Elle Edwards: man charged with Christmas Eve murder of 26-year-old

Police investigating the shooting of Elle Edwards in Wallasey on Christmas Eve have charged Connor Chapman, 22, with her murder.

Chapman, of Houghton Road, Woodchurch, has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder and three counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, and handling stolen goods, namely a Mercedes A-Class.

He has been remanded in custody and will appear later on Friday at Wirral adult remand court.

A 23-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail pending further inquiries, Merseyside police said.

Edwards, a 26-year-old beautician, was fatally shot at the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, shortly before midnight on 24 December.

Witnesses described how a gunman fired shots into the front entrance of the pub and fled in a dark vehicle.

She was not believed to have been the target of the attack, in which four men were also hurt. A 28-year-old man from nearby Beechwood was treated for serious injuries, while those sustained by the other men – aged 22, 24 and 33 – were not life-threatening.

The incident was the fourth shooting death in Merseyside in 2022 and the third where police believe the person killed was not the intended target.