These are the latest Liverpool ECHO headlines this morning.
Mum considered taking her life over Concert Square sex videos backlash
The woman who posted videos of herself performing sex acts in a packed Concert Square said she considered taking her own life over the backlash.
Kelly Cousins, 35, said she was hounded with threats and abusive comments after footage from her antics on the night of August 1 went viral on social media.
Cousins, formerly of Netherton but now of no fixed address, shared some of the footage, recorded by strangers, on her own social media pages adding fuel to the backlash. She later said she thought by "making light" of the incident it would make the hate campaign "go away".
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However she was arrested and charged with outraging public decency, while the man accused of appearing in the video, 23-year-old Joe Firby, was also charged with the same offence. However the Gateshead native remains wanted after failing to attend court in September.
Cousins was handed a suspended prison sentence at Liverpool Magistrates' Court yesterday after previously pleading guilty to the charge. After the hearing, the mum-of-four, who has since left Liverpool, told the ECHO about the incessant abuse she received.
She said: "I would get messages from people saying 'have you killed yourself yet?'. And let me tell you, I thought about it. I felt like it would go away if I wasn't here any more." Read more here.
Uber suing Sefton Council in case that could hike all taxi fares across the country by 20%
Uber is suing Sefton Council in a landmark case that could see taxi fares across the country rise by 20%.
The High Court case being brought by the ride-hailing app firm could result in all taxi and private hire firms outside London being forced to hike their prices by a fifth in order to pay VAT charges on journeys.
A ruling is expected to be handed down by the end of the year after Uber sued Sefton Council. Uber already charges VAT on its journeys as a result of a series of court cases, with this legal case it is attempting to force the same upon its competition around England and Wales.
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The case in the High Court began hearing submissions last week with all arguments concluded on Friday. The judge has reserved judgment whilst she considers those arguments that were put to her.
Currently private hire operators do not pay VAT as drivers are classed as self-employed contractors, but recent court rulings have brought this arrangement into question. In March Uber raised its fares by 20% after a High Court ruling said the company could not be viewed only as an agent but as a contractor. Other operators in London were also required to do the same.
Uber is now asking for the high court to rule that any licensed operator accepting a booking anywhere in the country to also be regarded as the principal contractor and therefore liable for VAT. If it succeeds it could mean a price rise for private hire fares across the UK. Read the full story here.
Man with knife blamed 'aliens' for breaking into sleeping woman's bedroom
A man battered a pensioner before he broke into the bedroom of a woman armed with a knife.
Peter Croft went on a crime "spree" on April 12 this year which saw him carry out a number of offences, including battering a 72-year-old man and entering a woman's bedroom armed with a knife. Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday, November 7, how the 31-year-old tried to gain access to a property in Litherland in the early hours but when he couldn't get in tried the neighbours next door.
Henry Riding, prosecuting, said the police were called and he was found to be in a "confused" and "intoxicated" state before officers took Croft home. However, at around 3am that morning the 31-year-old broke into the home of two men - a dad and son - who Croft knew.
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He entered the bedroom of one of the men and demanded money. When he didn't get this, Croft launched an attack on the other man, a 72-year-old, where he punched him a number of times and knocked him to the ground.
Mr Riding said the victim suffered bilateral bruises to his eyes and other areas of his face and "severe bruising" as a result of the attack. Croft demanded for more money from the man and threatened "I will kill you" if he didn't give him more cash. The victim was forced to handover £40. Read the full story here.
