Two men and two women helped culrpit in Christmas Eve pub shooting and tried to 'impede his apprehension', trial told

Two men and two women helped the man who shot dead an innocent beautician outside a pub on Christmas Eve by hiring a car, booking accommodation for him, and disposing of his clothes, a jury has been told.

David Chambers, 43, Danielle Dowdall, 34, Paul Owen, 55, and Roxanne Rooney, also known as Roxanne Matthews, 34, have gone on trial accused of assisting an offender following the murder of 26-year-old Elle Edwards on Merseyside on December 24, 2022. They deny the charges.

Connor Chapman, who fired at a group of people outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey, was convicted of her murder in July last year following a trial and was later jailed for life with a minimum of 48 years.

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The intended targets of the shooting were Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld who were hit with bullets from a Skorpion sub-machine gun along with four others, one of whom was "innocent bystander" Elle. She had gone outside for a cigarette and was killed, prosecutors said.

The trial of four suspects accused of assisting Chapman has now got underway at Liverpool Crown Court, the Liverpool Echo reports. Opening the case for the prosecution, Katy Appleton said following the murder, Paul Owen "lent Connor Chapman his motor vehicle, a grey Mercedes GLC, so that he could dispose of the murder car, the stolen Mercedes A Class." The A-class was found burn-out in Frodsham, she said.

Roxanne Matthews is accused of "harbouring" Chapman at her home after the shooting. On January 9, 2023, Chapman travelled to Wales in a hire car and stayed at the Sycamore Spa.

"Both were booked by the defendant Roxanne Matthews," Ms Appleton said. The following day Connor Chapman was arrested at Tesco Superstore in Newtown in Wales.

"Prior to Connor Chapman’s arrest, the prosecution say that Danielle Dowdall, Roxanne Matthews, David Chambers and Paul Owen assisted Connor Chapman in evading arrest, intending to impede his apprehension or prosecution," she said.

“The prosecution says that Danielle Dowdall took possession of the bag of clothing worn by Connor Chapman during the murder. On the afternoon of Christmas Day, David Chambers, who is Connor Chapman’s uncle, collected the bag of clothing from Connor Chapman and took them to Danielle Dowdall."

Chambers also drove Roxanne Matthews to collect the hire car, the VW T-Cross from SIXT Car Rental in his BMW X5 she added.

The trial was told that on the day of the murder footage from the front of Chapman’s house shows he left on foot that morning at 10.24. Connor Chapman, Thomas Waring, William Chapman, Connor’s brother, Lewis Chapman, also Connor’s brother, and David Chambers, Connor’s uncle, who had driven them there, were seen "walking towards the Arndale Centre in Manchester City Centre" she said. They are said to have returned to the Wirrall in the same vehicle before the shooting.

On Christmas Day Matthews is said to have searched for information about the shooting. On New Year's Eve, as Chapman travelled to burn out the murder car, Owen contacted him and said "be careful, bacon everywhere" the court heard. "The prosecution says Paul Owen was warning about police presence" Ms Appleton said.

On January 13, Merseyside Police released the news that Connor Chapman had been charged with the murder of Elle Edwards. That morning, Danielle Dowdall's mother sent a screenshot of the press release, and Dowdall responded saying: "“I know I’m minding his f***ing clothes" the court was told.

Matthews, of Noctorum, denies three counts of assisting an offender. Chambers, of no fixed address, denies two counts, Whilst Owen and Dowdall, both of Woodchurch, deny single charges. The trial continues.

Proceeding