The father of murdered beautician Elle Edwards “felt sick” after finding out her killer’s co-defendant is being released early as part of a government scheme.
Ms Edwards, 26, was shot dead outside a pub in Wallasey, Merseyside, on Christmas Eve in 2022 after being innocently caught in the middle of a gang feud.
Connor Chapman, 23, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 48 years after being found guilty of her murder.
Thomas Waring, 21, was imprisoned for nine years for possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender.
Connor Chapman, 23. Pic: Merseyside police
Thomas Waring, 21. Pic: Merseyside Police
Last week, Ms Edwards’s father Tim got a letter from the Ministry of Justice to say Waring would be released early as part of a scheme to free up prison spaces.
It said he could be freed as early as April 2026 – 15 months earlier than planned.
“It makes me sick to think he’s being rewarded for his crimes, by being released early,” Mr Edwards told the UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee.
“It pains me to think that this is the case, not just in our case but in other cases that are happening regularly.”
Mr Edwards said he thought the government had “lost sight of the human aspect in this decision” in an effort “to crunch numbers”.
He added: “This is a decision very much about the human consequences – we’re not making spaces for extra cars in a car park, this is about people’s lives, victims of crime.
“To be sort of disregarded, how you feel going through that as a victim or family member of a victim, it’s very impersonal.
“It needs to be looked at on a case by case [basis].”
He told Sky News the prime minister had written to him and said he’d asked the justice…
