At one stage during the trial, Rhys's mother, Melanie Jones, left the court in tears as the prosecution began to describe her son's last moments. The jury was shown a CCTV clip of Rhys crossing the car park of the Fir Tree pub and reacting to the sound of a bullet striking a container nearby.
He turned to look at the container before being hit by another bullet. The year-old fell to the ground where he later died in his mother's arms. The prosecutor, Neil Flewitt, QC, told the jury that Rhys had ended up "walking into the line of fire" on his way home from football practice on August The gunman fired three shots across the car park, one of which hit Rhys, killing him. The gunman was Mercer, from Croxteth, Liverpool , said Flewitt. According to Home Office pathologist, Dr Paul Johnson, Rhys was shot in the back, slightly above the left shoulder blade and the bullet exited from the front right side of his neck.
When paramedics arrived, Rhys was already in cardiac arrest and was rushed to Alder Hey children's hospital but all attempts to resuscitate Rhys failed. Immediately after killing Rhys, Mercer "set about distancing himself from the tragic events at the pub.
Several key figures from both sides have either been jailed or killed, but for almost a decade the Croxteth Crew and Strand Gang caused misery within the hard-working communities on the frontline of a sometimes deadly rivalry. Jump directly to the content. Sign in. All Football. I saw Rhys lying there and his eyes were open,' he says. But DCI Kelly's first job was to go to the hospital to see the parents. As the investigation progressed, it became apparent to the police that Rhys pictured had been caught in the crossfire of a local gang war, pointing to Mercer as the primary suspect in the shooting.
Breaking down as he describes what that moment was like, he says: 'An year-old boy. He was due to go to senior school in September; she [Mel Jones] got his uniform and stuff ready for him. And he was just taken out. Just ripped apart. And it was for me and the team to try and give them some answers and to bring the people who were responsible to justice. I just wanted to do my job so that Mel and Steve could get some justice.
But although the killer couldn't be identified from the CCTV, one name was constantly being mentioned to officers: year-old local troublemaker Sean Mercer. As the investigation progressed, it became apparent to the police that Rhys had been caught in the crossfire of a local gang war, pointing to Mercer as the primary suspect in the shooting.
But four months on from the murder, while DCI Kelly and his team patiently gathered evidence, Mercer arrogantly strolled about Liverpool, believing that he was in the clear. Now, what that does for him is that makes him feel invincible, that gives him even greater status in the gang.
Having pieced the investigation together, crucially linking the murder weapon and ammunition to Mercer, DCI Kelly was able to arrest and charge Mercer. After eight months gathering evidence, the investigation team finally had enough to charge Mercer with Rhys Jones' murder, as well as 16 other people in connection with the shooting. Pictured, the weapon that killed Rhys Jones.
It was another eight months until Mercer and his colleagues were put on trial at Liverpool Crown Court. With the world watching, Mercer and the gang's behaviour in the dock was deplorable, according to DCI Kelly. In the end, Mercer's arrogance would be his undoing. Log In Register now My account. By Alex Finnis Reporter. May 27, pm Updated pm. Your guide to what to watch next - no spoilers, we promise Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing!
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