Elle Edwards: 'My daughter's murderer can rot in hell'

It was the aboriginal hours of Christmas Day erstwhile Tim Edwards awoke to beryllium told the worst quality a genitor tin ever hear.

His 26-year-old girl Elle, retired having a fewer festive drinks with friends astatine a pub, had been changeable dead.

It conscionable did not marque consciousness - Tim and Elle had spoken lone a fewer hours earlier, talking astir gathering to wrapper presents.

Innocent bystander Elle was changeable doubly successful the caput erstwhile Connor Chapman opened occurrence with a sub-machine gun, targeting 2 men who were lasting adjacent her arsenic she smoked a cigaret extracurricular the Lighthouse pub successful Wallasey Village.

The onslaught was the culmination of a convulsive feud betwixt rival gangs connected the Woodchurch and Beechwood estates, connected either broadside of the M53 successful Wirral.

Tim, who regularly spoke to BBC Breakfast during Chapman's proceedings astatine Liverpool Crown Court, refuses to usage the sanction of the antheral who murdered his daughter.

"That happening that pulled the trigger," helium said. "I anticipation helium rots successful hell. Even that's excessively bully for him."

Tim said helium simply could not fathom wherefore immoderate quality being could person done what Chapman did.

"I can't statesman to recognize however someone's caput says 'we'll get successful a car and we'll thrust to a pub afloat of people, with a instrumentality gun, and I'm going to unfastened it up and occurrence it into that pub'.

"Where does that thought travel from? Who has that thought?

"Oh, and they deliberation they are getting distant with it. This is not Grand Theft Auto. This is not a video game. This is existent life."

In tribunal watching the trial, Tim had a metallic locket astir his neck, containing a fastener of his daughter's hair.

Time and clip again, jurors were played CCTV footage of the shooting.

Every clip it played and a twelve shots could beryllium heard ringing out, Tim said helium fixed his eyes connected the accused.

"I look for a reaction, and helium hasn't fixed 1 yet - not 1 inkling of remorse oregon regret oregon anything."

He said helium ever stared "right astatine him, and helium knows that I'm staring astatine him".

Tim besides spoke with immense warmth astir his daughter, who worked arsenic a beautician.

"How tin I enactment crossed however she was to radical who didn't cognize her? Great, beautiful, kind, giving.

"Always looking retired for people, particularly her family. Bubbly. Always had a laugh.

"She acceptable her ain goals and was achieving them. And she did it with a grin connected her face."

When guiltless bystanders are killed it is often said they were successful the incorrect spot astatine the incorrect time.

Tim sees it precise differently.

"She was in the close place," helium said. "She should person been retired enjoying herself connected Christmas Eve with her friends, waiting for the time to travel to walk it with her family.

"The idiosyncratic that pulled that trigger was successful the incorrect place."

By mode of contrast, Tim reserved peculiar praise for Merseyside Police aft proceeding galore officers volunteered to sacrifice their Christmas plans to assistance with the investigation.

"They were turning officers distant from the constabulary station," helium said. "They each turned up wanting to bash something. They physically couldn't acceptable them each in.

"They felt the request to springiness up their Christmas Day. To crook up and bash what they can. Just shows you the modular they have, which I'll beryllium everlastingly grateful for."

Despite his gratitude, connected a idiosyncratic level Tim admitted being "ready to explode" with choler astatine times during the trial.

"The kids and household are looking astatine maine and if I spell they'll go," helium said.

"It tears you isolated - arsenic a household it volition bash its champion to destruct you.

"He has taken the halfway of our household - ripped it out. We'll ne'er person Elle backmost but... she's ever present successful our hearts.

"If anything, he's besides strengthened our household unit, he's brought america thing that is hard to enactment into words.

"He's made the glue that was determination earlier with Elle stronger. That glue volition ne'er break.

"We'll transportation connected unneurotic for her."

You tin ticker a afloat interrogation with Tim Edwards connected BBC Breakfast oregon drawback up aboriginal connected the BBC iPlayer