Neighbours heard screeching tyres and loud bangs moments before Ashley Dale was found lying in backyard, inquest hears

31.08.2022 - 00:31 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Neighbours heard screeching tyres and loud bangs moments before Ashley Dale, 28, was found lying 'unresponsive' in her backyard, an inquest has heard. The environmental health officer was pronounced dead in hospital after a gunman forced open her front door and opened fire 'indiscriminately' on August 21.

The coroners court heard that concerned witnesses had heard tyres screeching before spotting fatally injured Ashley Dale lying in her back yard near to her phone. Andre Rebello, senior coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, opened the inquest into her death on Tuesday afternoon (August 30).

Ms Dale died after the incident at her home on Leinster Road, Old Swan. Merseyside Police say they do not believe she was the intended target, but do believe her address was targeted for reasons detectives are working to establish, the ECHO reports.

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Gerard Majella Courthouse heard how a Home Office pathologist recorded Miss Dale's medical cause of death as a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Mr Rebello told the court: "At 12.41am on August 21 a concerned member of the public contacted Merseyside Police advising that there was a female lying on her back on the floor of the back-yard of her home address in Leinster Road.

"Officers attended and noted that the front door had been forced. They entered the house to conduct a search and found the back door was open and insecure. Ashley was located lying on her back unresponsive."

Mr Rebello said what appeared to be a puncture wound to her front was visible and a mobile phone was located near to where she had collapsed. The court heard several bullet