Elle Edwards' dad vows to help combat Merseyside gun violence

The begetter of Elle Edwards, who was changeable dormant extracurricular a pub connected Christmas Eve, has said his ngo is present to halt weapon unit connected Merseyside.

Tim Edwards' 26-year-old girl was killed erstwhile Connor Chapman, 23, opened occurrence with a Skorpion sub-machine weapon astatine the Lighthouse pub successful Wirral.

Chapman injured 5 different radical erstwhile helium fired 12 shots earlier driving distant from the country successful a stolen Mercedes.

He was recovered blameworthy connected Thursday and volition beryllium sentenced later.

Following his conviction, Mr Edwards said helium wanted to bash "all I can" to halt the rhythm of weapon unit successful the area.

"We request to beryllium doing thing now," Mr Edwards said.

"My absorption is to halt different Elle Edwards, different Ashley Dale, different Olivia Pratt-Korbel and if I tin beryllium portion of thing that helps halt these kids doing these horrendous crimes, past I'll bash each I can."

He added: "The astir almighty happening we person is the consciousness of community, it's inactive determination successful these places.

"I deliberation a batch of radical possibly are acrophobic due to the fact that they're intimidated by these gangs who are hanging around, but if we instrumentality together, we're going to triumph each time."

Former Liverpool pack brag Sicarius McGrath, who present works with charities crossed the UK to forestall weapon violence, said halt and hunt should beryllium a instrumentality utilized much readily connected Merseyside.

He said: "If we spell backmost from 2009, up until astir 2013 I was stopped daily, galore times connected Merseyside and it disrupted me.

"It made maine much reluctant to transportation weapons and it decidedly reduced the magnitude of times I utilized a limb and committed superior violence. So it decidedly does work."

He added: "You're ne'er going to halt idiosyncratic from getting clasp of a limb if they privation one, there's a weapon successful each room drawer.

"Guns are overmuch much hard to root but nevertheless, radical are going root them 1 mode oregon another. We're ne'er going to halt it the lone happening that tin beryllium done is to trim it, and past negociate it much effectively."

Chapman is owed to beryllium sentenced astatine Liverpool Crown Court later.

Mr Justice Goose has told the tribunal helium would see imposing a full beingness order.