The father of Elle Edwards, who was tragically shot dead on Christmas Eve in 2022, has criticized the early release of Thomas Waring, one of her killer’s accomplices, calling the decision a “mockery” of justice. Waring, 20, was convicted of assisting an offender and possession of a firearm after helping gunman Connor Chapman dispose of evidence following the fatal shooting.
Elle Edwards, 26, was an innocent bystander when Chapman, 23, opened fire outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, on 24 December 2022, as part of a gang-related feud. Two stray bullets struck her, leading to her death. Chapman was sentenced to life in prison for murder and attempted murder.
Waring, who was sentenced to nine years in prison, was initially due to be released in 2027. However, due to overcrowding in UK prisons, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) brought forward his release date to October 2026, and he could be eligible for early release as soon as April 2026 under the Home Detention Curfew scheme, subject to a risk assessment.
In a letter from the MOJ, Tim Edwards, Elle’s father, was informed of the decision, which he called “fundamentally wrong.” He expressed his anger at Waring’s early release, stating that Waring was “right at the core” of his daughter’s murder, having assisted Chapman in hiding the car and firearm used in the killing.
“He was doing his best to make sure that the killer got away with it,” Tim Edwards said, adding that the decision undermines the efforts he has made to raise awareness of gang culture and the consequences of such violence. “It makes a laughing stock of the justice system.”
Waring’s early release was made possible by a government emergency scheme designed to alleviate overcrowding in prisons, which the MOJ described as “at crisis point.” The government has defended the decision, but Tim Edwards has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, requesting a meeting to discuss his concerns.
“This is just like a kick in the teeth,” Edwards said, as the second anniversary of his daughter’s death approaches. “We’re constantly fighting against a system that doesn’t seem to care.”
Meanwhile, Chapman remains in prison, serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 48 years for the murder of Elle Edwards and the attempted murder of two other men who were the intended targets of the shooting.