Teenager who shot schoolgirl at bus stop in Liverpool caught out by ankle tag

A gunman was forced to confess to shooting a man and an innocent schoolgirl because he was wearing an ankle tag due to a previous conviction.

Rio Jones was given a suspended sentence and ordered to wear a tag after he was convicted of attacking his former partner with a glass bottle, leaving shards lodged in her shoulder.

But, just one month later the tag placed him at the scene where he shot a 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl on Upper Warwick Street, in Liverpool, on 1 March.

Jones denied he was the gunman until only days before his trial began.

But the strength of this evidence, as well video footage and mobile phone data, left him with no option other than to admit that he was the shooter.

The target of the shooting was also wearing a tag at the time. Both his and Jones' devices showed the exact same movements when the attack occurred.The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

A jury then found Jones guilty of attempted murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

David Temkin KC, prosecuting, told the court: "When the police looked at the tag evidence, it showed that the defendant was at the scene of the shooting.

"The tag around his ankle transmitted signals that were registered at the home monitoring units of other unconnected people in Toxteth who also happened to be subject to a court-imposed curfew."Those people had curfews at addresses that happened to be in the near vicinity of the shooting.

"The records that were generated prove that this defendant was in the relevant part of Upper Warwick Street just at the time that a gunman opened fire."

At his initial trial for attacking his girlfriend Liverpool Crown Court heard there had been a "significant" age difference between the then 18-year-old Jones and his older girlfriend before their relationship ended in "acrimony" in 2021.

At around 5am on 21 November 2021, CCTV on Wood Street in the city centre showed Jones and his girlfriend arguing.

His victim was heard repeatedly screaming "Rio, Rio, no, no" and crying for help.

Jones then picked up a bottle before he aimed "a hefty, hefty blow which struck her on the blade of her right shoulder".

The assault left her with a deep cut with pieces of glass inside and a displaced fracture to her shoulder blade.

Jones then shouted abuse including "why don't you go back to your own country?" at a passing woman. He later admitted wounding and a racially aggravated public order offence.

Jones was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years and told to complete 180 hours of unpaid work as well as being handed a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days and a restraining order.

The judge also imposed a curfew on the teen.

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