A man accused of murdering Elle Edwards outside a Merseyside pub has told a jury that his past behaviour was 'not the best', but insisted he has changed. Connor Chapman, 23, denies killing the 26-year-old beautician with a Skorpion sub-machine gun outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village on Christmas Eve.
Giving evidence at Liverpool Crown Court, Chapman admitted previous convictions for burglary, possession of a knife, drug dealing, aggravated vehicle-taking, and breaches of an anti-social behaviour order. Defence barrister Mark Rhind KC described Chapman's characterisation of his record as 'perhaps an understated way of describing that record'.
The father-of-two said his behaviour had changed by the end of 2022 after spending the previous four Christmases in custody. 'I had my daughter while I was in custody. It had a big effect on me so I wanted to change the way I was living,' he said. However, he later returned to selling cocaine, earning about £400 a week, after a job 'didn't work out'.
Chapman admitted participating in a burglary in November, which the prosecution alleges was linked to the murder. He denied that the subsequent shooting of Curtis Byrne, who was also involved in the burglary, was connected. He also described an assault on Sam Searson on 23 December as 'quite amusing', saying he was not friends with the victim.
Chapman denied being part of an organised crime group, saying there is no gang on the Woodchurch estate, only 'people who hang round'. He admitted driving a stolen Mercedes used by the gunman but said it was a 'pool car' used by others. He denies murder, attempted murder, wounding, and firearms charges. Co-defendant Thomas Waring, 20, denies possessing a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender.
