Man extradited from Spain charged with Liverpool murder of council worker

A man has been charged with the murder of a council worker who was shot in the back garden of her home in Liverpool last year.

Ian Fitzgibbon was charged with the murder of Ashley Dale, 28, who was found with a gunshot wound in the back garden of her home in the Old Swan neighbourhood on 21 August 2022.

Fitzgibbon was arrested by the Spanish national police and extradited from Spain with the support of the NCA’s national extradition unit on Thursday afternoon on a trade and cooperation agreement, Merseyside police said.

Fitzgibbon, 28, from St Helens, has also been charged with conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison, possession of a prohibited weapon – namely a Skorpion submachine gun pistol – and associated ammunition with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and associated ammunition.

He will appear at Liverpool magistrates court on Friday.

Sean Zeisz, 27, Niall Barry, 26, James Witham, 41, and Joseph Peers, 28, had previously been charged with Dale’s murder and are due to stand trial on 2 October.