Rhys Jones’ heartbroken mum Melanie claims cops ‘threatened to arrest her for hugging 11-year-old’s body’ as he lay in morgue after murder that shocked nation
THE grieving mother of murdered Rhys Jones was told by police she could be arrested if she hugged her dead son’s body, the man behind a new ITV crime drama claims.
The innocent 11-year-old was infamously shot and killed outside a pub in Croxteth, Liverpool, in August 2007 in a shocking attack which rocked the nation.
In an interview with the Radio Times, Little Boy Blue producer Jeff Pope claimed in the hours after Rhys’s death his mother Melanie was told she would be arrested if she hugged her son’s body.
The Everton supporter was walking home from football practice when he was caught up in the deadly crossfire of rival gangs The Strand Gang, from Norris Green, and The Croxteth Crew.
The sports-mad youngster was gunned down in broad daylight when a hooded youth cycled by and fired three shots from a handgun.
One struck Rhys in the back and his distraught mother Melanie rushed to the scene when she heard what had happened.
Paramedics tried for over an hour and a half to save Rhys, but he was later pronounced dead at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
The dramatic story of the hunt for his killer - a 16-year-old gang member - is now to be told in the new ITV drama.
Sean Mercer was convicted of murder and sentenced to serve a minimum of 22 years in jail for the needless killing.
Rhys’s death caused a national outcry and more than 2,500 mourners attended his funeral in Liverpool.
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“There’s a scene where Melanie wants to cuddle Rhys in the morgue and she’s told [by a police officer concerned about contamination of evidence], ‘If you keep doing that, I’ll arrest you,’ ” Mr Pope claimed.
“If Melanie tells you about that in a documentary, it’s very powerful. But to actually see her reaction? You can only do that with drama.”
Merseyside police has not commented in connection with the claims.
The powerful four-part drama, from BAFTA winning writer and executive producer Pope (Appropriate Adult, The Widower), centres on the devastating impact on Liverpool following the death.
It explores his parents' ordeal, and tells the story of how Rhys’s murderer and associates were eventually brought to justice.
ITV say both Melanie and Steve Jones supported the making of the drama.
Sinead Keenan (Being Human) and Brian F. O’Byrne (Prime Suspect) play Melanie and Steve Jones.
Mr Pope has specialised in creating television series that are based on real events.
He was the executive producer of the recent BBC two-part dramatisation of the disappearance of Shannon Matthews.
The Moorside, which starred Sheridan Smith, depicted the reaction of the community in West Yorkshire to the eventual revelation that the “kidnapping” of Shannon had been arranged by the child’s mother and another man in an effort to claim reward money.
Mr Pope was also behind Appropriate Adult, about the serial killers Fred and Rose West, and The Widower, which was based on the crimes of the convicted murderer Malcolm Webster.
Little Boy Blue begins on ITV on Monday April 24, with the first of four one-hour episodes starting at 9pm.