The man who gunned down a beautician who was enjoying a night out with her friends on Christmas Eve has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 48 years. Elle Edwards was outside the Lighthouse pub in Wirral, Merseyside, when Connor Chapman opened fire with a Skorpion sub-machine gun.
His bullets injured five people, including his intended targets, Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld. But, as he fired 12 shots, he killed Ms Edwards, who was an innocent bystander, before escaping in a stolen Mercedes.
Chapman, 23, had denied being responsible, but was found guilty on Thursday of murdering Ms Edwards, who was 26. On Friday he returned to court to have his sentence handed down to him by Mr Justice Goose.
Chapman was also convicted by a jury 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.
Thomas Waring, 20, was also convicted for possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender. He was sentenced alongside Chapman and given nine years in prison.
Nigel Power, KC, prosecuting, said Chapman “armed himself with that gun capable of discharging many many bullets per second”.
He added: "The prosecution submit first and foremost this was a case involving a significant degree of planning or pre-meditation. He used a stolen car, obtained the Skorpion gun and waited for nearly three hours around Wallasey until he could find the perfect place to park to be able to see and then shoot his intended victims. Although it cannot be say Elle Edwards was particularly vulnerable because of her age, it is a striking feature that she was wholly innocent and unconnected to the events that transpired that evening."
Mr Powers read out a heartbreaking statement from Elle's father, Tim, which said: “On December 24, 2022, my daughter was doing what every young person should be doing at Christmas. Looking forward to Christmas Day with her family.
"That will never happen again. She was the most caring, beautiful, happy person. She was the one every kid went to for help, or maybe just a hug.
“Her permanent smile would light up any room she entered. She would always greet you with a hug and ask how are you doing. She always gave the best hugs, and it was always enough to lift you if you were having a bad day."
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Elle's mum Gayner was unable to face coming to court, but "wanted her voice heard". A statement from her said: “I want to know why have you done this? What drove you to do this to my daughter? I can’t accept she’s gone."
She added that her health had deteriorated: “I cannot put into words how much I love and miss her.”
Mr Powers continued reading: “Elle was trying her hardest to make something of herself. She always got to where she wanted to be.
"She was reaching her peak and the happiest I’ve ever seen her. She had such a bright future. Elle was a fantastic sister. The bond the four of them has is unbreakable. She would give all her spare time to her brothers and sisters. Elle did the same with her friends."
Mr Power also read the statement of Connor Edwards, Elle’s older brother, who said: “Having to make this statement and talk about my little sister is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life. Elle was going to be cooking Christmas dinner with mum for the first time."
Connor says she told him “she was with Lucy and would be home soon”. Connor said their mum was “lost” and “waiting for Elle to come home”.
“They had the best mother daughter relationship. Elle would help mum with everything. Elle had time for literally everyone. She was fun and had a hug for everyone," he added.
Connor described how he woke to texts and calls in the early hours of Christmas Day to news of the shooting. He says he drove to mum and dad’s after learning Elle was victim.
Mr Power continued reading: “I got to his house and told him Elle had been shot in the head. We went to the hospital and found out she was no longer with us. Our worlds fell apart.”
Elle's grandmother Susan Edwards said in her statement: “If I were to die tomorrow, the coroner would write on my death certificate: Cause of death, a broken heart. I miss my angel so much it hurts. To me Elle was beyond caring, beyond kind, beyond generous and loving. If you were lucky enough to be chosen by Elle as a friend, you knew it would be cherished and last forever. I know as cheesy as it sounds, she called me Queen and I called her Princess.”
Speaking on behalf of Connor Chapman, Mark Rhind, KC, said: “He’s attended today. He knows a refusal to attend might have been easier for him but knows it would have shown disrespect to Elle and her family and make a difficult day even harder. He has come to take his punishment.”
He argued against a whole-life term for his client, adding: “There is a lack of relevant previous convictions. That might be some small measure of further mitigation. It’s right to say that clearly and obviously Elle Edwards was not the target of Connor Chapman’s actions. It seems like he didn’t even see she was there. Of course it offers cold comfort to no one."
Sentencing Chapman, Mr Justice Goose said: “They were not all together, they just happened to be there. What you did to them was as wicked as it was shocking. You murdered Elle Edwards, bringing to an end her young life. You attempted to murder Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld, causing them very serious injury."
He added: “You obtained a submachine gun loaded with 12 bullets and prepared to fire all of them. Your intention was to murder Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld. You didn’t care who else would be killed. That’s why you fired all the bullets at the group. I’m satisfied you are a highly dangerous man.
“It’s utterly shocking you carefully planned a revenge attack in a gang rivalry. You had no thought for anyone else. The risks of what you did were as high as they were obvious.”
The judge said the offending was "on the cusp" of a whole-life order. Members of Elle Edwards' family shouted "goodbye lad", "scumbag" and "rat" as Connor Chapman was taken down from the dock.
