The gangster who supplied the murder weapon which killed Rhys Jones has attempted to return to the area where the late boy ’ s family live , it was claimed today . James Yates , who provided the First World War Smith & Wesson revolver used to kill the 11-year-old child , can not enter the Croxteth Park neighbourhood of Liverpool where the murder took place . But the 27-year-old applied for his exclusion zone to be temporarily lifted so he could visit a relative - meaning he could have been in the area where Rhys ’ s parents Steve and Melanie Jones still live . Gangster : James Yates ( left ) , who provided the First World War Smith & Wesson revolver used to kill Rhys Jones ( right ) , can not enter the Croxteth Park neighbourhood of Liverpool where the murder took place . Mrs Jones , 49 , said it was ‘ awful ’ to learn of his application in a letter last Saturday - the day before Mother ’ s Day , which she described as an ‘ emotional occasion ’ . ‘ I ’ m so upset , ’ she said . ‘ I ’ ve barely got words to describe how angry I am . I had to come home from work as it was so emotional . ‘ How can they be allowed to apply for dropping the exclusion zone ? This is the third time this has happened now . The whole system is a farce. ’ The Probation Service said Yates would be dropped off by his father Francis - who was jailed for more than four years for trying to cover up the murder - and later picked up on an agreed route . However , the Ministry of Justice was said to have revealed yesterday that Yates 's request had been denied . Reacting to this decision , Mrs Jones said : ‘ At last , common sense prevails. ’ But she added the continual and brazen appeals by the gang members to enter their neighbourhood were emotionally draining and unfair . Yates was released last April - leaving just one of the seven-strong gang in prison . Rhys was shot by Sean Mercer , 16 , aided by six others , on his way home from football practice in 2007 . Shooting location : Rhys died on August 22 , 2007 , outside The Fir Tree pub in Croxteth Park . Yates applied for his exclusion zone to be temporarily lifted so he could visit a relative . After Yates walked free it meant only Mercer , who was jailed for life with a minimum of 22 years , was left behind bars after seven people were convicted over their involvement in the horrific crime . Following his release , Mrs Jones called Yates the ‘ most evil of them all ’ . Nathan Quinn , Dean Kelly , Gary Kays , Melvin Coy and a 16-year-old who can not be named have all served sentences . Grief : If Yates had been successful in his bid , he could have been in the area where Rhys ’ s parents Steve and Melanie Jones ( pictured ) still live . Yates was 21 when he was jailed for just seven years for supplying the gun used to kill Rhys and helping Mercer cover his tracks . He and two other members of the Croxteth Crew - Quinn , 18 , and Kelly , 17 - winked , smiled , smirked and cheered in the dock as they were handed sentences blasted as 'disgusting ' by Rhys 's family . The trial judge , Mr Justice Irwin , told Yates : 'There is strong evidence you were an active gang member . I have no doubt you were a willing assistant helping in any way you could . ' Yates ' term was later increased to 12 years by the Lord Chief Justice , who attacked the 'modern pestilence ' of gun crime . But because Yates spent almost a year in prison awaiting trial , that time counted towards his final sentence . That means he spent just over five years behind bars since being found guilty of assisting the schoolboy 's murderer . He was released on licence midway through his sentence , as is commonplace , and will be monitored outside prison for the remainder of the 12 years . Rhys died on August 22 , 2007 , when Mercer , armed with a revolver , cycled to his estate to try to shoot members of the rival Strand Gang . Rhys was struck by his second bullet . The 'wall of silence ' faced by police meant that while Mercer 's name swiftly emerged as the prime suspect in the shooting outside The Fir Tree pub , months of painstaking detective work was required to charge him with murder . The gun itself , a .455 calibre Smith and Wesson revolver with a six-inch barrel , may have been handed down through generations of Liverpool criminals . It was made during the First World War in about 1915 , but remained in good working order . The rifling in the barrel was worn and the bullets fired by Mercer were slightly undersized , causing them to tumble end-over-end . That meant the round which hit Rhys was side-on when it struck him in the back of the neck , splintering vertebrae and destroying his windpipe before exiting through his throat . The Croxeth Crew also had an imitation Walther PPK converted to fire live rounds , a British Army Webley revolver and a Russian 7.62 handgun .
James Yates provided Smith & Wesson revolver used to kill boy in 2007 . Banned from entering Croxteth Park , Liverpool , where murder took place . But he applied for exclusion zone to be temporarily lifted to visit a relative . This is the area where Rhys 's parents Steve and Melanie Jones still live . Mrs Jones said she was 'so upset ' and can not 'describe how angry I am ' But MoJ revealed yesterday request from 27-year-old Yates was denied .