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The start of the long-awaited trial off the teenager accused of murdering schoolboy Rhys Jones stalled on its first day while the court addressed legal arguments.
Sean Mercer, 18, who denies murder made his appearance at Liverpool Crown Court watched by the parents of 11-year-old Rhys, who was shot dead last year.
Innocent Rhys was killed by a single bullet that hit him in the neck as he stood in the car park of The Fir Tree pub in Croxteth, on 22nd August 2007, following a soccer practice.
Alongside Mercer in the dock in the packed yet hushed Court 3.1 were three adults and three youths who are all charged with assisting an offender.
James Yates, 20, of Dodman Road, Gary John Kayes, 25, of Mallard Close, and Melvin Barry Coy, 25, of Abbeyfield Drive, all in Croxteth. The three youths cannot be named for legal reasons.
Yates is also charged with possession a prohibited firearm, a .355 Smith and Wesson revolver.
Sean Mercer was first arrested in September 2007 but was not charged with murdering Rhys until April 2008 after the longest and most intense murder investigations in the history of Merseyside Police.
Dark-haired Mercer, of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, could not be identified by the media until he attained his 18th birthday on 17th September.
He stood impassively in the dock as he acknowledged his identity and confirmed he understood the charge against him. His co-accused all went through the same process.
Before the proceedings began Mercer's mother Jeanette, 49, had popped her head around the side of the dock and asked "Are you alright?" to which he replied "Yes".
Later Jeanette Mercer faced the court herself and entered a not guilty plea to a charge of perverting the course of justice.
Black-haired Jeanette Mercer is alleged to have given an incorrect statement to the police regarding her knowledge of a bicycle owned by her son.
Mercer, also of Good Shepherd Close, Croxteth, is charged with perverting the course of justice in 7th September 2007 - seventeen days after the murder.
Wearing a white blouse and dark trousers she appeared in the dock with two others, Marie Yates and her husband Francis Yates, of Dodman Close, Croxteth, of who are also accused of perverting the course of justice.
Crown prosecutor Ann Whyte said: "On the 7th September, 2007, Mrs Mercer gave a written statement to the police denying knowledge of a bicycle owned by her son Sean Mercer and she knew the contents of her statement to be not true."
Trial judge Mr Justice Stephen Irwin asked Jeanette Mercer to enter her plea, to which she replied "Not guilty."
Her trial which is set to last approximately four days, has been scheduled for the 16th February, after the main murder trial has come to an end.
Marie Yates, 50, and Francis Yates, 48, were granted a two week adjournment until they are required to enter a plea so their defence can obtain a copy of voice recognition evidence.
It thought the court will not start hearing evidence against Sean Mercer and his seven co-accused will not commence until early next week.
*Outside court Mercer's brother and sister were pictured, at least one of them apparently amused despite the day's events.
