Four men convicted of being involved in the killing of a woman on her doorstep

Four men have been found guilty of involvement in the killing of a woman who was shot dead as she opened her front door.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Jacqueline Rutter, 53, of Meadow Brook, Moreton, Wirral, was shot in the chest on 30 October 2022, in a targeted revenge attack following a dispute over drugs. She died at the scene.

James Byrne, 24, Simon Allen, 55, David Harrison, 59, and Barrie Glynn, 47, were all involved in planning and carrying out the killing.

Jacqueline’s murder was revenge for the loss of a mobile phone used to supply an illegal drugs trade. A few days before her murder, Jacqueline’s sons had been involved in an incident with James Byrne and his associates over the supply of illegal drugs. Her sons took drugs, cash and a mobile phone from Byrne.

The jury at the trial in Liverpool Crown Court was shown CCTV of three men, including Byrne and Glynn, arriving at her address in a black car minutes before she was shot.

The two passengers, one of which was Byrne, got out of the back of the car and went to her front door. When she answered, she was shot at twice; one shot hit her in her chest and killed her.

The two men then got back into the car which was then driven a short distance to a nearby street, before being set on fire by a fourth man (Allen) who had been waiting with two other vehicles, a silver Ford and a Yamaha Motorbike.

The four men then fled the scene, three in the silver car and one on the motorbike.

A painstaking investigation by Merseyside Police and careful analysis of complex evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service identified Byrne as the person who fired the gun.

The third man involved in the shooting remains at large, having fled the country.

The plot to murder Jacqueline was only successful because the men were signed up to the plan and carried out their specific roles.

David Harrison was involved in transporting the other men before and after the murder and assisted in the clear up operation.

Today (28 January 2026) a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found James Byrne, Simon Allen and David Harrison guilty of murdering Jacqueline, possession of a firearm and ammunition and arson.

Barrie Glynn, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a majority verdict. He was found guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition and arson.

They will be sentenced tomorrow (29 January 2026) at 11am at Liverpool Crown Court.

Anna McGinn, 26, of Frankby Stiles, Frankby, Wirral, was found not guilty of  helping Byrne and the third man avoid arrest.

Specialist Prosecutor, James Allison of CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult case.

“Even though the murder was captured on CCTV, there were no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence.

“What was evident from piecing together complex strands of evidence was that all four of the men were in this together and were signed up to the plan to shoot Jacqueline.

“Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Jacqueline.”