The mother of Rhys Jones's killer has admitted lying to police during the schoolboy's murder investigation.


Mrs Mercer admitted lying to police, the court heard


Janette Mercer, 49, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at Liverpool Crown Court.

Her son, Sean Mercer, 18, was jailed for life in December for the 11-year-old's murder.

Mrs Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, had previously denied lying about what happened to her son's mountain bike after Rhys was shot dead.

Mrs Mercer was bailed until 1 April at the short hearing, however the judge warned her she faced jail.

Judge Henry Globe said: "She is completely guilty of a serious offence.

"I cannot envisage passing anything other than an immediate custodial sentence."

Mrs Mercer had formally denied the charge when she appeared at court the day before her son went on trial for Rhys' murder last year.

Mercer shot the schoolboy in the car park of the Fir Tree pub, Croxteth, Liverpool before fleeing on his bike.

Rhys died in the arms of his his mother, Melanie, on 22 August 2007.

Merseyside Police gathered evidence against Mercer and six fellow gang members who helped him dispose of his clothing, bike and the murder weapon.

Three others including the parents of James Yates, one of Mercer' accomplices, were charged alongside Mrs Mercer.

Francis and Marie Yates, of Croxteth, are also accused of perverting the course of justice and will stand trial in April.

Their son, James Yates, 20, of Dodman Road, Croxteth was convicted of supplying Mercer with the gun used to kill Rhys.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison.

the bbc

THE mother of Rhys Jones’s killer today faces being thrown out of her home after admitting lying to the police.

Janette Mercer appeared at Liverpool crown court yesterday to plead guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

She was warned she was likely to spend a long spell behind bars.

In a double blow to the 49-year-old mother-of-three, the rest of her family is now facing eviction from their Croxteth home.

Mercer tried to cover up a crucial piece of evidence by lying to police in a statement when they asked her about bicycles her son Sean, 18, owned or had access to.

Sean Mercer was astride a silver mountain bike when he shot Rhys.

But his mother told police he did not own such a bike, saying he had only a black, orange and white one.

After entering her plea in a voice barely audible to the courtroom, Mercer wiped away tears as Judge Henry Globe QC told her she was likely to go to prison when she is sentenced in April.

The Recorder of Liverpool said: “I cannot, at the moment, envisage passing anything other than an immediate custodial sentence. It may be a lengthy one.”

Riverside Housing has now set the wheels in motion to throw Mercer and her children Joseph and Danielle out of their home in Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth.

A date has been set for the end of the month at Liverpool county court, when the trust will apply for an eviction order.

They will base their application on Sean Mercer’s conviction for the murder of 11-year-old Rhys.

THE ECHO