Roxanne Matthews is accused of assisting an offender in relation to the murder of Elle Edwards
Masked men reportedly called a mum a “dirty sl*g” and shouted “tell Connor Chapman he’s getting killed in prison” at her in a park following her arrest in connection with the murder of Elle Edwards. 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. A jury of eight men and four women continued to hear evidence from the latter yesterday.
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The 34-year-old is accused of hiring a car and a lodge in Wales for Chapman following the murder, as well as harbouring him inside her home on Ormond Mews in Noctorum. However, Matthews says she did so without any knowledge of his involvement in the shooting.
She previously sobbed in the witness box and blew her nose with a tissue on Tuesday as she described an incident following her arrest, during which she was “held at knifepoint by four lads with balaclavas in the local park”. The mother-of-three recalled being “cornered” as her “children ran for safety” and her assailants “threatened to give her a smiley face” with the weapon and shouted: “Where’s your f***ing Connor now?”
Matthews was asked again about this incident under cross-examination on Wednesday. Katy Appleton, prosecuting, stated that this incident was reported to Merseyside Police shortly after 8pm on April 28 last year, adding: “You said this to the police. Approximately three males, all with balaclavas, said your name.
“You said you were walking through the park when those males rode past you on their pedal bikes. One male shouted ‘Roxanne Matthews you dirty sl*g, tell Connor Chapman he’s getting killed in prison’.”
In reference to the police log of the incident, Ms Appleton continued: “It says this. Matthews believed there was a mention of a knife but did not see anyone with a knife. Roxanne Rooney [Matthews] states that there were threats shouted at her and abuse, but no knife or weapon seen.”
But she replied: “That’s not correct. I did see the knife. My kids were screaming. They threatened to give me a smiley. I was held at knifepoint with my children.”
Ms Appleton put to her that the police had then attempted to call her twice during the course of the evening, but their calls had not been answered. She added: “There was no urgency to speak to the police.”
Matthews said: “I was very shaken up. There was people in the park that could witness if this was the case. The blue lighting took me out of the park.”
When Ms Appleton stated that she “didn’t want to take it any further”, Matthews told the court that she “just wanted it reported”. The prosecution barrister continued to reference police records of the incident, saying: “You believed that this happened as you had been involved in a big case which involves a number of criminals. Mr Chapman hadn’t been convicted, or Thomas Waring, by then.”
Waring previously was found guilty of assisting an offender in relation to the murder. Ms Appleton said: “You knew Connor Chapman was a criminal. Why did you say a case involving a number of criminals?”
Matthews responded: “He’d been arrested for the murder of Elle Edwards. People know I’ve been arrested in this.”
Ms Appleton put to her: “You knew he had killed Elle Edwards, didn’t you?”
Matthews replied: “No, that’s not correct.”
Her counsel Martine Snowdon returned to the incident in the park during re-examination. When asked whether there was “any basis upon which people could have known” about her arrest, she said: “It wasn’t a secret, it wasn’t a hidden thing I’d booked the lodge for Connor.
“It wasn’t hidden that Connor was staying at my house. People had seen him. People put two and two together. They would have known Roxanne’s done that. They’ve heard or she’s told people.”
Ms Snowdon concluded her questioning by asking: “When did you first suspect Connor Chapman might have been guilty of killing Elle Edwards?”
Matthews said: “When he was arrested and it was released in the press.”
Ms Snowdon continued: “When did you first believe he had actually done it?”
Matthews replied: “When he was found guilty on trial.”
The defence barrister then asked: “Did you follow the details of the trial as it was going on?”
Matthews said: “No, I couldn’t watch it.”
She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of assisting an offender. Dowdall, aged 34 and of Woodchurch, denies one charge of assisting an offender.
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.
