Connor Chapman, 23, has been found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of the murder of Elle Edwards, who was shot outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, on Christmas Eve last year.
Gunman Chapman opened fire with a Skorpion sub-machine gun outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, Merseyside, shortly before midnight on December 24 last year. The jury in the three-and-a-half week trial was told the gunman fired 12 shots from the weapon, which is capable of discharging 15 rounds a second, before driving away in a stolen Mercedes.
Jurors were sent out to start deliberations shortly after 11am on Thursday and came back with a guilty verdict just after 3pm. The jury also convicted Connor Chapman of two counts of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as well as possession of a Skorpion sub-machine gun with intent to endanger life and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Co-defendant Thomas Waring, 20, was found guilty of possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender by helping to burn out the stolen Mercedes used in the murder. Elle’s father Tim stared over at the dock as the verdicts were delivered.
Mr Justice Goose said he would sentence Chapman and Waring on Friday at 2pm. He said a video of the shooting, shown during the trial, should be released.
The judge told Mark Rhind KC, defending Chapman, he would be considering whether the case was one for which a whole life order would be suitable. As Chapman was taken from the dock, Elle Edwards’ father Tim said: “You coward.”
Ms Edwards’ father, Tim, said the conviction meant the family could start going forward. He said: “It just means he’s off the streets, someone else is not going to suffer at the hands of him.
“Unfortunately Elle was his last victim but thankfully she will be the last person he does anything to and he can go fade away.” The trial heard the attack was the culmination of a feud between groups on the Woodchurch and Beechwood estates, on either side of the M53 in Wirral.
The prosecution alleged Chapman was attempting to kill Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, both of whom were seriously injured in the shooting. The pair, from the Beechwood estate, had attacked another man, Sam Searson, in the street the day before, the court heard.
Three other men: Harry Loughran, Liam Carr and Nicholas Speed; who were unconnected to the feud, were also injured in the shooting. The jury heard Chapman lay in wait outside the pub in a stolen Mercedes for almost three hours before firing the weapon, which the court heard was capable of firing 15 rounds a second.
Chapman told the jury he had not been using the vehicle, which he described as a “pool car” for him and other criminals, on the night of the murder but had given the car key to another man, whom he refused to name. CCTV footage showed the gunman drive away from the Lighthouse in the moments after the shooting and then arrive at Private Drive in Barnston, the home address of co-defendant Waring.
The man, with long hair, was seen in the footage appearing to drop the gun as he walked towards Waring’s home. Chapman has told the court he was at home all night and had given the key to the Mercedes, which he described as a “pool car”, to another man, who he said he would not name. Following the shooting, the court has heard the gunman drove to the home of Thomas Waring in Barnston, Wirral.
He also denied having a Skorpion sub-machine gun with intent to endanger life and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
