Jury out in trial of four accused of helping killer

Danielle Dowdall, with a blue scarf covering her face, and Roxanne Matthews, (second from left) outside Liverpool Crown Court

The jury in the trial of four people accused of helping the gunman who murdered Elle Edwards has been sent out to consider its verdicts.

The 26-year-old was killed when Connor Chapman opened fire with a sub-machine gun outside a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve in 2022.

Chapman's uncle, David Chambers, Danielle Dowdall, Roxanne Matthews and Paul Owen are charged with assisting an offender.

Jurors have retired to deliberate after a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

David Chambers is accused of moving a bag of clothes for his nephew Connor Chapman after the shooting of Elle Edwards

Ms Dowdall, 34, of Woodchurch in Wirral, is accused of taking in a bag of Chapman’s clothes after the shooting.

However, she told the court he had given her the bag, containing clothes and Pandora jewellery, before Christmas Eve.

Mr Chambers is accused of collecting the clothes from his nephew’s home on Christmas Day and taking them to Ms Dowdall.

He is also accused of taking co-defendant Ms Matthews, 34, to collect a hire car for Chapman on 9 January 2023.

Paul Owen is accused of lending his car to Chapman

Ms Matthews is accused of harbouring Chapman at her home in Noctorum, Wirral, and booking a holiday lodge in North Wales for him, as well as arranging the hire car for him with Ms Dowdall.

She told the court she believed he had been kicked out by his girlfriend after getting another woman pregnant and wanted to book a holiday to make amends.

The trial heard Paul Owen, 55, is alleged to have lent his car to Chapman on New Year’s Eve, when the killer travelled in convoy to Frodsham, Cheshire, to burn out a black Mercedes he used on the day of the shooting.

Giving evidence, Mr Owen said the drug dealer had told him he would take his car home, as it needed moving from a planned fireworks display.

Ms Dowdall and Mr Owen deny one count of assisting an offender. Mr Chambers denies two counts and Ms Matthews denies three charges.

Chapman was jailed for life with a minimum term of 48 years after a trial in July 2023 for Ms Edward's murder and the attempted murder of two gang rivals.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.