CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
Jumping straight in the car, we rushed to Arrowe Park Hospital in Liverpool. The extended family had already gathered there – Gaynor and George, my mum Susan, aunts and uncles.
The girls had been at the Lighthouse Pub in Wallasey Village, Merseyside, and Lucy had left the pub early, with Elle staying on a bit longer.
‘Don’t stay too late,’ Lucy had told her sister. ‘Or you’ll ruin Christmas Day.’
But in the early hours of Christmas morning, Lucy had got a call from mutual friends saying Elle had been shot at the pub – letting the family know, she and Connor had come straight round to mine. It just didn’t make sense. Once I'd arrived, a doctor finally came in to see us at around 4am.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, and my heart dropped. ‘But Elle has passed away.’
Elle was dead...it didn’t make sense.
She was only 26 years old. What sort of monster goes to a pub on Christmas Eve with a gun? I thought, pain ripping through my chest.
I heard the family sobbing, but I just felt numb.
And I felt angry.
The details of Elle’s death were still vague, and at that moment, I didn’t really care – it didn’t seem important.
The only thing that mattered was that Elle was gone. The pain and fury I felt was indescribable.
Elle had been out with her friends, having fun and celebrating Christmas.
And some nasty thug had brutally snuffed her life out in one cruel moment.
Not able to see Elle, as it was a police matter, we left the hospital in a daze, heading back to Gaynor’s house.
Looking at the house all decked out for Christmas, it felt like a nightmare.
The following days were a blur. Police launched a murder investigation, and I dealt with the back and forth.
I didn’t want Gaynor or the kids to have to manage that, I wanted to protect them.
It was a national news story, and suddenly I found myself in front of cameras giving press conferences – it was surreal. We were all struggling, and Lucy found it especially hard – she'd been the last one with Elle, and not only was she her big sister, she was her best friend, too. Identifying Elle’s body was the worst day of my life. For my own sanity, I blocked a lot of that time out. But in January this year, the officer in charge of Elle’s case came round to tell me that someone had been charged. Connor Chapman’s name had come up very quickly after the shooting, and he denied Elle's murder.
But while the police built up evidence to go to trial, we had to lay Elle to rest. And on 26 January, we all said our final goodbyes to our beautiful, special girl. It was a very difficult day, and a lot of it is a blur.
Four white horses pulled a white hearse, surrounded by beautiful flowers.
We made sure she had the best send-off.
The church was chockablock – people had to wait outside, there must have been 500 people gathered there.
It just showed how loved Elle was.
As we drove into the crematorium after the service, a lady at the gates released a single white dove – and flying into the sky, it landed on top of the car we were sat in.
As we got out to walk Elle into the chapel, it took off and settled on top of the entrance, and never moved until we came out.
It’s a sign from Elle, I thought to myself.
It was a tough day, but I was so glad we made it special for our Elle.
But afterwards, as we waited for the case to go to court, I felt empty.
I decided to set off on a walk from Merseyside to Land’s End, to do some fundraising in
We gave our Elle the best send-off
Elle’s memory – anything to fill the void I felt and take my mind off it.
And then the trial started in June this year at Liverpool Crown Court.
The whole family went, every day – it was important to us to make sure we got justice for Elle.
Staring Chapman, 23, right in the eye, he refused to even look at me. He was a complete coward throughout – a nasty, arrogant scumbag.
It wasn’t easy – watching CCTV of Elle on Christmas Eve, laughing and hugging her friends as she enjoyed the night, broke my heart in two.
Just before midnight on 24 December 2022, balaclava-clad Chapman had opened fire on the packed beer garden – blasting a Skorpion sub-machine gun into the horrified crowd.
Elle had nipped out for a cigarette with five other men – two of whom had been Chapman’s intended targets.
The five men were injured, but Elle was shot twice in the head by the gangland thug.
It happened after a series of back-and-forth attacks between rival groups from the Woodchurch and Ford estates, on either side of the M53 in The Wirral.
Elle had just been caught in the crossfire, a completely innocent bystander.
After Elle’s murder, Chapman had gone on the run to Wales – but the thug was arrested in a supermarket two weeks later. Thankfully, the jury found Chapman guilty – and on 7 July, he was jailed for life with a minimum of 48 years.
As well as Elle’s murder, Chapman was also convicted of seven other counts, including firearm charges and attempted murder.
His accomplice Thomas Waring, 20, was convicted of possessing an offensive weapon and assisting an offender, for helping to burn out the stolen Mercedes used during the attack, and jailed for nine years.
Through the whole threeweek trial and the sentencing, Chapman did not show one ounce of regret or remorse.
Thankfully a dangerous, ruthless rat is now off the streets, and no one else will suffer at his hands.
Frankly, I hope he rots in jail and never gets out to see another Christmas.
It’s because of him that our Elle won’t.
The guilty verdict and sentencing gave us a sense of closure and justice for Elle – but nothing will ever take away the pain I feel every second of every day.
I only hope what happened to Elle makes someone think twice about picking up a gun.
Elle was just out with her mates, having a drink on Christmas Eve, doing what any young girl should have been doing, before spending Christmas Day having fun with her family.
But then some scumbag opened fire.
I cannot get my head around that thought process.
Now, I’m setting up a foundation in Elle’s name – she was such a caring person, always going out of her way to help others, and she’d want to leave a positive legacy.
We hope the Elle Edwards Foundation will help families and victims of gun and knife crime – it’ll be guided by Elle. I want her to be remembered for her kindness and warmth, not for the cruel, brutal way she was taken from us.
With the first anniversary coming up, this Christmas is one I won’t be celebrating.
I’ll see the kids, and make a fuss of my grandson, but it will be very low key.
Nothing will ever fill the void Elle has left – but I’ll do everything I can to keep her memory alive.
Watching the CCTV broke my heart
●to donate to Tim’s fundraiser for the Elle Edwards Foundation, visit Gofundme – Elle's army
●fo●●ow on Instagram: @Elle_edwards_foundation