Four defendants are on trial at Liverpool Crown Court after allegedly assisting killer Connor Chapman
The trial of four men and women accused of assisting an offender following the murder of Elle Edwards opened this week with the prosecution outlining its case. Ms Edwards, a 26-year-old beautician, died after Connor Chapman opened fire with a Skorpion sub-machine gun outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey on Christmas Eve 2022.
She is meanwhile alleged to have “harboured Connor Chapman in her house” between December 24 2022 and January 14 2023. Chambers is alleged to have “collected, possessed or arranged for Danielle Dowdall to take possession of clothes worn by Connor Chapman during the murder of Elle Edwards for the purpose of concealment or disposal” between December 24 2022 and January 14 2023.
Ms Appleton alleges later that day Dowdall spoke again with her mum. The court heard between them they decided to steal jewellery which was inside the bag of clothing that, the prosecution said, was bought by Chapman in Pandora in the Arndale Centre earlier on Christmas Eve. The court heard Matthews was alleged to have harboured Chapman at her home in Noctorum, which had a converted loft room that jurors were shown a photo of. On January 2 2023, the day after police had spoken to Chapman and urged him to hand himself in, phone records show he messaged Matthews to ask where tissue and wipes were, the court heard.
During her police interview, Matthews admitted she knew Chapman was a gang member but thought he was “nice”, Ms Appleton said. The court heard Chapman had also asked her to book the lodge because he didn’t have a card, while the car, which she was driven by Chambers to Speke to collect, had been ordered for her own use.
Wednesday, October 9 During Wednesday's proceedings the jury began to hear a timeline of phone contact from Ms Appleton and investigating officer Detective Sergeant Peter Cietak. The timeline was phone calls and text messages between Chapman, the four defendants and each other. DS Cietak told the court “this is the first contact between the two as far as our information allows”. However, the court heard the available billing data only started from December 1 2022.
“You get several hundred separate URLs. When you click on them it takes you to an image so every time you turn there will be separate frames as the mouse moves along and that frame is a unique URL. He responded: "It was a bit weird, I said this to the original copper when they came, you have a sixth sense but I had no grounds to say anything" and later added: "We have to judge character when you’re checking rentals out and something didn’t feel right but I didn’t have the grounds to refuse because the documents were in line. You have to proceed because it's not my car, I’m just working for the business.
A statement read to the court from prosecution witness Isabelle Titley - receptionist at Penllwyn Lodges - said she was approached by officers on January 11 2023 and asked about bookings. She recalled that when she left the office at 5pm on January 9 a guest under the name Roxanne Matthews hadn’t arrived but the next day a map had been taken and a request for the high chair, prosecco and rose petals made.
The court was then read two conversations between Dowdall and her mum Michelle. On January 13 at 12.22am Merseyside Police released a press release update that said they had charged Connor Chapman with the murder of Elle Edwards. Ms Appleton said between 7.56am and 9.25am there is a WhatsApp conversation between Danielle Dowdall and her mum.
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