Man denies murder of Elle Edwards after Christmas Eve pub shooting

Connor Chapman appeared at Liverpool Crown Court by videolink from HMP Manchester.

Elle Edwards (Family Handout/PA) (PA Media)

A man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Elle Edwards in a shooting at a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve.

Connor Chapman, 23, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court by videolink from HMP Manchester on Thursday.

He replied “not guilty” as the murder charge was put to him.

He also denied eight other offences related to the shooting of Ms Edwards, 26, at the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, on December 24.

Ms Edwards, a beautician, was shot just before midnight on Christmas Eve but is not believed to have been the intended target of the attack, which left four men injured.

Chapman, wearing a grey tracksuit and with shoulder-length hair, spoke only to enter his pleas and to confirm his name during the hearing, which lasted about 35 minutes.

He entered not guilty pleas to the charges of attempted murder of Jake Duffy and Kieran Salkeld and three counts of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm of Harry Loughran, Nicholas Speed and Liam Carr.

He also denied possession of a converted Skorpion submachine gun and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, as well as handling stolen goods – a Mercedes A class vehicle – between December 22 and 26.

Also appearing by videolink at the hearing was Thomas Waring, 20, of Private Drive, Barnston, Wirral.

Waring, being held at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool, entered not guilty pleas to two charges: possession of a Skorpion submachine gun and assisting an offender by helping dispose of the car allegedly used by Chapman after the shooting.

A further pre-trial hearing is to be held on May 15.

Judge Andrew Menary KC, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, remanded both defendants into custody ahead of their trial at Liverpool Crown Court, scheduled to begin on June 12.