The gunman branded the fatal shooting at the Lighthouse pub ‘f***ing stupid, pointless and a waste of a life’
Connor Chapman penned a Facebook post stating that “enough was enough” following the murder of Elle Edwards, which he branded “f***ing stupid, pointless and a waste of life”. The 26-year-old beautician died after being shot outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey, Wirral, on Christmas Eve 2022.
Chapman was convicted of her murder in July last year and later jailed for life with a minimum term of 48 years. Two men and two women are currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of assisting an offender in connection with the fatal shooting.
David Chambers, Danielle Dowdall, Paul Owen and Roxanne Matthews all deny the respective charges against them. The latter began giving evidence to a jury of eight men and four women yesterday, Monday.
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When asked why she had called Chapman for nearly eight minutes on December 29 2022, the mum-of-three stated that this was “in regards to his post he put on social media”. This was said to have been in response to a message posted on Facebook by Jamie Duggan, which read: “What’s gone on with these kids? Worst Christmas ever. Put these guns and knives down. Our communities are at war with each other, over what? An innocent girl has been killed.”
Martine Snowdon, defending, then read Chapman’s reply to jurors: “I don’t do this Facebook s***, but sometimes someone needs to stand up and get the movement moving. Give a f*** what anyone thinks of me posting this, s***s getting out of hand and no one needs this in their life or to happen to their family.
“That’s one thing we all have in common. We all have family, and this could have been anyone’s tragedy. It’s not that deep, it’s not unstoppable.
“Some real petty s*** going on out here. Let’s see who wants to stand up and be a man and make not just your own life but everyone’s around you a little easier to live every day because enough is enough. No one needs this s*** in their life. No one’s a gangster and no one’s bad.
“It’s just f***ing stupid and pointless and a waste of life. When you’re sat in jail looking at 20 to life, that s*** cuts deep believe me. Share and lets see what happens, because I know deep down no one wants this n it can be squashed if the right people get involved.”
When asked about the post, Matthews said: “I thought it was amazing. I agreed with it. I must have seen the post and I was speaking to him about it. I remember saying to him it was amazing that he’d posted something and it was about time everyone came together.”
The 34-year-old was asked how Chapman had responded, and she added: “He was calm. He said he hopes this makes a difference. He was quite positive about it.”
Dowdall, aged 34 and of Woodchurch, denies one charge of assisting an offender. Matthews, of Noctorum, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of the same offence.
Chambers, aged 43 and of no fixed address, denies two charges of assisting an offender while 50-year-old Owen, of Woodchurch, has pleaded not guilty to one count. The trial, before Mr Justice Morris, continues.
