Four individuals acquitted of charges related to assisting Elle Edwards’ murderer

Two men and two women, who had been accused of aiding the gunman responsible for Elle Edwards’ murder, were acquitted of charges of assisting an offender. On Christmas Eve 2022, Connor Chapman discharged a sub-machine gun outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral. This incident, part of a gang dispute, resulted in the death of Ms. Edwards, 26, an innocent bystander, and injuries to five men. Following a four-week trial, a jury at Liverpool Crown Court exonerated Roxanne Matthews, Danielle Dowdall, David Chambers, and Paul Owen from allegations of aiding Chapman in evading arrest and concealing evidence. After six hours and 20 minutes of deliberations, Ms. Dowdall and Ms. Matthews were observed weeping and embracing in the dock as the jury delivered its decisions. Ms. Dowdall, 34, faced accusations of receiving Chapman’s clothing, contained within a Santa-themed bag, following the shooting incident. Nevertheless, she testified in court that the drug dealer had provided her with the bag, which also held jewelry, prior to the shooting. She stated to the court: “I know they were no part of that girl’s poor loss of life.” Mr. Chambers, 43, Chapman’s uncle, was accused of retrieving the clothing from his nephew’s residence on Christmas Day and transporting them to Ms. Dowdall. He informed the court that his visit to Chapman’s home was to gather additional chairs for the family’s Christmas dinner. Furthermore, he denied involvement in orchestrating the gunman’s “escape route” by transporting co-defendant Ms. Matthews, 34, to pick up a rental car she had reserved for Chapman. Ms. Matthews, 34, faced allegations of sheltering Chapman at her Noctorum residence. The mother of three children testified that she permitted him to stay after his girlfriend expelled him due to her friend being pregnant with his child. She explained that she assisted Chapman in booking a holiday lodge in North Wales, where his arrest occurred on January 10, stating her intention was to help him “make amends” with his partner. The jury was informed that Mr. Owen, 55, had loaned his car to Chapman on New Year’s Eve 2022. Chapman subsequently used this vehicle to travel to a secluded location in Cheshire and set fire to a Mercedes car that had been involved in the shooting. Mr. Owen stated to the court that he was a client of Chapman’s and recognized him solely by the name Curly. He claimed to have believed Chapman was driving the car back to his home so he could relocate it, preventing interference with a scheduled fireworks display at the Horse and Jockey pub in Upton, where Mr. Owen was spending the evening. Chapman was found guilty in July 2023 of Ms. Edwards’ murder and the attempted murder of his intended victims, rival gang members Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy. He received a life sentence, with a mandatory minimum imprisonment period of 48 years. For additional content, listeners can access BBC Radio Merseyside via Sounds, and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story suggestions may also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. This content is copyrighted by the BBC in 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s policy on external links is available.