JURORS have now heard the cases for all seven defendants in the Rhys Jones trial.

Over the last week, barristers representing all the defendants have given their closing speeches, urging the panel to acquit their clients.

The final four speeches were made at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday.

Next week Mr Justice Irwin will sum up the case before the jury retires to start its deliberations.

Laura Brickman began the day by telling jurors there was no evidence her client Nathan Quinn gave any assistance to alleged killer Sean Mercer.

She told the court even if the 18-year-old had visited Boy M’s house, where prosecutors claim Mercer fled in the wake of the Croxteth Park shooting, he was still not guilty of the charges against him.

Ms Brickman claimed the plan for one-time suspect turned prosecution witness Boy C to collect the alleged murder weapon from Mercer was a “done deal” by the time Quinn arrived.

She added: “Knowledge and presence to a crime is not enough to find a conviction here.”

Jurors also heard from Gary Kays’ barrister Peter Woodall, who insisted the prosecution’s case had a “fundamental problem”.

He claimed his client was being condemned by probe evidence taken from bugs secretly planted at the homes of Yates and Boy M, but which produced nothing more than a “web of lies”.

He said: “The probe is the evidence of substance which defines this prosecution.

“There is no other significant evidence which defines what Gary Kays did.

He said “not a single scrap of evidence” linked Kays to the Croxteth Crew gang.

“If he was not a member of this gang, why would he become involved in this monstrous conduct?” Mr Woodall challenged.

Many of Mr Woodall’s arguments were supported by Melvin Coy’s barrister Brian Hargreaves.

He highlighted how the prosecution linked his client with the cover-up operation by claiming his car was spotted outside Boy M’s house, yet descriptions given by Boy M’s mother and grandmother failed to accurately describe his dark green Ford Galaxy.

He also paid tribute to his client for taking the witness stand, questioning why other defendants had failed to fight their corner.

Mr Hargreaves said: “What does common sense tell you? What do you think you would do in such a situation? Would you want to protest your innocence or would you stay silent?”

During an impassioned speech, Mr Hargreaves repeatedly turned to the defendants who were laughing and sniggering, at one point telling them to “shut up”.

In the final speech, Paul Lewis told jurors the offences alleged against his client, named only as Boy K, were based on the evidence of a “liar”.

Mr Lewis said the 17-year-old was charged simply on the account given by the prosecution’s star witness Boy C.

But he slammed the teenager’s evidence, saying he repeatedly changed his account in interview as flaws were highlighted by officers.

He also highlighted how officers discovered photographs of guns on Boy C’s computer and how internet conversation claimed he minded guns for the Croxteth Crew in the past.

But, Mr Lewis said, there was no evidence to suggest Boy K was a member of the gang.

He said: “The lame and the retired were called to arms, but [Boy K] sat at home with his phone, was never called.”

The case continues.