Ashley Dale: Second murder arrest over back garden shooting

A second man has been arrested on suspicion of murder over the death of a woman who was shot in the back garden of her home.

Ashley Dale, 28, was found by police in her garden in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the early hours of 21 August.

Merseyside Police said the arrested 27-year-old from Dovecot was also held on suspicion of possessing a firearm.

A 25-year-old man, who was held on suspicion of Ms Dale's murder, was bailed on Tuesday.

Opening her inquest on Tuesday, Liverpool senior coroner Andre Rebello told Gerard Majella Courthouse that the environmental health officer was not believed to have been the intended target of the shooting.

He said the door of her Leinster Road home "had been forced" and she had been found lying unresponsive close to her mobile phone and several bullet casings in her back garden.

He added that until someone was "apprehended" and the process of law was applied to "this most heinous tragedy", her family would "struggle with a very difficult bereavement journey".

Ms Dale was the half-sister of 16-year-old Lewis Dunne, who was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity in Liverpool in 2015.

Det Ch Insp Cath Cummings said although progress was being made in the investigation, the force still needed anyone with information to get in touch.

"We do know there were people walking close to the scene at the time of the offence," she said.

"If this was you or someone you know, please come forward as you may, without realising, hold vital information to assist this investigation."

She added that taxi and delivery drivers in the area between 00:20 and 00:40 BST may also have dashcam footage.

Urging them to share anything with police, she said she wanted people to "help us find justice for Ashley's family, and for a community devastated by her loss".

A 21-year-old woman, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, was also bailed on Tuesday.

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