Connor Chapman guilty of Christmas Eve pub murder

Elle Edwards was an innocent bystander when she was shot outside a pub by Connor Chapman

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A man has been found guilty of murdering Elle Edwards who was shot outside a pub on Christmas Eve.

Ms Edwards was an innocent bystander when Connor Chapman opened fire with a sub-machine gun as he targeted two men in the culmination of a gang feud.

The 26-year-old beautician was killed by Chapman, 23, outside the Lighthouse in Wallasey Village, Wirral.

Tim Edwards called his daughter's killer "a coward" as he went to the cells.

He had tears in his eyes as the verdicts were returned at Liverpool Crown Court and quietly said, "yes".

Chapman was also convicted of two counts of attempted murder.

Co-defendant Thomas Waring, 20, was found guilty of the possession of a prohibited firearm and assisting an offender by helping to burn out the stolen Mercedes used in the shooting.

Mr Justice Goose said he would sentence Chapman and Waring at 14:00 GMT on Friday.

As the judge told the security guards to take both men to the cells, Mr Edwards said "coward" to Chapman, who had hid in the far corner of the dock to try to keep out of view.

The trial heard the attack followed a feud between gangs on the Woodchurch and Beechwood estates, on either side of the M53 in Wirral.

Chapman lay in wait outside the pub in a stolen Mercedes for almost three hours before firing the weapon, which was capable of firing 15 rounds a second.

He 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 Chapman drive away from the Lighthouse in the moments after the shooting and then arrive at Private Drive in Barnston, the home of Waring.

He was seen in the footage appearing to drop the gun as he walked towards Waring's home.

Chapman admitted a charge of handling stolen goods before the trial started.

He told the jury on 31 December he had travelled with the unnamed man who took the car key when the Mercedes was burnt out in Frodsham, Cheshire.

He denied that Waring had been with him, although mobile phone evidence showed Waring's phone travelled with the car.