Rhys accused questioned witness

Schoolboy Rhys Jones was shot outside the Fir Tree pub

The alleged killer of Rhys Jones was surprised that a witness given immunity from prosecution did not "hand him in", another witness has told a court.

The protected witness has already given evidence at Liverpool Crown Court against Sean Mercer, 18, from Croxteth, Liverpool, who denies murder.

On Friday, another boy told the court the defendant had asked him if the protected witness had spoken to police.

Rhys, 11, was shot in the car park of the Fir Tree pub on 22 August 2007.

'Handed in'

The witness - who cannot be named - said the conversation with Mr Mercer took place outside a local school in Croxteth.

It is alleged the conversation took place weeks after police found the gun, thought to have killed Rhys, at the home of the protected witness.

He said Mr Mercer had spoken to him in a "matey way" and asked him how the witness was.

"He just asked how he was and if he had told the police anything about himself, about Sean," he told the court.

"He asked me if the witness had handed him in and I said I didn't know. He said he thought he would have handed him in by now.

"He was surprised the witness hadn't opened his mouth."

Prison worker

Speaking from behind a screen, the witness said he later saw Mr Mercer again outside the school.

Mr Mercer is alleged to have shouted to him: "Don't get me nicked."

Later the court heard from a worker at the prison where James Yates, 20, who is one of six people accused of assisting an offender, was held after his arrest.

The man, who cannot be named, said Mr Yates claimed he was "heartbroken" by Rhys's death.

The prison employee said Mr Yates, of Dodman Road, Croxteth, regretted his actions but it got harder to come forward as time proceeded and he feared reprisals against his family.

The man said Mr Yates claimed it was his idea to wash Mr Mercer with petrol to remove gunshot residue but he did not know at the time that Rhys had been shot.

The man said: "He maintained he had no idea Rhys had been shot, it was only when he went home and saw the television coverage he realised the true enormity of what happened."

The trial continues on Monday.