Jury gasps at footage of Rhys Jones shooting

A gasp was heard from the jury box as CCTV footage of the shooting of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones was played at a murder trial.

Seconds before the three-second clip was shown, the schoolboy's mother, Melanie (aged 42) fled the court in tears as the prosecution began to outline her son's final moments.

The CCTV clip showed Rhys crossing the car park of the Fir Tree public house, in Croxteth, and become distracted by the sound of a bullet striking a container nearby.

The court watched as the CCTV footage showed Rhys turn to look in the direction of the container and as he did so he was struck by what the prosecution say was the second bullet fired by the gunman.

The images showed Rhys (aged 11) fall to the ground where he later died in his mother's arms.

Mrs Jones had sat through the opening of the trial alongside her husband, Stephen (aged 45). She heard prosecutor Neil Flewitt QC describe how her son had died when he strayed into a feud between rival gangs.

He was hit by a bullet fired by teenager Sean Mercer and died a few hundred yards from his home, it was alleged.

Mercer (aged 18), who denies the 11-year-old's murder, immediately tried to cover his tracks and was helped by six fellow gang members, including three other teenagers, the court heard.

The prosecution alleges that Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, was helped to avoid justice by six other members of his gang.

James Yates (aged 20), Melvin Coy (aged 25), and Gary Kays (aged 25), as well as two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year old boy, who are too young to be named, all deny assisting an offender.