These are the latest ECHO headlines this morning.
Man, 22, raped by his dealer on island controlled by Liverpool drug gangs
A 22-year-old man was raped by a drug dealer over an unpaid debt on an island controlled by Liverpool drug gangs.
Chief Constable Gary Roberts from the Isle of Man Constabulary has told how drug gangs from Liverpool and Merseyside present the single biggest threat to society on the island. Mr Roberts said the rape of a young man over an unpaid debt was an example of how drug crime had affected life on the island.
The rape of the young man was revealed during a hearing of the Tynwald Court, which is the island's Parliament. Ms Tanya August-Hanson MLC read out a letter from parents whose life had been affected by drug crime.
READ MORE: T he ruthless tactics used by Liverpool gangs to dominate island's drug trade
Ms August-Hanson said a young man had been sexually assaulted by a drug dealer when he could not pay his debt, she said: "Yes, a 22-year-old boy raped by a 30-year-old man for a debt of less than £500."
The ECHO understands the man who carried out the rape was not charged with an offence due to a lack of cooperation from the victim.
Mr Roberts told the ECHO how this type of violence was a direct result of the drug economy sponsored by Merseyside gangs. He said: "The rape of the young man was typical of the situations that arise in relation to drug debts. And these issues are not exclusive to certain estates on the island. Middle class families have experienced some of these issues."
Read the full story here.
Where are our new Merseyrail trains and when will they arrive on our network
Just where are our new Merseyrail trains? It's a question being asked by many in our region with a growing sense of frustration.
It was way back in 2016 when the deal to purchase the 52-strong fleet of state-of-the-art new trains from Swiss manufacturer was finalised. Platform upgrade work began in 2019 and testing of the trains on the network got underway last year.
The project to deliver the new trains onto the tracks has been hit by numerous delays, for numerous reasons - with a significant one being a global pandemic. But with the region hopefully now moving on from the pandemic, public transport users have been hoping for some positive noises about when the sparkling yellow units will arrive.
READ MORE: Major changes to Merseyrail services for Liverpool victory parade
We contacted the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), who own the new trains on behalf of the people of the region, to try and get some updates about when and how new trains will start to be introduced. This is what they told us.
A spokesperson for the combined authority said: “We understand and share the desire of local people to see our new, state-of-the-art trains in operation across the Merseyrail network. Although we aren’t yet able to confirm an exact start date, we expect that the fleet will begin to be phased into service by autumn of this year."
Read the full story here.
Faces of 16 people jailed in Liverpool this week
This list includes 16 people locked up for crimes linked to Merseyside this past week.
Courts heard about a mentally ill man who battered his mum to death with a hammer then tried to kill himself. One judge had to sentence a despicable paedophile who filmed himself abusing a toddler.
Judges had to sentence a woman who gave a love rival a broken nose. And a bully who left his partner needed metal plates to be inserted in her face after his callous attack.
READ MORE: Gun thug mates became pub and bike 'assassins'
Disturbing cases included a pair of creeps who abducted a schoolgirl. Meanwhile, courts heard about an EncroChat drug dealer moving kilos of Class A drugs.
A judge also had to sentence a drugged up driver who left a man with life changing injuries. Here is an overview of some of the cases which have concluded this past week.
