These are the latest ECHO headlines this morning.
Live updates as police close M56 in both directions after incident
The M56 has been closed by police in both directions due to an incident. The closure is in place from J12 A557 (Runcorn) to J14 A5117 (Chester Services / Helsby).
It has reportedly been closed since around 3am this morning. A diversion is in place and Cheshire police advise motorists to avoid the area.
A spokesperson said: "Traffic is currently gridlocked in Helsby and Frodsham due to diverted traffic. Please avoid the area where possible and plan an alternative route."
There are currently delays of 30 mins and around 2 miles of congestion on approach to the incident. Please allow extra time if travelling in the area.
Follow the latest updates here.
'Mindless' thug threatened woman, attacked two men and damaged nine police cars
A lout who vandalised nine police vehicles plus a council disabled toilet could have put lives at risk, a senior police officer has said.
Aaron Rowe, 36, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 24 weeks at North Cheshire Magistrates’ Court in Warrington on Friday, May 13, for a litany of offences.
Rowe admitted: threatening behaviour towards a woman in Widnes on March 11, two separate assaults by beating against two men on May 11 in Widnes, criminal damage to the ceiling of a Halton Borough Council disabled toilet on May 11, criminal damage towards nine police vehicles in Runcorn and a supervision breach.
READ MORE: Girl, 12, taken to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by car
Court papers said the crime spree was “so serious” due to being committed while on licence, a domestic offence, assaulting people at work, and because of his previous criminal record.
Rowe's actions have been condemned by Cheshire Police as a risk to the public.
Read the full story here.
Man killed with broken dinner plate 'stayed silent' about abuse he faced at home
A man whose partner used a broken dinner plate to kill him had "stayed silent" about the abuse he faced, according to his friends.
Paul Lavelle, 50, was attacked by his partner, Sarah Lewis, with a jagged shard of broken dinner plate during a drunken dispute at his Rock Ferry home in May 2017. Lewis, of Croxteth Avenue, Seaforth, left Mr Lavelle to slowly bleed to death and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in January 2018.
After he was killed, Paul's friends set up the Paul Lavelle Foundation, with the intention of encouraging more men to speak out about their experiences of domestic abuse. Co-founder of the foundation, Paul Gladwell, told the ECHO: “We lost our friend.
Read more: Woman, 21, found dead in hotel room after night out with friend
"He was a brilliant person and we wanted to keep his memory alive but also, we asked the question as to why he didn’t tell us what was going on. We found out later on that it wasn’t an isolated incident, so we started wanting to raise awareness and getting men to speak out about being abused.
"Eventually we set up a service where we’re helping men come out and speak about their problems and supporting them through court cases. We’re helping men not to choose the silent option, which is what Paul chose."
Read more here.
