Ashley Dale's mum 'living a life sentence' as she issues vital message

Ashley Dale's mum told a crowd in Liverpool city centre this evening that she and her family have been dealt a "life sentence" by her daughter's murder. In the shadow of Liverpool Crown Court, Julie Dale addressed a vigil organised to remember women and girls who have lost their lives to male violence on Merseyside.

Hundreds of people braved the cold weather to listen to Julie's testimony and hear the names of the 74 women and girls murdered on Merseyside since 2009 being read out.

Ashley was 28 when she was shot dead in her own home in Old Swan by James Witham on August 21, 2022. A balaclava-clad Witham broke through the locked front door and shot Ashley, who worked as an environmental health officer, with a Skorpion submachine gun. In November last year, Witham and his cronies were jailed at Liverpool Crown Court for a combined total of 173 years.

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Julie told the crowd: "Ashley was caught up in violence that has devastated our lives. It not only took my daughter but my best friend from me. Those life sentences have not made anything better for us. In fact, things are worse now, as I now know the senseless reason why my daughter's life was snatched away from her. We now have the life sentence, living with this every single day."

Ashley is one of many women and girls who have lost their lives to male violence on Merseyside. According to Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service (LDAS), between 2022 and 2023, Merseyside was blighted by the worst record of women and girls killed by men in the whole country. Nationwide, a woman was killed by a man on average every three days between 2009 and 2019.

Over the past few years, there have been several deeply upsetting cases of women and girls being murdered in our region. Today, November 25, is the third anniversary of the murder of 12-year-old Ava White, who was stabbed to death by a teenage boy in Liverpool city centre as the Christmas lights were switched on.

In her speech, Julie finished with an emotional pledge to continue fighting to stop male violence against women and girls. She said: "This is for you, Ash, Olivia Pratt-Korbell, Ellie Edwards, Ava White and all the women and girls who have lost their lives to male violence. We love you, we miss you and we will not stop fighting in your name.

"There's no place for violence against women in our city. It does and has destroyed and devastated lives. I felt it important to come here tonight and tell our story to give Ashley a voice on this day. To highlight the impact violence has on victims and families who are left to carry on in the aftermath."

Tonight's vigil was organised by Merseyside Police and crime commissioner Emily Spurrell, who said: “It’s important we come together as a community to honour and remember the lives of women and girls tragically taken from us and pledge our ongoing commitment to ending this epidemic of gender-based violence."

Also present were representatives of support services including Liverpool and South Liverpool’s Domestic Abuse Services, Knowsley-based domestic abuse charity The First Step, sexual violence service RASA Merseyside, honour-based abuse victim service Savera UK, and Amadudu, which provides a refuge for Black and Minority Ethnic women fleeing domestic abuse.

Chief Executive of LDAS, Paula Nolan said: “The number of women and girls murdered by male violence in Merseyside is staggeringly high. Family and friends are left mourning their loved ones who have all been taken too soon and will be missed with deep sadness each and every day."

Ms Spurrell recently provided an update on Merseyside Police's region-wide Violence Against Women and Girls delivery plan, which started two years ago. In the past 12 months, 320 officers and more than 3,000 partners have received trauma training from the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership to improve their response to victims and better safeguard vulnerable people.

Night-time buses returned to the region in December, which the commissioner said will make women and girls feel safer when travelling at night. In total, more than £440,000 has been spent on Safer Streets projects in Liverpool, St Helens and Knowsley.

Ms Spurrell added: "Violence against Women and Girls is being treated nationally as an epidemic scale issue, and while there are no quick fixes, this partnership is about driving change through real, meaningful actions that will protect and improve the lives of women and girls across Merseyside.

"I am absolutely committed to making Merseyside a safer place for all women and girls and overseeing the progress of actions being delivered by all our partners who share the same commitment to make real, tangible change."

If you or someone you know has been affected by rape or sexual assault, domestic abuse, stalking or harmful practices, there are support services available that can help. Find support in your area by visiting the Victim Care Merseyside website – help in my area: https://victimcaremerseyside.org/help-in-my-area/