James Witham and four other men are currently on trial accused of murdering the 28-year-old in Old Swan last year
A man accused of murdering council worker Ashley Dale says he stayed at a hotel with her killer the night after the shooting for a "swim, steam and sauna".
His counsel, Peter Wright KC, asked about their stay at the Mercure Hotel in St Helens for two nights from the evening of August 21 onwards. Peers confirmed he had made the reservation via Booking.com, saying: "The next day when Witham come to ours, after he asked me if could I find somewhere to store the car, before he even got to that he asked did I want to go for a steam and sauna.
Peers said: "No, no effort. Obviously you can see me checking into hotels, booking taxis and going in to local shops by my mother’s house." Mr Wright asked: "Was there any reason for you to be hiding or lying low?" Peers replied: "No reason. I wouldn’t have come out of the house if that was the case."
"That’s for two rooms and the booking is being made in your name, using your details. Why was there a booking being made again at the Mercure?" The court heard that, at around 11.40pm on August 20 2022, two men approached Ashley’s white Volkswagen T-Roc car - which was parked outside the house - and slashed its tyres, causing the alarm to sound, in an effort to "lure" the occupants out. But it is thought Ashley believed the alarm had been set off by heavy rain and did not leave her house.
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