These are the latest Liverpool ECHO headlines this morning.
Teen walked free from court for bottling ex then shot 15-year-old a month later
A gunman was forced to confess to shooting a man and an innocent schoolgirl due to his previous conviction for bottling his ex-girlfriend.
Rio Jones walked free from court over the attack, which left his former partner with glass shards lodged in her shoulder, just a month before he opened fire in the street. An electronically-monitored tag he was ordered to wear as part of his suspended sentence placed him squarely at the scene of the shooting.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on January 31 this year that there had been a "significant" age difference between then 18-year-old Jones and his older girlfriend before their relationship ended in "acrimony" last year. At around 5am on November 21, 2021 - two years to the day after a hail of bullets was fired at his home on Jermyn Street in Toxteth - the pair had a "chance meeting" on Wood Street in the city centre.
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CCTV showed them arguing on and off for most of the next hour. At around 5.40am, his victim was heard repeatedly screaming "Rio, Rio, no, no" and crying for help.
A "wildly angry" Jones hurled his bag and coat to the floor, then threw a punch at her as a bouncer tried to hold him back. The teenager was ushered away, but minutes later he reached into the gutter and picked up a bottle before turning his attentions back to the woman.
She attempted to flee, but the thug aimed "a hefty, hefty blow which struck her on the blade of her right shoulder". The assault left her with a deep cut with pieces of glass inside and a displaced fracture to her shoulder blade. Read the full story here.
'One in a million' man found dead under pier
Tributes have been paidTributes have been paid to "one in a million" Sam Latham, whose body was found underneath Southport Pier.
Sam was described as a "kind-hearted" and "popular" man with a "heart of gold". A Just Giving page has been set up to help pay for funeral costs. Sam's body was found at 8:40am on Monday October 24, police are currently treating his death as "unexplained".
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Since the page was set up yesterday over £3,000 has been raised of the £5,000 target and the comments have been flooded with messages of support and memories of Sam.
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Jon said: "I didn’t know Sam that well, but I remember his wide smile, deep voice and positive outlook. I’m so sorry to hear Sam has passed. I pray that God offers his family and loved ones comfort and peace." Laura Wearing said: "Words don’t even come close to expressing how unbelievably tragic this is. Sam you were one in a million and although you struggled you always had a big smile. My thoughts are with your family.
Olivia and David said: "So sorry to hear this awful news. Sam always brought a smile. Thoughts are with his family". Anna commented: "Truly heartbreaking news, Sam was such a kind and gentle soul. Always smiling. My thoughts are with his family and friends."
Pregnant women living among cockroaches as Liverpool hits crisis point
Pregnant women living with cockroaches in their houses. Unprecedented numbers sleeping on the streets of the city.
More and more middle income families facing imminent homelessness. This is the reality of the cost of living crisis in Liverpool as the city and its residents prepare to head into a winter of pain and misery.
Yesterday Liverpool City Council held an emergency crisis meeting which pulled together organisations and agencies from across the city. The summit heard harrowing stories and details of what many in Liverpool are dealing with right now - and the extreme challenges ahead.
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Speaking at the meeting, David Carter, the chief executive of the Whitechapel homelessness charity said that on Thursday morning there were 42 people sleeping on the streets of Liverpool. He added: "That number is now regularly between 25 to 45, these numbers are unprecedented and don't even reflect the full reality as many people are currently 'sofa surfing'."
He said more and more people are coming to the charity in crisis but that the "availability just isn't there" in terms of housing.
Housing was a key theme of today's crisis summit, with soaring rents and other costs meaning many in the city are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Others are living in squalid conditions. Read more here.
