A chilling Snapchat message helped detectives unravel a murder plot and bring those responsible to justice.
The post, "Tell ye mar duck don't use bricks" was published by James Foy minutes before he shot dead Michael Rainsford.
It contained a series of clues that left the teenager scrambling in the witness dock as he tried to argue it proved nothing.
But jurors saw through his lies and convicted him and his older brother, Michael Foy. Both were handed life sentences on Friday.
The Foys sprung into action after bricks were launched at their Seaforth home on the night of April 7, 2020.
Their mum, Joyce Smith, was inside at the time.
Within an hour they had met up, inspected the damage, travelled to Litherland and shot Mr Rainsford in an attack described by prosecutors as an act of "supposed retribution".
Tragically, their 20-year-old victim had played no role in that earlier incident.
For the detectives battling to prove who was responsible, a major breakthrough came when they examined the mobile phone of one of James' friends.
At 10.56pm - 11 minutes before the shooting - that friend responded to a Snapchat message posted by an account linked to James.
This caused the original post to automatically save in his phone - meaning police could then access it.
The words read: "Tell ye mar duck don't use bricks."
It was followed by two 'bang' symbols.
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The strapline was posted over an image of an orange Sur Ron electric bike with a key fob from a Yorkshire bike dealer also visible.
Receipts obtained by detectives had revealed James owned that model, and that the man he bought it from had originally purchased it from the dealer whose logo was on the key fob.
Referring to the Snapchat message during the Foys' trial, prosecutor David McLachlan, QC, said: "It is hardly a subtle code, is it?"
He said: “Whose window had gone in – Joyce Smith's window had gone in.
“Whose bike is on the Snapchat video – James Foy’s bike is on the Snapchat video.
“Whose Snapchat account is it?
“James Foy's Snapchat account.”
Mr McLachlan drew jurors to the parallels between what happened that night and what the message said.
Bricks had been thrown at the Foys' home, where their mum had been at the time. Two gunshots were fired at Mr Rainsford - and two 'bang' symbols featured on the post.
During the trial the 19-year-old admitted it was his bike in the post, which came from his account.
He argued a friend had published the message though - telling jurors he often used Snapchat on the phones of other people and did not log out. He refused to name any of those friends, however.
On Friday, as he was about to be jailed for life, he finally admitted the truth.
Through his barrister, Christopher Henley, QC, he revealed he was the gunman that night and he was behind the Snapchat message.
After denying responsibility for both the murder and the message throughout his trial, he made a last-minute bid to argue his message was not a threat. It was a warning, he claimed.
- James Foy was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years for murder and gun and ammunition possession, as well as the possession of the gun found in Bootle
- Michael Foy, 22, was jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years for murder and gun and ammunition possession
- Craig Johnson, 39 and of Willard Drive in Bootle, was jailed for three years for perverting the course of justice
- Joyce Smith, 46 and of Rossini Street, was jailed for 30 months for perverting the course of justice
- Andrea Saunderson, 48 and of Rossini Street, was given an 18 month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete a rehabilitation programme for perverting the course of justice
