A forensics specialist studied the recovered bike and CCTV of the gunman racing from the murder spot and could not find any “significant differences”, said Mr Flewitt.

The QC added: “Those facts, we suggest, provide compelling evidence that Sean Mercer was the person who shot Rhys Jones.”

The trial - which is expected to last eight weeks - heard that Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, rode to a friend’s house and made the confession minutes after Rhys’s shooting.

A series of calls between the seven accused were allegedly made and Mercer, Melvin Coy, Gary Kays, 25, Boy Q, 17, and James Yates, 20, then drove to Coy’s lock-up in nearby Kirkby.

It is claimed that Mercer was then washed with petrol to remove gun shot residue.

His bike, the court heard, was dumped nearby later that night.

The prosecution claim the killing was part of a gang war between the defendants’ Croxteth Crew and nearby Strand Gang from Norris Green.

It is claimed the bullets were meant for Strand Gang members Kevin Davies, 19, a boy who cannot be named and Wayne Brady, 20, who was talking to his ex-girlfriend when the shots rang out.

There was allegedly “some more personal animosity” between Mercer and Brady that went beyond gang rivalry.

Dressed in a blue striped jumper Brady said he and Mercer, who attended the same school, had been friendly.

He said, “we had a little argument years back,” but could not remember what it was about.

“But we were friendly and he used to come over to the car,” said Brady.

Recalling the shots firing out, he added: “I got off straight away, I just went the opposite way from where it sounded like they were coming from.”

A police interview of the boy Brady and Davies were with was played to the court.

He said: “Me and Kev were just sitting and there was this lad holding his hand out firing shots off.

“Kevin said to me ’Who’s this here?’ then he rode out shooting.

“He stopped on his bike and was looking at us.

“I just stopped and looked over.

“The first bang was about a foot behind me.”

Boy M - the defendant who told police Mercer admitted the killing - faces three counts of assisting an offender but “accepts most of what is alleged against him”.

Mr Flewitt said: “However, it is his case that he is not guilty of the offences with which he is charged because he was, at all times, acting under duress.

“That is, he was not exercising free will but was acting out of fear of Sean Mercer who had demanded his assistance in avoiding detection.”

All the accused deny the charges against them.

The case will continue on Monday.