Man whose car was used in Elle Edwards shooting said it was 'biggest nightmare'

Paul Owen said he had no idea his car was going to be used in an assassination, labelling himself an 'angry teddy' when he found out.

A man labelled himself "an angry teddy" after being told his car had been used during a murder. Paul Owen also described the revelation as his "biggest nightmare".

He was giving evidence at his trial following the murder of 26-year-old beautician Elle Edwards, who was gunned down outside a pub on Christmas Eve. In July last year, Connor Chapman was convicted of the 2022 murder - outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey, Wirral - and later jailed for life with a minimum term of 48 years.

Owen, another man, and two women are currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of assisting an offender in connection with the fatal shooting. Owen, David Chambers, Danielle Dowdall and Roxanne Matthews all deny the respective charges against them.

A jury of eight men and four women were today read a transcript of Owen's interviews with Merseyside Police following his arrest. Liverpool Echo reports he had "just sat down to have his tea" at his home on Kiln Road in Woodchurch on January 19 2023, which he labelled a "total shock".

It came after his Mercedes GLC was driven on false number plates alongside the Mercedes A-Class which was used during the fatal shooting to a site in Frodsham, Cheshire, where the latter vehicle was burnt out.

But, when asked if he knew why he had been arrested, Owen told detectives: "The first I knew is when police came through my door last night.

"I've obviously seen on the news about this lad who got arrested for the shooting. That’s as far as I know basically, what I’ve seen on the telly. As far as I know, I don’t even know the lad."

Owen stated that he had arranged to purchase cocaine and cannabis from his supplier, who he maintained he knew only as "Curly", via text messages on the evening of December 31.

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This man, said to have been Chapman, later visited him at the Horse and Jockey pub in Upton. He then asked the drug dealer to drive his car back to his home and post the key through his letterbox as he would be drinking.

Owen said under questioning: "It was just a lad I met in the street that used to drop them off on his bike. I don’t even know his real name to be honest.

"I don’t know his proper name. I just called him Curly, because he had curly hair. I’ve seen him in the street a few times. I was cutting the grass.

"I noticed him going past and he had marijuana on him. I could smell it. I just asked him basically. He was a bit dubious. A lot of people think I look like a policeman for some reason."

When asked to describe the male, Owen replied: "Long, curly hair, brown. I can’t remember if he had a beard. He would have a balaclava and combats on.

"I can’t visualise his face. It was dark. Most of his face was covered up. I could see his hair, that was about it." He was also asked whether he had any knowledge of the shooting at the Lighthouse pub.

He said: "Nothing whatsoever to be honest. The only person that’s worrying me is the person I got my drugs off, Curly. I haven’t seen him in a while, over three weeks.

"I didn’t know his name. That’s the only thing that’s worrying me. There’s been loads of arrests on the estate. He could have been arrested.

"He could have been something to do with it. That could be why I’ve been pulled in. That's my only real link to criminality. I know he’s got a niece who lived in our street.

"I haven’t seen her since either. I didn’t really know the lad. For all I know, he could be up to anything. I gave him my key. I said I was staying in the pub because it was New Year’s Eve.

"I said, can you take my car and drop it off at mine mate. He said yeah, he was sound. It’s just over half a mile, maybe three quarters of a mile.

"He’s done it once before. I think it was at a weekend. I just asked, said to him, can you drop my car off because I’ve had too many pints? I trusted him. That was November time."

Owen stated that he had known Curly for around five to six months and said: "He’s always been dead polite. He just seemed to be a nice sort of person, unfortunately. He was doing me a favour. He was sound.

"I stayed there until they’d done the fireworks. We were all home by one o’clock. When I got home, my car wasn’t there. I messaged him and a couple of hours later he messaged me and said he had to leave it around the corner.

"Loads of roads were blocked off apparently." Owen recalled that he had retrieved his car using the spare key, and that Curly had posted his key through the letterbox "a couple of days after".

He stated that the vehicle had been returned with a "slight scratch" to the front left side and with a set of jump leads inside, adding: "He’d used it more than I authorised. I trusted him from the first time. It’s my own fault.

