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| Rhys sentence labelled 'disgrace' | Rhys sentence labelled 'disgrace' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The parents of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones have reacted angrily to the jail sentence given to a gang member who supplied his killer with the weapon. | The parents of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones have reacted angrily to the jail sentence given to a gang member who supplied his killer with the weapon. |
| Rhys, 11, died in his mother's arms after he was shot in the car park of the Fir Tree pub, Croxteth. Sean Mercer is serving 22 years for his murder. | Rhys, 11, died in his mother's arms after he was shot in the car park of the Fir Tree pub, Croxteth. Sean Mercer is serving 22 years for his murder. |
| At Liverpool Crown Court James Yates was sentenced to seven years for helping Mercer and giving him the gun. | At Liverpool Crown Court James Yates was sentenced to seven years for helping Mercer and giving him the gun. |
| Stephen and Melanie Jones said: "We feel seven years is a disgrace." | Stephen and Melanie Jones said: "We feel seven years is a disgrace." |
| The couple added: "In our minds he (Yates) is the one who provided the gun that killed our son and he deserved a longer sentence." | The couple added: "In our minds he (Yates) is the one who provided the gun that killed our son and he deserved a longer sentence." |
| Three more of Mercer's accomplices, all fellow members of the Croxteth Crew gang, were also sentenced for assisting an offender. They were convicted after a 10-week trial. | Three more of Mercer's accomplices, all fellow members of the Croxteth Crew gang, were also sentenced for assisting an offender. They were convicted after a 10-week trial. |
| It is us who are serving the life sentence, and we face that every day Stephen and Melanie Jones | It is us who are serving the life sentence, and we face that every day Stephen and Melanie Jones |
| Nathan Quinn, 18, was jailed for two years; Dean Kelly, 17, received a four-year sentence and Boy M, aged 16, handed a two-year supervision order and a four-month curfew from 1900 GMT to 0700 GMT. All are from Croxteth. | |
| Two other gang members, Melvin Coy, 25, and Gary Kays, 26, both from West Derby, were also convicted of assisting an offender and previously sentenced to seven years. | Two other gang members, Melvin Coy, 25, and Gary Kays, 26, both from West Derby, were also convicted of assisting an offender and previously sentenced to seven years. |
| James Hughes, 22, of Croxteth, was jailed for six months for lying to police about Boy M's whereabouts when Rhys was killed. | James Hughes, 22, of Croxteth, was jailed for six months for lying to police about Boy M's whereabouts when Rhys was killed. |
| Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, shot Rhys dead as he returned home from football practice on 22 August 2007. | Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, shot Rhys dead as he returned home from football practice on 22 August 2007. |
| The convicted gang members then helped destroy Mercer's clothing, dump the murder weapon and provide a false alibi for him. | The convicted gang members then helped destroy Mercer's clothing, dump the murder weapon and provide a false alibi for him. |
| Speaking after the hearing, the Joneses said: "We hope the other sentences handed out today, and before Christmas, do send a clear message to all those involved in gangs and with guns that they will be found out, tracked down, convicted and heavily sentenced. | Speaking after the hearing, the Joneses said: "We hope the other sentences handed out today, and before Christmas, do send a clear message to all those involved in gangs and with guns that they will be found out, tracked down, convicted and heavily sentenced. |
| "Despite this these sentences can in no way compensate for the loss of our loving son who had the world and his future at his feet. | "Despite this these sentences can in no way compensate for the loss of our loving son who had the world and his future at his feet. |
| "Since the conviction and sentencing of Sean Mercer before Christmas we have slowly returned to some sort of normal day to day life - but our lives will never ever be the same without Rhys. | "Since the conviction and sentencing of Sean Mercer before Christmas we have slowly returned to some sort of normal day to day life - but our lives will never ever be the same without Rhys. |
| "It is us who are serving the life sentence, and we face that every day." | "It is us who are serving the life sentence, and we face that every day." |
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| Rhys killer's gang jailed | Rhys killer's gang jailed |