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A 23-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of beautician Elle Edwards, who was shot dead outside a pub in Merseyside on Christmas Eve.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court convicted Connor Chapman, who fired twelve bullets from a Skorpion sub-machine gun outside the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey, just 10 minutes before Christmas Day last year.

Ms Edwards, 26, was last seen on CCTV leaving the pub for a cigarette just four minutes before Chapman unleashed his attack.

Along with killing Ms Edwards, he injured five men, two of which were his intended targets.

Chapman was found guilty of Ms Edwards’s murder following a trial, which lasted more than three weeks.

He was also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of a firearm.

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

The family of Ms Edwards were present for every day of Chapman’s trial and, for them, this conviction is a “huge relief”.

Her grieving father, Tim Edwards, also labelled Chapman a “coward” who he said had not looked him in the eye throughout the trial – adding: “I hope he rots in hell”.

Connor Chapman. Pic: Merseyside police
Image:
Connor Chapman. Pic: Merseyside Police

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “He’s taken the core of our family and he’s ripped it out. We’ll never have Elle back, that’s just something that’s never going to happen.

“But she’ll always be here, so we still have that and we’re never going to allow him to take that away from us. No one can.”

Mr Edwards added that the conviction was a huge step forward for the family.

“It’s a new chapter,” he said. “It’s the beginning of the future without Elle.”

Speaking about the conviction of Chapman, he added: “It means he [Chapman] is off the streets, someone else is not going to suffer at the hands of him.”

Mr Edwards said he had attempted to look the defendant in the eye as he sat in the dock, but that he had avoided eye contact with him.

“He’s a scumbag, isn’t he? An absolute scumbag,” he said.

“No remorse, not one ounce, not one sign of regret for what he’s done. If anything, arrogant to actually believe he can pull the wool over people’s eyes and get away with it.”

Speaking outside court following the verdict, he said: “I hope they never see a Christmas again ever in their lives

“I’ve had my eyes on him [Chapman] for four weeks – he’s not looked at me once.

“He’s a coward. That’s exactly what he is. I hope he rots in hell.”

Elle Edwards was shot while out celebrating Christmas with friends.
Image:
Elle Edwards was shot while out celebrating Christmas with friends

‘Dangerous, despicable and ruthless’

Merseyside Police investigated more than 1,400 hours of CCTV footage, carried out 37 searches and examined 1,800 exhibits in relation to Elle’s murder.

To convict the “dangerous, despicable and ruthless individual” the evidence was overwhelming.

The jury was shown evidence relating to Chapman’s DNA, including red gloves worn by the attacker when carrying out his shooting, which police seized at his friend’s address.

A bullet casing found at the scene of the murder was also covered in Chapman’s DNA.

CCTV footage of the 23-year-old also showed Chapman ruffling his long hair and dropping the Skorpion gun as he walked towards his friend’s home just 12 minutes after the shooting.

Generic photo of a Skorpion sub-machine gun, similar to that used in the shooting which killed Elle Edwards, which was shown to the jury at Liverpool Crown Court
Image:
A Skorpion sub-machine gun, similar to that used in the shooting

Police arrested Chapman 17 days after the attack while in a supermarket despite repeated requests to hand himself in.

Detective Superintendent Paul Grounds told Sky News: “This was a sickening attack by a ruthless and dangerous individual.

“It’s incomprehensible that somebody would think that they could get away with leaving the house, possession of a gun, going to a pub that was packed and then discharge a submachine gun into a crowd.

“That night changed the lives of many people forever.”

‘Ongoing feud’ led to wild shooting into crowd

Chapman was seen arriving in Wallasey just before 9pm on Christmas Eve, just under three hours before he would carry out his attack.

CCTV showed him driving a stolen Mercedes A-Class into the pub car park and pulling up in a bay where he lay in wait for 55 minutes.

Gunman leaving the Lighthouse pub car park, Merseyside, in the Mercedes following the shooting of Elle Edwards
Image:
Gunman leaving the Lighthouse pub car park, Merseyside, in the Mercedes following the shooting

After seeing his targets, two men from a rival estate, he’s seen approaching the building and then firing 12 shots indiscriminately into a crowd of people at the entrance of the pub.

Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, Chapman’s intended targets, were both seriously injured.

Just a day before the attack the pair had assaulted an associate of Chapman.

Read more:
Hundreds attended victim’s funeral
Footage released of arrest

The prosecution said his “inexplicable actions” were the culmination of this “ongoing feud”.

DS Grounds added: “Connor Chapman has given Elle’s family a life sentence.

“I hope during his period in custody, which will be significant, the enormity of what he’s done and what he’s taken from that family remains with him for the rest of his life.”

Mr Edwards said Chapman has shown no remorse throughout the entirety of the trial.

The grieving father said: “He doesn’t care for what he’s done and what he’s guilty of.

“He hasn’t got an ounce of humanity about him – he hasn’t showed one bit of regret.”

The father of Elle Edwards, Tim Edwards, arrives with family members at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts in Liverpool
Image:
The father of Elle Edwards, Tim Edwards, arrives with family members at the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts in Liverpool

Remembering his daughter before her funeral in January, Mr Edwards told Sky News: “She’s the type of person that would walk into the room and everyone would gravitate towards her because she was always smiling.

“She was beautiful looking and she was a great hugger. She was just a fantastic human being with a heart of gold.”

He added: “Christmas Day didn’t mean anything, that had gone.

“It didn’t feel real and Christmas will never be the same. Christmas will never be a point of celebration for me, ever.”

The judge, Mr Justice Goose, said he would sentence Chapman and Waring on Friday at 2pm.

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest.

“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”

Police said a man in his 60s had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.

Sky News has contacted Mr Norris for comment.

Mr Norris, 65, defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election.

He has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons and has stepped down from his role as chair of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.

“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.

“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.

“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.

“A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.

“This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.”

Mr Norris first entered Parliament when Tony Blair came to power in 1997 and served as the Wansdyke MP until 2010.

He was an assistant whip under Mr Blair and served as a junior minister under Gordon Brown.

Mr Norris has also been West of England mayor since 2021 but is due to step down ahead of May’s local elections.

A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting, confirmed he had stepped down from his role.

“The charity cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing,” a statement said.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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