Sister tells of 'Rhys gun' find

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A woman has told a court of the moment she found out her brother was hiding the gun alleged to have been used to murder schoolboy Rhys Jones.

The woman was on holiday in Florida with her family when police raided her mother's home in Croxteth, Liverpool, and found the gun in the loft.

She said her brother, then 16, turned pale and became anxious and upset.

He was later given immunity from prosecution in return for information about alleged killer Sean Mercer.

Mr Mercer, 18, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, denies murder.

The female witness, who cannot be identified, told Liverpool Crown Court how she and her family learned about the police raid in a text message from a relative while visiting the Seaworld tourist attraction.

'Big mistake'

She said her brother, who also cannot be named, became upset and told her police had found two guns and a bundle of ammunition in the house.

She then rang home thinking it was a "big mistake", and spoke to her sister.

She said: "My sister was with the police at the house. I said, 'Is it about Rhys?' and she said yes."

She said she told her brother she "didn't want to know anything, because whatever he told her she would have to tell the police".

She said he was vomiting out of fear, and she told him to tell the truth to the police.Rhys was shot outside The Fir Tree pub in Croxteth

"I took the mobile phones off him and my other brother and said I was sorry, but I had to do it," she said.

"I then called the police in Liverpool and told them I would arrange early flights home."

The boy and his brother were arrested on the apron at Manchester Airport on 6 October last year.

The boy told the court last week that Mercer handed him the revolver about 30 minutes after Rhys was shot dead in the car park of the Fir Tree pub on 22 August last year.

The gun was then hidden in a dog kennel before being placed in the loft where it was found a month later in the police raid.

The prosecution has said Mr Mercer, allegedly a member of the Croxteth Crew gang, cycled to the Fir Tree pub and fired three shots across the car park at alleged members of rival group, the Strand Gang, based in the neighbouring Norris Green estate.

The jury has been told the second bullet struck Rhys as he made his way home from football practice.

James Yates, 20, of Dodman Road; Nathan Quinn, of Wickett Close, both Croxteth; Gary Kays, 25, of Mallard Close and Melvin Coy, 24, of Abbeyfield Drive, both West Derby, Liverpool, are accused of assisting an offender along with Boy M, 16, and Boy K, 17, who cannot be named.

All six deny the charges and the trial continues.