The dad of a talented skateboarded who was shot dead in his home has spoken out about the night of his son's murder.
Michael Rainsford, 20, known by his friends and family as Mikey, was shot in the back by a gunman who hid in the shadows of his victim’s back garden on April 7, 2020. Almost three years on from his murder, Mikey's dad - Michael Snr - has spoken to the ECHO about what happened the night his son died.
He said: "It was just a normal night watching the tele. Michael came in and asked me to take him to his girlfriend's which he often did. I say often, it was most nights he would be going to stay there and then come back.
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He continued: "It was late but there was no way I was going to let him go on his own. So, I said just hurry up and he went into the kitchen to get some biscuits and drinks to have a little picnic in her bedroom when he got there and a couple of minutes had passed so I went into the kitchen to ask him 'what's going on? It's late and I'm waiting to go to bed' but as I walked into the kitchen I never got to finish that sentence.
"Two bullets came in through the window. It went from being sleepy, tired and ready for bed to being in a World War-like situation. A gun was outside, firing at us, we couldn't see anything. There was these bullets, the noise, the roar, the shock and the millions of tiny slithers of glass flying across the room.
"Michael ran past me after the first bullet. I was in the doorway of the kitchen and he was shot in the back with the first bullet and the person who fired the shot was stood outside the window. As Michael spun around, the second bullet had hit him in the chest but the person who fired the shots had to recalibrate his aim because the second bullet came through another pane of glass."
The shooting came less than an hour after bricks had been hurled at the Seaforth home of gangland thug James Foy and his brother Michael Foy while their mum was alone inside on the night of April 7, 2020. The brothers then travelled across south Sefton in a hunt for revenge, with James Foy firing two shots through the window of the Rainsford's kitchen.
Michael Snr continued: "That bullet could've probably hit me had Michael not run in front of me. We thought everybody was okay for a moment. We got into the hallway and we were terrified, absolutely shaking with fear not knowing what the hell was going on.
"We huddled at the bottom of the stairs where there were no windows because we didn't know whether this was the start of it or the finish of it or if anything else was going to happen. Me and Michael had hold of each other so tightly then I felt his grip loosen and he let go of me. He said 'dad', that was the last thing he said to me, and he just slumped."
Michael Snr has opened up about his son's death ahead of the release of Social Media Murders, an ITVX documentary exploring how social media played a part in the murders of people across the country. Snapchat played a key part in the unravelling of the murderer's identity.
A Snapchat video featuring an electric bike similar to the one the Foy brothers owned - and with a key fob from the shop that had originally sold their vehicle - was streamed from an account linked to James. The image included the words: “Tell ye mar duck don’t use bricks". Two "flash" symbols accompanied the words. It was sent minutes before the two bullets smashed through the kitchen window of Mikey's Harrington Road home in Litherland.
Michael told the ECHO how he tried to save Mikey's life at the bottom of the stairs but watched his face drain of colour. He said: "Joshua (Mikey's younger brother) was amazing. He was 16 at the time and has ADHD. He was in the back of the room following me into the kitchen when it happened.
"He ran upstairs straight away and made the phone call to the police, the 999 call, then came rushing back downstairs at the same time me and Michael were huddled at the bottom of the stairs. As Michael slumped, Joshua came down with the phone in his hand.
"All hell broke loose because I realised Michael was becoming unconscious and he wasn't responding and I was just screaming at the top of my voice 'please get here as quick as you can' over and over again. They had to doctor the 999 call played on the documentary because you don't hear my voice but I was screaming at the top of my voice for somebody to hurry up.
He continues: "We were following their instructions and I'm trying to give him chest compression while Michael making a lot of noise. As I was giving him the heart compressions I could see his face drain and his eyes roll. That's when he died in front of me and within seconds armed response arrived.
"We didn't know at the time but the whole street was filled with ambulances, police, armed response, I think a helicopter was up at one point as well and we were just trying to save Michael's life. We were put into the living room by an armed officer but you only have to think to a couple of minutes earlier and we were sat watching tele, getting ready for bed.
"Now, my son has died in our hall. I couldn't understand his questions or answer his questions. We were there for about an hour and he asked if we wanted to hear about any updates from the hospital because sometimes bullets can go straight through people without hitting any major organs so I was clinging onto that hope with my hands together praying. Within a few minutes, he said 'I'm sorry, he's dead'.
"Then detectives arrived, took all our phones and laptops and the house was now a murder scene. While all of this is going on, Michael's mum's in bed. She has a number of health problems."
Michael Snr continued: "I had to go upstairs and get Joshua, Jessica and his mum, sit them down on the bed and tell them Michael had been killed. I didn't use the word murdered at that point and I told them I knew nothing else. We all just broke down crying.
"Then they told us all to leave but I didn't want Michael's mum to see the blood on the hall floor with all the paraphernalia they'd used. I blindfolded her and I blindfolded Jessica because I didn't want them to see it and relive the trauma I have to deal with."
In total, five people were sentenced to more than 60 years in connection Michael's murder at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, March 12 2021, after all being found guilty following a trial.
Michael Foy, 22, of Rossini Street, Seaforth, was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 30 years. His brother, James Foy, 19, of Rossini Street, Seaforth, was found guilty of murder and possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 28 years.
Andrea Saunderson, 47, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to one year and six months (suspended for two years) and given a rehabilitation order. Joyce Smith, 45, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to two years and six months and Craig Johnson, 39, of Willard Drive, Bootle, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to three years.
The Murder of Mikey Rainsford, part of the Social Media Murders exclusively on ITVX, from Thursday, March 9.
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