custody until a week on Monday.

Members of the victim’s family were present alongside police officers in the public gallery and Judge Menary said that the court was delighted to see them. Two women supporters of Fitzgibbon were also present during the brief hearing.

Merseyside Police said that Fitzgibbon was arrested by the Spanish National Police and extradited from Spain, with the support of the National Crime Agency’s National Extradition Unit, on a trade and co-operation agreement on Thursday afternoon.