THE killer of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones was today considering whether to launch an appeal against his minimum jail term.

Croxteth Crew gang member Sean Mercer, 18, was convicted last month of murdering 11-year-old Rhys in August 2007.

The shaven-headed teen fired three shots across the car park at the Fir Tree pub, on Fir Tree Drive South, Croxteth Park, at rival gang members from Norris Green.

He was unanimously convicted by a jury after an 11-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court and sentenced to life in prison.

Mr Justice Irwin said he must spent at least 22 years behind bars and blasted Mercer and his fellow gang members, who tried to help him cover it up, as “cowards”.

Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, only has a few days left to officially lodge any appeal against the conviction or sentence.

Today his legal team said their client was still weighing up his options.

James Benson, of James Benson Solicitors, has represented Mercer from the day he was arrested, three days after he murdered Rhys.

Mr Benson said: “It’s not yet been decided though it is very much an option.

“There is a timescale for deciding which is 28 days after conviction but I can't say what the timescale is for a decision being made.”

Cheeky little ****

WTF!!!

So its an appeal against his sentence, not the verdict....

Thats bacially admitting the guilt but not wanting to do the time. This is just going to make him even more unpopular.

What a useless waste of air!

This is one of the reasons I want to do Prosecution and not Defence!!

Killers/murderers should not have the prvilage of the right to appeal against anything.If you kill someone unlawfully then you should be made to forfiet eveything in life.

AWWWWWWWW..... the Little Hard man has done the crime, but cant do the Time eh.... Cant put up with being done in every day for the next 22 years eh, is that it ????

And if he does get it reduced, he'll be released, and then move to a completely different area, under a different name, because hes just that "Hard"

Is it him or is the lawyer lining up his pension fund by representing him for the appeal as well?????

Not much money in Criminal unfortunately

SEAN Mercer has launched an appeal against his conviction and sentence for the murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones.

The legal team acting for the Croxteth Crew gang member, 18, lodged papers with the Court of Appeal this week, it was confirmed today.

It had been thought Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, would try to appeal the length of his sentence - set at life with a minimum of 22 years by High Court Judge Mr Justice Irwin last month.

But the papers submitted to the Criminal Appeal Office at the Royal Court of Justice in London say he will be also be contesting both the decision of the seven women and five men who made up the jury and the tariff set down.

The jury listened for 11 weeks before finding Mercer unanimously guilty of murder. They took three-and-a-half days before coming back with their decision.

Mercer killed Everton-mad Rhys, 11, as he walked home from football practice on Wednesday August 22, 2007.

Rhys was less than 200 yards from home when he was hit by a bullet fired across the car park of the Fir Tree pub, Fir Tree Drive South, Croxteth Park.

Mercer fired three shots in total at rival gang members from Norris Green. The second hit Rhys but he still let off the third in an attempt to hit his targets.

Rhys gang members in appeal bid

Two gang members convicted of helping the killer of Rhys Jones cover up the 11-year-old's murder in Liverpool have lodged appeals.

Rhys Jones died when he was shot in the car park of the Fir Tree pub, Croxteth, on 22 August 2007. Sean Mercer, 18, was found guilty of his murder.

Melvin Coy, 25, and Gary Kays, 26, are appealing against their convictions for two charges of assisting an offender.

They were jailed for seven years and Kays is appealing against the sentence.

During the trial Liverpool Crown Court heard Kays, of Mallard Close, and Coy, of Abbeyfield Drive, West Derby, had roles in helping Mercer destroy any evidence linking him to the schoolboy's killing.

Gun residue

The Court of Appeal confirmed the pair had lodged papers making requests to appeal.

Along with five other defendants convicted, they drove Mercer to an industrial site where his clothing, worn during the murder, was burnt and he was washed with petrol to remove any trace of gun residue.

Mercer also enlisted the help of James Yates, 20, Nathan Quinn, 18, Dean Kelly, 17, Melvin Coy, 25, Gary Kays, 26, and Boy M, a 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The gun, used to kill Rhys, was also hidden in the loft of another defendant's house. It was later found by police.

Earlier this week the court confirmed Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, had applied for leave to appeal against his conviction and his 22-year sentence.

Yates, of Dodman Road, Quinn, of Wickett Close, Kelly, of Sword Walk, and Boy M are due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 29 January.

BBC