An innocent schoolgirl was shot in the neck after a gunman fired six bullets at a man he had been chasing on an electric bike.
The 15-year-old was waiting with a friend at a bus stop on Upper Warwick Street in Toxteth when she was hit by one of the gunshots discharged by Rio Jones. The bullet then travelled through her body and out of her chest, causing her "very serious injuries".
Meanwhile, the "target" was struck by another of the shots - which passed through his arm. Nineteen-year-old Jones, of Jermyn Street in Toxteth, today went on trial accused of attempting to murder both casualties.
READ MORE: First picture of gun found stashed in Nike bag next to gravestones
Liverpool Crown Court heard during the prosecution's opening this afternoon, Wednesday, that he was chasing the male through the streets - with both riding electric bikes - shortly after 5pm on March 1 this year when he fired six shots at him "at extremely close proximity". One bullet struck the other rider, with the other hitting the girl - who "happened to be waiting at a bus stop just behind the target".
David Temkin KC, prosecuting, told the court: "The issue is about the defendant’s intention, what Rio Jones intended when he fired the gun. The prosecution say that, when he fired the gun, his intention was to kill.
"Rio Jones accepts that he was the gunman. Rio Jones’ case, we understand, is that when he fired the gun he did not intend to kill - nor did he intend to cause grievous bodily harm.
"Rio Jones’ case, we understand, is that when he fired the gun he simply intended to cause fear. The prosecution of course say that when Rio Jones fired that gun - not once, not twice, not three times, but six times - at very close proximity at another man he had been chasing, his intention can only have been to kill."
A jury of six men and six women were played CCTV footage which was captured at a bungalow in the vicinity of the scene and showed three men riding past on bikes - namely the man being pursued by Jones and another man, the latter of which turned off into a side street before the shooting and "played no part". They were also shown a dashcam video taken from a vehicle being used by a workman, who at the time happened to be replacing the advertisement poster at the bus stop opposite the one where the injured girl was sat.
This clip showed showed the defendant "stretch his right arm out" and fire six times "directly at" the 20-year-old he was chasing - who cannot be named for legal reasons. He was seen ducking in order to avoid being hit by the shots.
These recordings helped police to identify Jones, who had been wearing "distinctive clothing" including a dark jacket with a horizontal stripe at the back and dark trousers with a white line down the outer side of each leg. Detectives also pieced together cell siting evidence and the movements of an electronically-monitored tag he had been wearing on his left ankle, having been ordered to serve a curfew by a court.
The teenage victim and her 14-year-old friend had been waiting for a bus at the time of the incident. She was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital after one of the bullets entered at the right-hand side of the back of her neck and exited via the chest area.
The youngster suffered lung damage and shattered vertebrae in her spine, undergoing 10 days of treatment before being discharged. Meanwhile, the other casualty continued riding for a short distance before knocking on the door of a nearby house.
The occupant then drove him to the Royal Liverpool Hospital. The man was shot in the right arm, requiring surgery after a bullet fractured a bone in his wrist.
He "did not want to assist the police with their enquiries", the court heard. Crime scene investigators subsequently found six casings in the road, with bullet holes being discovered in the plastic sheeting of the bus stop and the hood of the girl's coat.
In the aftermath, Jones disposed of the gun, his bike and the clothes he had been wearing during the shooting. None of these items have since been recovered.
The teen was arrested at his home on March 3, with a search of the property revealing body armour in his bedroom - as well as stickers for an electric bike. He had "dropped" his mobile phone on the day of the shooting, replacing it with a new handset and number thereafter.
Mr Temkin, who was assisted by Stephen McNally, said that "even then, he was trying to cover his tracks and planning to mislead the police". Jones - who wore a white shirt and a black tie while flanked by three security officers in the dock and sporting short black hair - gave no comment when interviewed by officers at Wavertree Road Police Station on March 4.
Jones - who is represented by Stanley Reiz KC and Michael Bagley - denies two counts of attempted murder and two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. The trial, before the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC, continues and is expected to last around three weeks.
READ NEXT: Bar worker drove for six miles down motorway with no wheel after drunken crash
Thug threatened to 'burn girlfriend's face with a barbeque' on camping trip
Man sexually abused boy and filmed his wife having sex with their pet dog
Speeding driver left student for dead 'as if she was nothing'
Man offered a place to stay was sexually assaulted as he slept
