Sean Zeisz, one of the men accused of arranging the shooting of Ashley Dale, told a jury he believed Jordan Thompson, aka 'Dusty', had bullied Rikki Warnick before his death by suicide last year
A suspect accused of the murder of Ashley Dale has claimed his friend's suicide was caused by a member of the 'Hillsiders' gang. Rikki Warnick, was 'called a grass' by the Liverpool gang before he killed himself on July 21 last year, a jury has been told this week.
Witham has admitted kicking down the front door of Ashley's home in Leinster Road, Old Swan, and spraying the inside of the house with bullets from a Skorpion sub-machine gun in the early hours of August 21 last year. The jury has heard he will claim he did not see or hear Ashley and was attempting to "send a message" to Harrison, who was not at home at the time.
Zeisz, who said he had been "gutted and heartbroken" to hear of Mr Warnick's death, replied: "I was aware they were all posting stuff online about him being a grass. It was the gossip at the time, everyone was saying it was Dusty’s fault." Over the coming days, he messaged her saying: "You really picking that smackhead up from town?... A f****** little tramp, picking him up from town. You are vomit. Got that little rat in the car.” Mr Davies asked: "What's the background to this?", to which Zeisz said: “She’s driving round with Dusty.”
Despite the conversations about Mr Warnick, Zeisz said he had "not had any falling out" with Thompson at that stage. He also denied that Thompson had attacked him at Glastonbury festival, saying he had instead been punched once by a man known as 'Wally'. Paul Greaney, KC, prosecuting, suggested that the situation became increasingly "dangerous" after the death of Mr Warnick, who was friends with both Harrison, Ashley and the defendants.
Witham, of Ashbury Road in Huyton, Zeisz, of Longreach Road in Huyton, Barry, of Moscow Drive in Tuebrook, Peers, of Woodlands Road in Roby, and Fitzgibbon, of Heigham Gardens in St Helens, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Ashley Dale, conspiracy to murder Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, namely a Skorpion submachine gun, and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Witham has admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter.
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