Elle Edwards' killer heckled as 'scumbag' as he's sentenced to minimum 48 years in prison

The gunman who shot dead beautician Elle Edwards outside a pub on Christmas Eve 2022 has been sentenced to a minimum of 48 years in prison for her killing.

Connor Chapman, 23, was also sentenced to a minimum term of 22 years each for the attempted murders of Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, which he will serve concurrently with the 48-year term. 

This comes after he was convicted on Thursday following a three-and-a-half week trial at Liverpool Crown Court for the murder of 26-year-old Elle Edwards.

READ MORE Moment Elle Edwards laughs and hugs friend before being shot dead

Ms Edwards was killed outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village in the Wirral, Merseyside, after Chapman opened fire using a Skorpian sub-machine gun before speeding away from the scene

in a stolen Mercedes.

Chapman’s targets were Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld who were injured along with three other people.

In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Goose told Chapman: "What you did, Connor Chapman, was as wicked as it was shocking.

“You murdered Elle, bringing an end to her life, and caused serious injury and wounded others.

"You didn't care who else was killed. You are a high dangerous man."

After Mr Justice Goose finished his remarks, members of Elle's family could be heard heckling the killer.

One person said "scumbag" while another shouted "f****** rat".

The jury convicted Chapman on 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.

On top of those charges, Chapman, from Woodchurch near Birkenhead, was also found guilty of possession of a Skorpion sub-machine gun with intent to endanger life and ammunition with intent

to endanger life.

Prior to the trial, he pleaded guilty to a charge of handling stolen goods and admitted going to burn out the car used in the shooting on December 31.

His 20-year-old co-defendant Thomas Waring was convicted of possession of a prohibited firearm and assisting an offender, after Chapman went to his house after the Lighthouse shooting.

Waring assisted Chapman with burning out the car and pleaded guilty before the trial to a charge of failing to comply with a disclosure notice.

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Speaking outside court after the guilty verdicts yesterday, Ms Edwards’ father Tim said: “Those two cowards in there decided to drag it out for four weeks, put all these people through that

and everyone else around it, involved in the case. I can’t thank the police enough for what they did and we got there in the end, the right result.

“I hope them two never see another Christmas again ever in their lives.”

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Paul Grounds said: “Chapman has continued to deny his involvement in Elle’s death forcing her family to endure the ordeal of a trial

where they have had to relive over and over the last moments of her life.

“His cowardly actions on that night rightly shocked the whole of Merseyside and the UK. To fire at his intended targets while they were stood outside in a crowd shows the arrogance and

contempt he had for anyone else.

“He then tried to evade justice by taking himself off to Wales where he was eventually detained two weeks after Elle’s murder.

“He has continued to deny his guilt throughout the trial but the jury has seen through his lies and righty convicted him.

“I am pleased that we have secured justice for Elle and her family and that a dangerous man has been removed from the streets of Merseyside.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Elle’s family who throughout this whole investigation and the trial have remained dignified and composed despite being forced to

relive the horrific events of Christmas Eve.  I hope that now they can start to properly grieve their loss.“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the investigation team for

their continued hard work and commitment and to the Crown Prosecution Service and in particular Nigel Power KC and Katy Appleton for successful prosecution of the case.”

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