Elle Edwards' dad made a two-word comment to the man who killed his daughter on Christmas Eve.
The 26-year-old beautician was killed on Christmas Eve, when Connor Chapman, 23, fired 12 shots from a Skorpion sub-machine gun at a group of people stood by the front entrance of the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village. Five men; Kieran Salkeld, Jake Duffy, Liam Carr, Nicholas Speed and Harry Loughran, were also injured during the shooting.
On Thursday, July 6, after a three and a half week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, a jury found Chapman unanimously guilty of the murder of the 26-year-old, attempted murder of Mr Salkeld and Mr Duffy, wounding with intent of Mr Loughran and Mr Carr and assault occasioning actual bodily harm of Mr Speed.
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Thomas Waring was found guilty of possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender. Elle's dad, Tim Edwards, punched the air with delight as the verdict was delivered.
Other members of the family were heard to cry “yes”, and several burst into tears. After Justice Goose asked for the two defendants to be taken down to the cells Tim Edwards was heard saying “you coward” as they left the dock.
The Judge announced he would pass a sentence at 2pm on Friday, July 6 and also thanked the family of Elle Edwards before retiring.
Elle was described as the "wholly innocent" victim of an attack which followed a series of "tit for tat" incidents involving rival gangs based on the Woodchurch and Beechwood estates. Merseyside Police have now released shocking CCTV footage showing Chapman skulking between parked cars and along the building line while dressed in dark clothing and with his head covered.
He briefly waits at a corner before emerging and opening fire at a crowd of people, who are not shown in the video, outside. Flashes of light can be seen as he discharges the gun a total of 12 times.
The shooter then sprints to a stolen Mercedes A Class, enters the driver's seat and speeds away from the scene. The court previously heard that career criminal and self-confessed cocaine dealer Chapman, said to have been "at the heart" of the Woodchurch organised crime group, lurked outside the busy pub for nearly three hours before carrying out the shooting.
Elle was seen on CCTV inside the Lighthouse happily chatting with friends before going outside for a cigarette at 11.47pm. Minutes later, the gunman emerged from the shadows and fired a volley of shots towards a group stood by the entrance to the Lighthouse with the military grade weapon.
He then immediately went to the home of his "criminal associate" 20-year-old Thomas Waring, who was said to have taken custody of the gun before helping to torch the car a week later on New Year's Eve.
Chapman was convicted of murder by a jury of seven women and five men after three hours and 48 minutes of deliberations. He was also found guilty of attempting to murder Salkeld and Duffy, wounding with intent against Mr Duffy and Mr Loughran, assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mr Speed and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Waring, of Private Drive in Barnston, was convicted of possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender. Both will be sentenced on Friday, July 6.
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