James Witham, of Ashbury Road in Huyton, 28-year-old Sean Zeisz, of Longreach Road in Huyton, 26-year-old Niall Barry, of Moscow Drive in Tuebrook, 29-year-old Joseph Peers, of Woodlands Road in Roby, and 28-year-old Ian Fitzgibbon, of Heigham Gardens in St Helens, have pleaded not guilty to murdering the Knowsley Council worker, conspiracy to murder her boyfriend Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, namely a Skorpion submachine gun, and ammunition with intent to endanger...
Mr Cooper: "The prosecution say that you knowingly involved yourself with a hit on Lee Harrison, with a common purpose that any other person in the way should be killed. Were you involved in the organisation of a hit on Lee Harrison, with also an understanding that anyone that was there at the time would be killed?""Lee’s always been my friend. I’d never see no harm come to Lee.
Mr Cooper then turned to events at Glastonbury 2022, when Barry - known as "Branch" - is alleged to have brandished a knife to Fitzgibbon and threatened to stab Harrison. He denied having done so during his evidence last week. Fitzgibbon: "Basically, he was just drunk and off his head, but yeah. Everyone who's there had been drinking, taking drugs."
He responded: "I said to him I’d seen Branch last night, he’s pulled a blade out and said he’s gonna stab you up. I said stay with me, be careful."He seemed a bit put out with what I’d said to him. He weren't too fazed, he just said I’m not gonna do nothing.Mr Cooper said that contact between Ashley's and Fitzgibbon's phones then continued into the evening and during the course of Sunday.
"Just as long as I know he was alright, I felt sound. I’m just always checking on him to make sure he’s alright." "I didn’t think they’d knock on my door. If they did, it’s because I’d been around James Witham the day before."Fitzgibbon said: "It looked bad for me. I’m worried about getting called a grass or something happening to my little sisters or me mum, I’d never put their lives in danger by telling the police about that argument."Fitzgibbon: "I was always going to Dubai anyway. My sister's birthday was on the 27th.
"You’d have to communicate that to people you wanted to speak to. Tell us what your handle was please."Mr Greaney: "This drug dealing which made you successful, was it that which enabled you to fund your travel to Dubai and stay there? Moving back and forwards to Spain for nearly 12 months?""In Spain, I carried on selling cannabis. That’s how I survived in Spain."Fitzgibbon: "I stayed with friends and family.