TEENAGE murderer Billy Jones is facing another lengthy spell behind bars after he was jailed for life over his involvement in a plot to plant a grenade outside a family home in Orford.

Aged just 16, Jones became one of Warrington’s youngest killers in 2006 after kicking, punching and stamping on dad-to-be Michael Theaker after an argument on the number 21 bus – leaving him with fatal injuries.

Having only been out of prison for just over four months, the now 29-year-old was involved in planting a grenade under a car outside a house on Cleveland Road in Orford where four children were sleeping upstairs in February last year.

Warrington Guardian:

Police have released pictures of the grenade left under a car on Cleveland Road

Earlier this week Jones, of Forster Street in Orford, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess explosives by a jury following a month-long trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

AS IT HAPPENED > Read what happened during today's sentencing 

And this afternoon, Thursday, he was handed a second life imprisonment by judge Brian Cummings - coming with a minimum term of six years behind bars.

Sentencing, judge Cummings said: "In the context of alleged tit for tat incidents between two opposing factions, there was an agreement to deposit a grenade outside an address by way of an intimidatory warning.

"I must not draw a conclusion to your role, and there is no suggestion you played a leading role.

"I'm sure that these tit for tat incidents centred on Shaun Smith and Leon Cullen.

"The grenade incident was targeting a suspected associate of Shaun Smith, and I'm sure that you were acting on behalf of Leon Cullen's faction - though not necessarily at his request or with his knowledge."

The court heard that Jones was part of a gang who planted the grenade on behalf of Cullen after the windows of his house on Honister Avenue were bricked, and his BMW torched.

In return, they targeted a 16-year-old occupant of the property on Cleveland Road - an alleged associate of Shaun Smith, who they believed to be behind the attacks on Cullen's property.

This had followed an arson attack on Smithy's Gym in Bewsey, owned by Shaun Smith.

The grenade had been a homemade, improvised explosive - with the pin taken from a similar, non-lethal device used in activities such as paintball while the gunpowder is believed to have originated from fireworks.

Jones will miss the imminent birth of his child as a result of his jail sentence, with his partner expecting in around four weeks time.

Judge Cummings added: "This was a very dangerous device, made in an improvised manner.

"Some person or persons could have been maimed or killed - your actions recklessly exposed others to harm, if not death.

"All of this points to a reckless quality in your makeup, which is alarming."