“I didn’t think he was going to use it to jump start someone. I thought he was just gonna drop it off at home like last time, otherwise I wouldn’t have give it to him. It’s an expensive car."

Owen was then informed of the burnout by officers and asked whether he knew anything about this, replying: "Nothing, honestly, I really couldn’t.

"If I knew that was going to happen, my car would have stayed with me. If my car’s been involved, I’m not impressed in the slightest. I would never have given anyone my keys if I’d known this was going to happen.

"I’m fuming. So that’s why they took my car away. I’m really annoyed at the minute, really annoyed. Not with yous, you’re doing your job. I’m feeling such an idiot.

"That’s what happens when you trust people. I’m absolutely livid with this. I’m actually angry. I trusted this lad to drop my car off. What's going to happen to my car? I've got loads of finance on it. I need it for work. I've just topped up my fob for the tunnel."

When shown CCTV footage of the vehicles travelling in convoy to the burnout site, Owen added: "It's exactly like my car. It's the same model, same make.

"I'm just trying to see in the window if I can see air fresheners in it. That is my make, model and colour and everything. You can clearly see that. My Mrs will throttle him, I'm telling you.

"Is there any way you can trace it through the sat nav? I'm one angry teddy, I'll tell you. This is my biggest nightmare and my family's biggest nightmare."

A detective told Owen at this stage that "there would be no stone left unturned", to which he replied: "Good, good. I’m trying to help. I’m not trying to hinder you, I’m trying to help."

When asked about Chapman, he said: "I don’t know him, never heard of him before. It was on the news. I think this lad had been sent down. One of my daughters WhatsApped me a thing about it.

"She asked me was this Will’s brother. I hadn’t a clue. I didn’t even know Will. I’ve never heard of him, I’ve never heard the name before.

“Curly is the only one that I’d talk to about anything, getting drugs and that. I don’t even know his name, that’s what’s frustrating me. People have gone 'oh that Connor Chapman, he’s been arrested'. I didn’t even know who he was, where he was from or anything.

"Is this him [Curly]? I’m thinking that. I’m absolutely disgusted and devastated if this is the same person. Have you got a picture? I’ve never seen a picture of this person.

"I could tell by his eyes. If you’ve got a picture of him, I’ll know if it’s him or not. I don’t recall seeing any pictures on social media or anything like that.

"I don’t think his picture was on the news. It was disgusting and a bad thing, but it’s not something I dwell on. I just hope they get him."

During a second interview, Owen was asked whether "anything had raised his suspicions about what the car had been used for". He responded: "Not at all.

"I had no reason. He was a nice lad. He was genuine. I borrowed him my car the first time. There was no problems whatsoever. He come up and it was raining and he had food. I offered him my car like an idiot.

"I’ve not heard from him ever since. I’m not thick. I can add two and two. I can see what happened. I was just expecting him to drive it home."

Owen said that his car was his "pride and joy" and added: "I’m fuming about it. I’m really upset. It’s disgusting to be honest. I’m really fuming with it, I am.

"I just want to know what this lad looks like. I’ve got this horrible feeling this Curly is this lad who’s shot this girl. I genuinely don’t know Connor Chapman, unless this Curly is Connor Chapman.

"If Curly has took my car and he knows Connor Chapman. It’s obvious there was two of them. He was just blanking me for ages, but I didn’t put two and two together.

"I didn’t think he was that sort of person. My understanding was I would give him the key, he’s going to take my car back for me. That’s the end of it. I didn’t think he was going to use it. That’s my car, you can tell it’s my car.

"When something’s yours you know it’s yours, don’t you?" Dowdall, aged 34 and of Woodchurch, denies one charge of assisting an offender. Matthews, also 34 and of Noctorum, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of the some offence.

Chambers, aged 43 and of no fixed address, denies two charges of assisting an offender while 50-year-old Owen has pleaded not guilty to one count. The trial, before Mr Justice Morris, continues.

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