Rhys Jones’ father brands the justice system a ‘joke’

The father of Rhys Jones last night branded the justice system a joke after an ‘evil’ gang member jailed in connection with his 11-year-old son’s murder was freed on parole.

James Yates, 30, who supplied the gun used to shoot the schoolboy, walked free yesterday after convincing officials he is no longer a threat to society.

But last night Stephen Jones, 54, told the Daily Mail he didn’t believe Yates – who has a string of drugs convictions and has also been quizzed by police over another gang killing – could ever be rehabilitated. 

He said he and his wife, Melanie, 52, were ‘disappointed’ they had not been consulted over the decision to release him. 

Stephen Jones (pictured left with wife Melanie, 52), 54, the father of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones, slammed the justice system following gang member James Yates’ (right) release

Rhys was killed as he walked home from football practice in Croxteth, Liverpool, in August 2007. He was caught in the cross-fire when Croxteth Crew gang member Mercer fired at rivals in a turf war

‘[Yates is] not supposed to be a danger to the public any more – the system’s a joke,’ Mr Jones said. ‘Someone thinks he is not a threat to society, but he will reoffend, he will be back inside. 

‘He is a career criminal, he is unemployable and there is not a great deal else he can do.’ He added: ‘We try to move on as much as we can, but we can’t … Rhys does not come back, but they can go on and live their lives. They have never given it a second thought, there is no remorse.’

Yates was jailed for seven years in 2008 after being convicted of assisting Rhys’s killer Sean Mercer, then 16, and supplying him with the murder weapon. The sentence was later increased to 12 years by the Court of Appeal, meaning he should have been in jail until 2020.

However, he was released in 2014, before being recalled to prison two years later when he was arrested by police investigating drug deals in Scotland. Although the case collapsed because witnesses were too scared to give evidence, Yates remained inside for breaching the terms of his licence.

Stephen said he and his wife, Melanie, 52, were ‘disappointed’ they had not been consulted over the decision to release him. Mr Jones said: ‘[Yates is] not supposed to be a danger to the public any more – the system’s a joke – he will reoffend, he will be back inside’

James Yates (right), 30, who supplied the gun used to shoot the schoolboy, walked free yesterday after convincing officials he is no longer a threat to society. He supplied the gun that was used to kill the schoolboy in in 2007

Mr Jones said criminals like Yates should serve their full sentences, instead of being routinely released halfway through. ‘When people only serve half their sentence it’s pretty galling,’ he said. ‘If you get 50 years, you should serve 50 years.

‘I’d like to know how the parole board made their decision, nobody approached us and said: “What are your views?” … We would have liked to have been asked.’ 

Mrs Jones has previously said Yates is equally culpable as Mercer for her son’s death, saying: ‘He may not have pulled the trigger, but he was minding the gun. For us, Yates is the most evil of them all.’

Rhys was killed as he walked home from football practice in Croxteth, Liverpool, in August 2007. He was caught in the cross-fire when Croxteth Crew gang member Mercer fired at rivals in a turf war. 

During his trial, Yates displayed no respect for Rhys’s family and was even heard to hiss: ‘All this fuss over a kid.’