Rhys Jones’s killer Sean Mercer ‘is moved to “Monster Mansion” prison’ housing ‘worst of the worst’

Eleven-year-old Rhys Jones’s killer Sean Mercer ‘is moved to ‘Monster Mansion’ prison – whose inmates include child murderers and rapists – as police probe suspected smuggling ring’

  • Schoolboy Rhys Jones’ killer has been transferred to ‘Monster Mansion’ jail
  • Sean Mercer, 32, is allegedly being probed over a contraband smuggling ring
  • He’s reportedly been transferred out of his jail as the investigation is underway
  • Mercer shot at rival gang members when 11-year-old Rhys was fatally hit in 2007 

The killer of schoolboy Rhys Jones has reportedly been discretely transferred to the ‘Monster Mansion’ jail, which houses some of Britain’s worst criminals, as police probe his links to a suspected contraband smuggling ring.

Sean Mercer, now 32, was sentenced to life behind bars with a non-parole period of 22 years after shooting dead 11-year-old Rhys in 2007 during a gangland shootout.

He’s previously boasted of his comfortable life behind bars in letters to pen pals, but sources say his new home at HMP Wakefield, West Yorks, will be far less pleasant.

‘Wakefield isn’t a nice place to be — it holds some of the worst of the worst. It’ll be a real shock to ­Mercer’s system,’ a source told The Sun.

Black cab rapist John Worboys, neo-Nazi Jack Renshaw and Roy Whiting, who murdered Sarah Payne, are among some of the prisoners at the jail.

Sean Mercer, now 32, was sentenced to life behind bars with a non-parole period of 22 years after shooting dead 11-year-old Rhys in 2007 during a gangland shootout

The prison earned the nickname ‘Monster Mansion’ because it is notorious for housing the worst criminals – primarily child murderers and sex offenders. 

Each of the cells are single-occupancy with kitchens available for offenders to prepare their own meals. 

The publication reports Mercer was told to gather his belongings during a covert operation after police foiled an alleged plot to smuggle phones and contraband into his prison, HMP Gartree.

A routine search of Mercer’s cell allegedly exposed the plot, and a prison officer was arrested after police found 12 phones, sim cards and tobacco at his home.

It’s understood police are investigating whether Mercer paid thousands of pounds in bribes to have the contraband brought into his prison. 

Mercer opened up about his comfortable life behind bars in 2017 in a series of letters to a pen pal.

Mercer shot dead little Rhys in August 2007 as the boy was walking home from football practice across a pub car park at the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth

Mercer shot dead little Rhys in August 2007 as the boy was walking home from football practice across a pub car park at the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth

In one letter, he stated: ‘I look mad different now. I train every day in the gym so I’m in pretty good shape.

‘I’ve grown up a bit really, that picture they blast everywhere was when I was 16, I looked proper young on that. I was only small then, I’m over six foot now.

‘I’m doing an open university degree at the moment so I’m studying a lot of the time so the TV is usually switched off.’ 

Of his passion for cooking, he said: ‘You can buy and cook your own food in the wing, I’m in the kitchen every night cooking, I consider myself quite a good cook now which is a good thing.’

Mercer shot dead little Rhys in August 2007 as the boy was walking home from football practice across a pub car park at the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth.

He fired three shots from a revolver at gang rivals, with the second bullet ricocheting off a car and hitting Rhys. 

The prison earned the nickname 'Monster Mansion' because it is notorious for housing the worst criminals - primarily child murderers and sex offenders

The prison earned the nickname ‘Monster Mansion’ because it is notorious for housing the worst criminals – primarily child murderers and sex offenders

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