The family of an innocent beautician shot dead in a gang hit on Christmas Eve have spoken of their utter devastation at her murder.
Connor Chapman has today been jailed for life with a minimum term of 48 years for the murder of 26-year-old Elle Edwards, after the horrific shooting outside the Lighthouse pub in Wirral, Merseyside.
Chapman opened fire using a Skorpion sub-machine gun, firing wildly as he dashed about the car park having stalked his intended targets, Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld, for three hours beforehand.
Five others were injured in the attack, but it was Elle who suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Gasps and outbursts of 'scumbag' could be heard from her family as the Chapman was led out of the dock today, after the courtroom heard the impact Elle's death has had on them.
Elle's devastated family told the court of their trauma in emotional victim impact statements.
Heartbroken dad's 'life sentence'
Tim Edwards, Elle's father, says she was looking forward to spending Christmas with her family and described her as the 'most caring, beautiful' person.
“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."
He described how she was doing well for herself and had a "bright future" ahead of her before that fateful night.
Mr Edwards continued: “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.
“Elle loved the company of her grandparents and was always calling in to see them. It was her second home. Elle cared for her grandmother and the two would often go out for afternoon tea or lunch somewhere.
"She would always make sure her nan had a great day out. The same went for her other grandfather George. She would go out the way to have a catch up with him.
“I can’t begin to explain the devastating effect this has. The only people who go through such a horrific experience can ever know how it feels. I hope the people in this room never have to experience what we are going through now.
"We have been given a life sentence. Whenever we celebrate birthdays, Easter, family celebrations there will always be Elle missing. We know if she was there, it was always going to be a great time full of laughter and cheer.
“We will always wonder what her children would be like, what her career would turn out like. We will never know. We never asked for this punishment.
“The event of Christmas Eve have impacted us in a huge number of ways. The feeling of loss of a child is so devastating it really can’t be put into words. It’s hard to focus on the future when no matter what we do there is nothing to bring back our daughter. I will do my best to make sure her name is never forgotten and use her name to help those who need it.
“Christmas will never be celebrated. Gone is the time of Christmas as a time to be together. We will never all be together.”
Speaking outside Liverpool Crown Court after the sentencing, Tim Edwards said he will make sure killer Chapman "will never get out".
Chapman was also handed another life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years for the attempted murders of Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, to be served alongside the first life sentence.
Mr Edwards said: “The amount of people involved in this investigation from day one has been remarkable and they did not give up.
“They were relentless in achieving the goal which was to get justice for Elle and catch the killer. Thankfully now he’s got 48 years and hopefully he never sees Christmas again.
“If I’m lucky enough to still be around for a long time yet I will do my best to make sure he never comes out.
“Things need to change and we’ve made a start with that.
“I think, 48 years, if you think of picking up a gun now you should think twice about it.”
Mum's torment
Mr Edwards said Elle’s mum Gaynor “has not been able to face coming to court but wanted her voice heard".
Gaynor 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 says her health has deteriorated.
“I cannot put into words how much I love and miss her.”
Brother's final words
Connor Edwards, Elle's brother, revealed she was due to cook her first Christmas dinner with her mum for the family the following day.
He 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.
In their last conversation, Elle told him “she was with Lucy and would be home soon”. He told her to have a good night. “Our childhood has many happy memories," he added. "We were brought up to love and respect each other. We were always out and never in.
"Me and Elle grew up side by side, we were very close. We would argue as most siblings do but it was never anything serious. Elle would always compliment you. She would always make you feel good about yourself."
He says he has a four-year-old son and “explaining why she isn’t here is impossible”, adding he “sees pictures of her and points to the sky”. Connor says their mum is “lost” and “waiting for Elle to come home”.
“They had the best mother daughter relationship," the court heard. "Elle would help mum with everything. Elle had time for literally everyone. She was fun and had a hug for everyone.”
He describes how he woke to texts and calls in the early hours of Christmas Day to news of the shooting, before having to drive to his parents' house when he found out Elle was the victim.
“I got to his house and told him Elle had been shot in the head," he said. "We went to the hospital and found out she was no longer with us. Our worlds fell apart.”
Said he “had to sit there with a smile on his face” for his son on Christmas Day: “She didn’t deserve this.
“I go to bed each night and wake up the next morning with a constant hit of grief. Our lives have been destroyed. As a family, Christmas was our tie.
"A special time when we were always together. The fact this happened when it did is just horrendous. As long as we were together, that was the most important thing.
“We were a strong family and we have only become stronger. Sitting in court and seeing the person responsible fills me with anger. He has shown no remorse. He is a cold human being.”
“Watching the CCTV over and over again has been brutal. We have stayed strong together. Nothing will take this family down. We have lost everything. We have to carry on without Elle as best as we can."
In a final, moving message to his sister, he said: "I love you and miss you Elle Marlene Edwards. I will cherish the 26 years we had together.”
Gran's broken heart
Elle's grandmother Susan Edwards revealed the pair's sweet nicknames for each other, as she described their special bond.
“To me Elle was beyond caring, beyond kind, beyond generous and loving," she said. "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.” Ms Edwards recalls a birthday in September 2021, when Elle arrived with chocolate and flowers from M&S. She told her they were “going somewhere special” the next day.
She added: “I kept asking 'are we there yet'. She just laughed and told me to wait and see. She parked up in a wooded area. We walked along a narrow path towards a huge wall about 30ft tall. We went through an archway and there was a huge castle.
"It took my breath away. It’s what she said that stayed with me. She said every queen has to have her own castle.”
In 2021, the devastated gran said: "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.”
Sentencing him today, Mr Justice Goose told Chapman his actions that night meant he "didn't care who else would be killed", and called him a "highly dangerous man.
In the televised hearing, he said: “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.”
As well as the lengthy prison term for murder, he was also handed a concurrent sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years for the attempted murders of Salkeld and Duffy. Co-defendant Thomas Waring was jailed for nine years.
