This is the moment that Connor Chapman and his accomplice torched the Mercedes used in the murder of Elle Edwards.
The popular beautician was shot dead aged 26 outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey, Wirral, on Christmas Eve last year. Chapman, of Houghton Road in Woodchurch, was this week found guilty of her murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 48 years.
Locked up alongside him was Thomas Waring, who took custody of the Skorpion submachine gun used to shoot Elle and five others shortly before midnight on December 24. The killer drove directly to his home on Private Drive in Barnston in the immediate aftermath in a stolen Mercedes A Class.
READ MORE: Connor Chapman's cowardice was shown in his final insult to Elle Edwards' family
A week later on New Year's Eve, the two friends and "criminal associates" drove in convoy to a rural area of Frodsham, Cheshire, and set the car on fire. Liverpool Crown Court heard during a three-and-a-half week trial that a dog walker came across the destroyed vehicle the following afternoon near to Hover Force - an activity centre with off-road karting, hovercraft, axe throwing, archery and a shooting range.
Virgina Kerr was walking with her dogs on Grassy Lane shortly after 1pm on January 1 when she made the discovery. A statement from her was read out to the jury and described how she noticed the Merc "burned right down to the metal" before it was recovered by police.
Merseyside Police have now released CCTV showing the burnout, captured at a nearby industrial unit. The footage shows a bright light gradually growing in the distance in the top right of the image as the fire begins to rage.
Chapman was unanimously convicted of Elle's murder after three hours and 48 minutes of deliberations by jurors, as well as the attempted murder of Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, wounding with intent against Liam Carr and Harry Loughran, assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Nicholas Speed and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. The 23-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods in relation to the Mercedes.
Waring was found guilty of assisting an offender and possession of a prohibited weapon. The 20-year-old, who had also admitted failing to comply with a disclosure notice after refusing to provide police with the password to his mobile phone, was imprisoned for nine years.
