Man charged with murder of Elle Edwards in Liverpool on Christmas Eve
Senior District Crown Prosecutor Clare Tripcony, Head of CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Merseyside Police to charge Connor William Chapman, 22, with nine offences relating to a shooting at the Lighthouse Public House on 24 December 2022.
“He is charged with the murder of Elle Edwards, 26, and the attempted murder of two other individuals. He is also charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on three further individuals.
“Other charges include being in Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life, Possession of Ammunition with Intent to Endanger Life and Handling Stolen Goods, in relation to a vehicle.
“Mr Chapman, of the Wirral, is due to appear before Wirral Adult Remand Court on 13 January 2023.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Connor William Chapman are active and that he has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Notes to editors
- The decision to charge has been made in accordance with The Code for Crown Prosecutors.
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for the criminal court to consider.
- The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
- This assessment is based on the evidence available arising out of the police investigation and not on the evidence that is likely to be gathered by the defence, and likely to be used to test the prosecution evidence. The CPS charging decision is therefore necessarily an assessment on the basis of the evidence that is available to the CPS at the time the decision is made.
- CPS prosecutors must also keep every case under review, so that they take account of any change in circumstances that occurs as the case develops, including what becomes known of the defence case. If appropriate, the CPS may change the charges or stop a case.
- No further information is available at this stage.