David Chambers is accused of assisting an offender in relation to the murder of Elle Edwards
Connor Chapman’s uncle has been accused of “orchestrating” a plan for his nephew to flee the country following the murder of Elle Edwards and wanting the killer to “evade arrest at any cost”. 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, Roxanne Matthews and Paul Owen all deny the respective charges against them. The former continued giving evidence to a jury of eight men and four women for a second day on Thursday.
READ MORE: Elle Edwards latest: Four men and women stand trial accused of assisting offenderREAD MORE: Everything heard in court during second week of Elle Edwards trial
The 43-year-old, the brother of Chapman’s mum Lisa Chambers, is accused of dropping off a Berghaus fleece and a pair of Nike trainers worn by the gunman during the shooting at Dowdall’s home on Big Meadow Road in Woodchurch on Christmas Day. He is also alleged to have arranged for Matthews to hire a Volkswagen T-Cross to be used by the killer when he travelled to Wales before his arrest.
Katy Appleton, prosecuting, asked him during her cross-examination: “You told the jury yesterday that, as far as you were concerned, Connor Chapman was involved in what you described as petty crime. What would you describe as petty? What crimes did you know that he had committed?”
Chambers replied: “From what I know, just petty stuff like getting an ASBO and a gang order. That’s it. That’s what I know.”
Ms Appleton put to him that he was “aware of the gang feud” between rival groups based on the Woodchurch and Beechwood estates, which is said to have formed the background for the shooting, and he responded “I think everybody was”. But when it was suggested he had knowledge that an assault upon Sam Searson on December 23 “formed the motive for his nephew to go to the Lighthouse Inn and shoot at Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy”, the intended targets of the attack, he said: “That’s lies.”
The dad-of-two agreed that he knew Chapman had been subject to a “gang injunction” and had served time in prison previously. However, when Ms Appleton asked whether he was aware that his relative was a drug dealer, Chambers replied: “No. I was aware when it come out in court.”
He was then questioned whether he was “aware he [Chapman] was part of the Woodchurch gang”, and responded: “I was aware he was from the Woodchurch. He’s got friends on the Woodchurch. I don’t believe there is a gang.”
Chambers was quizzed over phone contact between himself and Thomas Waring, who was previous convicted of assisting an offender in relation to the murder, while the latter was travelling to a caravan park in Rhyl with Chapman later on December 23. He said this related to a shopping trip to Manchester planned for the following day and refuted suggestions that they were “discussing collecting a Skorpion submachine gun” and that the gunman-to-be was “planning his revenge”.
The defendant was also asked about further communications with Waring during the evening of December 24, which he said concerned a mix-up over clothing purchased from JD Sports during their earlier visit to the Arndale Centre. Chambers told the court: “He took my son’s Christmas clothes and left his bag in my car.
“I need my son’s clothes or he’s got no clothes for Christmas Day. I want to make sure they go there. They’re pretty important.”
Ms Appleton stated that Chapman then left his home on Houghton Road “to shoot at Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy” less than 10 minutes later. Chambers replied: “That’s what he’s been found guilty of.”
When asked “is that not what you believe?”, he added: “That’s what he’s been found guilty of. It doesn’t matter what I believe.”
Of four further phone calls exchanged with Waring while Chapman “lay in wait” at the scene, Chambers said: “They’re all about my child’s Christmas clothes and making sure he gets those clothes, because he needs them for the morning. I just know that whole sequence of clothes is making sure he’s getting his Christmas clothes.
“I can’t remember the exact phone calls. I can recall what the sequence was about. I wanted to make sure he had the clothes there for Christmas Day. Any parent would do. Clearly the clothes haven’t been dropped off. I wanted to know where the clothes were. He may be ringing me to say he’s on his way and then he’s done that.”
Ms Appleton put to him: “I am going to suggest to you that your contact with Thomas Waring shows how close you were with Thomas Waring and Connor Chapman as to what was happening that night. Doesn’t it?”
Chambers replied “no”. He was then asked about an eight minute and 59 second call with Chapman on the evening of New Year’s Day, four hours after Merseyside Police had executed a search warrant at the killer’s grandparents’ home and spoken to him over the phone.
Jurors heard that this “would have just been general chit chat”. But Ms Appleton said of this: “You’re not discussing Connor Chapman’s escape route, realising he couldn’t escape on the ferry and a plan needed to be made quickly?”
Chambers responded “definitely not”. When it was put to him that “he was trying to get Connor Chapman out of England”, he added: “You’ve asked me that a few times. I’ve told you, no.”
The court was previously told that he then drove Matthews to Sixt car rental in Speke as she collected the vehicle which Chapman later used to drive to Wales in on January 9. Ms Appleton asked him: “Did you drive her to make sure that it all went smoothly, ensuring Connor Chapman got away? Ensuring that the job went right, that she didn’t make any mistakes? It was for your nephew’s escape, after all.
Chambers replied “no, not at all”. The prosecutor went on to say: “We know that the trainers and fleece worn by Connor Chapman when he committed the murder have never been recovered. What did you do with them Mr Chapman? Where are they now?”
He responded: “Absolutely nothing. How would I possibly know that?
Ms Appleton concluded her questioning by saying: “You knew full well that your nephew had murdered Elle Edwards on Christmas Eve, well before he was arrested. You wanted to assist him in evading arrest at any cost.”
Chambers replied “absolutely not”. Ms Appleton then continued: “You were the orchestrator in removing the clothing worn by Connor Chapman and arranging for the hire of the car to take him out of England.”
He said “I took her to get it, but I didn’t book it”. Ms Appleton finally asked: “You were the one to drop that bag of clothing off at Danielle Dowdall’s and wanted it back as soon as he’d been arrested.”
Chambers told the court “abolutely not”. In re-examination, his counsel Mr Travers referenced his client’s phone contact with Waring on December 23 and said: “It was put to you that you were being made aware that they were going to collect a Skorpion submachine gun.”
He replied “that’s just an absolute lie”. The defence counsel continued: “It was suggested that you had some prior knowledge of a plan to kill or murder. What do you have to say about that?”
Chambers said: “Absolutely not. It’s just daft.”
Mr Travers added: “On Christmas Eve, while Mr Chapman is at the Lighthouse Inn, it is being suggested that you had contact with Mr Waring. It is being that this was some sort of revenge attack.”
Chambers responded “I have absolutely no knowledge of that”. Mr Travers then said: “It has been suggested that Mr Chapman was fleeing England. This was a trip to Wales. All the money that Mr Chapman had with him was £180.
“Looking at what you can now see, Mr Chapman with his partner and their child in a lodge with a hot tub in Wales with £180. What do you think Mr Chapman was doing?”
Chambers said “I couldn’t even comment on that”. Mr Travers continued: “If it is being suggested that he was seeking to leave the jurisdiction, to flee the country, what do you think he was doing?”
He responded: “He’s got £180 with him.”
Dowdall, aged 34, denies one charge of assisting an offender. Matthews, also 34 and of Noctorum, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of the same offence.
Chambers, 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.
