Good morning, these are the latest ECHO headlines today.
Drug courier who feared he'd get 5 years given 'pleasant surprise'
A drug courier who transported heroin from Cornwall to Merseyside thought he was going to get five years in jail but was given a "pleasant surprise" by a judge.
Joseph Duffy was caught transporting £22,000 heroin and £8,200 cash into Merseyside and told police: "I’ll get five years for this". A judge at Exeter Crown Court told Duffy that he had a nice surprise for him and then jailed him for less than half the time he expected.
Recorder Mr Kevin de Haan, QC, reduced the sentence after hearing that Duffy had been exploited by a County Lines gang because he suffers from ADHD, dyslexia and suspected autism. Duffy was recruited by the gang to transport the drugs to the South West and to return with cash but police learned of the trip and intercepted him.
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He was pulled in at the Whiddon Down filling station on the A30 at Okehampton on his way home.
Duffy, aged 27, of Harebell Close, Widnes admitted possession with intent to supply and possession of criminal property and was jailed for two years and four months. The judge ordered the seizure of the Ford Mondeo car which he was driving when he was stopped.
Read the full story here.
Ryanair customers now need to pay more for flights they've already booked
Ryanair has issued an alert to many of its customers, instructing them to pay more for flights they have already booked and paid for.
Customers who have booked flights to Belgium from today (April 1) will be impacted by the additional charges. A number of travellers were emailed by Ryanair to be told how much extra they would have to pay.
The email reads: "On 25 March 2022, Belgium introduced a new flight tax on passengers departing Belgium from 1 April 2022. This means that even if a passenger booked a flight before 25 March, which is due to depart Belgium on or after 1 April, we must pay this new tax to the Belgian government.
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"This new tax is charged at the rate of between €2 and €10 depending on destination." The ECHO understands the applicable tax in respect to flights to the UK is €4 per passenger.
The Belgian Embarkation Tax, which comes into effect from April 1, was first proposed by the country’s government last October on distances of less than 500 km in order to encourage alternatives. However, it will now apply to all flights, including passengers travelling by private plane or helicopter.
Read more here.
House a stone's throw away from sand dunes and shoreline for sale
A new home has come on the market in Merseyside, that’s just a stone's throw away from sand dunes and beautiful shoreline.
The waterfront property, Riverside, is in one of the region's most ‘desirable’ locations in Hightown. Priced at £600,000, the four-bedroom detached house has undergone ‘substantial’ renovation over the last decade.
New research by Savills showed Hightown was the most desirable village in Merseyside- thanks to its countryside location. The data suggest that since the pandemic more people are favouring rural locations and want more space.
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Frances Clay, analyst at Savills, said: “People want villages that have a bit of everything, from schools to stunning countryside, with accessibility to cities and transport infrastructure.
“Less-well trumpeted factors count too, such as the main road through the village should only lead to other villages.”
Savills research suggests the average property price in Hightown is £299,304. However, according to Rightmove sale’s information from the last year, properties in Hightown had an overall average price of £358,553.
Read more information and find pictures of the property here.
