CRIMINAL

STEPHEN Jones has accused the Parole Board of ignoring his fears over releasing the thug who provided the gun for son Rhys’s murder.

And the 54-year-old is certain gangster James Yates will still be a danger to the public, despite the official view he is no longer a threat.

Stephen is furious he and wife Melanie, 52, were not asked their opinion before the decision to free the criminal early was made.

The supermarket worker said: “He’s not supposed to be a danger to the public any more? It’s just a joke.

“We’ve not been told anything around the circumstances, as to the reasons why, we were just given a date. We were not asked to give a statement. I’d like to know how the parole board made their decision, nobody approached us and said: ‘What are your views?’

“Obviously, our views would be different to what was in front of them. Who sits on the Parole Board, what are their qualifications? Obviously they are not in touch with the victims. We would have liked to have been asked.”

Yates, 30, gave Sean Mercer, then 16, the gun that he shot 11-year-old Rhys with as the youngster walked back from football training. Stephen added: “He has been released because 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.

“When they were sentenced, you think they aren’t going to be out until whenever, but the reality is they will be out and they will be enjoying themselves. The fact is, they don’t learn, they just go on to do something else.

“When people only serve half their sentence it’s pretty galling, I’m a great believer that life means life.

“Mercer should serve his entire

KILLER Mercer and weapon used to kill his young victim in 2007