Four get 86 years for Liam Smith's murder

Sep 28 2007 John Fahey and Sarah Chapman, Liverpool Daily Post

THREE men and a youth were jailed yesterday for a total of 86 years for the murder of Liverpool teenager Liam Smith, whose gang it is thought may be linked to the investigation into the killing of 11-year-old Rhys Jones.

The 19-year-old, known to his gang mates as Smigger, was blasted in the head in a suspected revenge hit as he left Altcourse Prison, in Faza- kerley, on August 23 last year.

The teenager was a leader of the Strand Gang – also known as the Nozzer Dogs – who are involved in a bloody feud with rivals, the Croxteth Crew, for territory in Norris Green and Croxteth.

Smith’s murder was one of many tit-for-tat shootings between the gangs.

Yesterday at Liverpool Crown Court four members of the Croxteth Crew were sentenced for the killing of Liam Smith.

Ryan Lloyd, 20, of Silverwell Road, Croxteth, who ordered the killing within an hour of spotting Smith visiting an inmate in prison, was jailed for life with a minimum 28 year term.

An accomplice Thomas Forshaw, 18, of Middle Way, Croxteth, whom Lloyd called from his cell with a contraband phone, was also jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years.

A 16-year-old youth, with an IQ of 71, was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 18 years.

The fourth, drug dealer Liam Duffy, 26, of Polperro Close, Croxteth, was jailed for 20 years for manslaughter. He will serve 10 years.

The 10-week trial, estimated to cost £5m, heard that after Smith's murder a series of cars used by the gangsters to reach the prison were burned.

Their pay-as-you-go mobile phones were destroyed and Lloyd destroyed his own phone in prison.

The suspects all gave no- comment interviews and the judge described the gang members’ actions as “chilling”.

Yesterday the court heard from Merseyside Police Superintendent Andrew Ward who said the gangs were threatening the resurgence of Liverpool as a city.

In a statement he said gang- sters, who routinely wear body armour for fear of attacks, had caused schools in their patch to receive fewer applications from pupils.

He said Cobalt Housing, the housing association in Croxteth and Norris Green, for the first time in four years had more vacant properties than tenants.

And he added the warfare has led to residents abandon- ing previously good neighbourhoods.

He said: “The actions of these two criminal gangs has proved to be a very real threat to the reputation of Mersey- side Police and, more import- antly, severely impacting on members of the community.”

Sentencing Liam Smith’s four killers, the judge told them he found the evidence of gang activity “truly chilling” as youths as young as 15 were obsessed by guns and able to obtain the weapons, ammunition and use them.

Mr Justice Saunders said: “Liam Smith was himself a member of a criminal gang. He was a willing participant in this war, but no-one had the right to kill him.

“His funeral may have glamorised the gang behav- iour he was involved in and may have attracted others to join in. There is nothing glamorous about being a member of this sort of gang.

“Anyone who becomes a member is likely to end up either dead or serving a long prison sentence. This is not a glamorous life for anybody.”

As he was led away to the cells, Duffy looked over at Liam Smith’s family and made a gun gesture with his hand.

Merseyside Police have refused to rule out the theory that the war between the Croxteth Crew and the Strand Gang escalated five weeks ago, when innocent 11-year- old Rhys Jones was hit by a bullet, which it is believed may have been intended for a gang member.

Chief Superintendent Ward confirmed a senior investigating officer was examining the possibility that Rhys was in the wrong place at the wrong time as a gangster made an attempt on a rival’s life.

My devastation as his life support was switched off

LIAM SMITH’S mother last night described the devastating moment she had to agree her son’s life support machine should be turned off.

Donna Smith issued an emotional statement following the sentencing of his killers yesterday, calling for a stop to all gun crime in Merseyside.

“The last year has been a living nightmare for me and my family. Liam’s loss has left a massive hole that will never be filled,” she said.

“I remember the night Liam was shot as if it was yesterday, from the minute one of his mates knocked on the door to tell me he’d been shot.

“I ran straight out of the house, still in my slippers, and when I got to the hospital there were loads of people and armed police officers.

“It didn’t seem real and a short while later I had to make a decision that no mother should have to make and agreed that the life support machine should be switched off. Liam was only 19 years of age, the youngest of my five children.

“After the life support machine was switched off I needed some time to myself and I remember sitting on my own outside the morgue, completely numb.

“I don’t want any other mother to feel like that and I want those who use them to get rid of their guns.

“All I’ve got left of Liam is a plaque and his ashes, not a lot to show for a son who at one time showed potential on a football pitch, played for Liverpool Boys and hoped to follow in the footsteps of Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen.”