These are the latest ECHO headlines this morning.
Cocaine snorting brute wouldn't let girlfriend use toilet alone
A coked-up brute made his girlfriend live her life "on edge" and "always waiting for the next assault".
Stephen Crook whimpered and sobbed in the dock as a court heard how for seven years he subjected his partner to "consistent abuse". The 32-year-old would punch, kick and spit at his victim.
Liverpool Crown Court heard much of the abuse centred around Crooks' demands for cash for cocaine or to pay off drug debts. He even threatened to "chop off her head and put it in a box".
READ MORE: Yob stabs stepdad in row about playing loud music in his bedroom
The woman, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, met Crook, of Exeter Street, St Helens, when she was 17 and he was 23. Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, said he first became abusive after she mentioned bumping into an ex-boyfriend.
The victim described how he was "physically and verbally abusive". Ms Nemat said: "He wouldn't allow her to shower or go to the toilet alone and he would stand outside the door."
Read the full story here.
Dad stabbed primary school friend after finding him burgling his house
An alleged murderer said he discovered a burglar who targeted his home was a friend from primary school just seconds after fatally stabbing him in the neck.
Karl Townsend told a jury he realised he knew Jordan Brophy after inflicting a number of fatal wounds on him following a break-in at Townsend’s home. The 32-year-old had discovered Mr Brophy and two other men burgling his Halewood address last year.
Prosecutors allege Townsend then attacked Mr Brophy “out of revenge or punishment”, inflicting two sets of wounds on him, one inside his home when he found him there and another a few minutes later on Beechwood Avenue. Townsend and his half-brother Jamie Cunningham, 23, are on trial at Liverpool Crown Court for murder and possession of a bladed article. Both deny the charges.
READ MORE: Killer claims burglar had a gun and heard someone say 'shoot him'
The pair allegedly armed themselves with knives after being alerted by Ring doorbell to a break-in at Townsend's Halewood home. Prosecutors say they rushed to the address and confronted the intruders. Townsend is said to have stabbed Mr Brophy in the head and arm, before twice knifing him in the face.
One stab wound went through his left optic nerve and damaged his temporal lobe. Liverpool Crown Court has heard Townsend and Cunningham left the scene, but then returned, when Townsend allegedly stabbed the "defenceless" 31-year-old in his jugular vein. Richard Pratt, QC, prosecuting, has said Townsend does not dispute causing Mr Brophy's death but denies murder.
Read the full story from our court reporter here.
Local elections 2022 LIVE: Candidates, polling stations and updates as voting gets underway
Voting for the 2022 local elections will begin today at 7am.
Across Merseyside and the wider country, people will head to the polls to make their choices for who they want to represent them at a local level. These are crucial elections that could make huge differences in communities across the land.
But today's voting will also be a major test for both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Keir Starmer. Mr Johnson has been dogged by party-gate scandals and many see these votes as a key test for his leadership.
READ MORE: Local elections 2022: When we will know Merseyside's results
Equally, the Labour leader will be keen to show that his party have the confidence of the country as they prepare for a General Election in the next couple of years. These local elections could have a profound impact on the national political picture.
We will have live updates running through today as voting gets underway. Our reporters will then be heading to election counts across Merseyside to bring you all the results as they happen after polls close at 10pm.
Follow our live coverage for all the vital updates, results and information for what will be a crucial set of elections.
