The mother of a man who killed a teenager has been jailed for helping her other son evade justice over drug charges. Janette Mercer, 63, was found guilty of assisting Joseph Mercer whilst he was being investigated over drug supply offences.
The Mirror reports that the drugs peddler was imprisoned for 30 months back in 2020 after being caught selling heroin and crack cocaine from a hotel room in Bournemouth. Dorset Police raided his room in January 2017 after receiving reports that a "suspicious white powder" had been seen inside, with a strong smell of cannabis also coming from within.
Earlier this week, Ms Mercer was sentenced after she was found to help Joseph to remain at large while he was a wanted man. Charlotte Kenny, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that she had allowed him to live with her while misleading the police over his whereabouts over numerous visits.
During one visit from officers, she "presented as being extremely anxious" and was "having palpitations" but said she did not need an ambulance. On December 4 2019, officials again knocked on her door on two occasions but received no answer.
The officers reported that a dog could be heard barking inside the property, while the television was on during the second visit. A PC contacted Mercer by phone on this date, but she stated she "only spoke to him now and again".
Joseph Mercer was eventually located at the property by the force on June 13 2020. The court heard that it was "evident he had been living there" as well as spending time at the Malmaison Hotel in Liverpool city centre.
Ms Mercer was heard sobbing in the dock yesterday as she was imprisoned again for nine months. However, before sentencing, proceedings were briefly adjourned as Mercer appeared to begin hyperventilating.
She was given a paper bag to breathe into after saying: "I'm going to pass out. I'm going to faint.
"I'm going to collapse."
Delivering the sentence after a short break, Judge David Potter said: "You told the police you only spoke to him occasionally on the telephone and had been urging him to hand himself in. When the police saw you in July 2019, you were extremely anxious.
"In December 2019, the police came knocking and you didn't answer. Into 2020, police had intelligence that Joseph was spending significant periods of time in your house if not living there.
"All of that took the police back to your house on June 13, 2020. He had evidently been living there, spending time at your house or at a hotel in the city centre.
"You did lie, however, I am satisfied because you were terrified about what Joseph might do if you had told the truth. Assisting an offender is a serious offence."
He added that the nature of her offence "strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system", and "the public needs to know that prison will follow".
Janette was previously locked up for three years back in 2009 for perverting the course of justice, having lied to detectives investigating the murder of Rhys Jones. Her other son, Sean Mercer, shot and killed the 11-year-old in August 2007.
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