Police have released the mugshot of Thomas Waring, who helped Connor Chapman after the murder of Elle Edwards.
The 26-year-old beautician was enjoying a night out on Christmas Eve with her family and friends when she was shot twice in the head as she sat perched on a raised wooden flower bed outside the Lighthouse pub, Wallasey Village. Five men were also injured, one critically, but all survived.
A jury of seven women and five men came to a unanimous decision after three hours and 48 minutes of deliberation and found both Waring, 20, and Chapman, 23, guilty at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, July 6.
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Chapman was convicted of Elle’s murder, the attempted murders of Salkeld and Duffy, wounding Mr Loughran and Mr Carr with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assaulting Mr Speed causing actual bodily harm. Waring was convicted of of possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender.
Following the shooting, Connor Chapman drove the stolen Mercedes he was driving to Private Drive, Barnston, the home address of his long-term friend Waring. CCTV from Private Drive showed a figure with long hair walking along and dropping the gun, which skidded along the floor.
Although the murder weapon was never recovered, an investigation revealed Chapman’s DNA in a mixed sample on a bullet casing found at the scene and on a red glove recovered from Waring’s home which matched one the gunman was wearing. A single particle of gunshot residue was also present on the glove.
A taxi, booked by Waring under a fake name and with a vague pick up point, took Chapman home to Woodchurch at around 5am on Christmas morning.
The pair then took steps to cover up their vile crime by driving in convoy to a remote spot off Grassy Lane, Frodsham, on New Year’s Eve, where the stolen Mercedes was torched.
Waring, who refused to give evidence in what the prosecution called “the ultimate in cowardice”, told his barrister William England to suggest to Chapman that he did travel to Waring’s house after midnight on Christmas Day, effectively shredding his defence after he said he was at home.
However Waring’s case was that although his phone was tracked on the journey to burn out the car, someone else was using it and he was not involved.
The jury never heard any more from him.
Chapman and Waring will be sentenced at 2pm tomorrow.
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