Good evening, these are the latest ECHO headlines on Friday, September 16.
Family plea for dealers who gave mum and son powerful drug that killed them
The desperate family of a mum and son killed by a fentanyl overdose have made a plea for the dealers who sold them the drugs.
Jenny Smith, 37, and her 17-year-old son Joseph were found dead in their beds at their flat on Marmion Road, Sefton Park, on February 22, a few days after concerns had been raised for their safety. Both mother and son had died of a massive overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller up to 100 times stronger than morphine.
READ MORE: Gun shots fired through window of a house
Now Jenny's dad, Joseph's grandad, Malcolm Smith, and his partner Collette have called for better awareness of the drug that claimed the lives of his loved ones. They said: "People do not know or understand the danger with this substance. We believe that how it was described, how it was ingested, proved their naïve nature toward this practice, and told us and the investigators that this was not habitual.
Dealer ruined 'promising' Liverpool FC career turning to life of heroin and cocaine
A drug dealer ruined his "promising" Liverpool FC career by getting involved with cocaine and heroin.
John Smith once had a "promising career" as a youth player with the Reds, but "wasted his talent" by falling into drink and drugs. And the now 38-year-old was caught with thousand of pounds of class A substances when police pulled over his car.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, the police patrols spotted his Ford Kuga driving on City Road in Walton on October 11 last year. Mr Jones, prosecuting, described how Smith - who had two male passengers - appeared to be "very nervous and looking around".
Gun fired in street again just hours after Olivia Pratt-Korbel laid to rest
Shots were fired on a Merseyside street for the first time since the death of Olivia Pratt-Korbel and only hours after she was laid to rest.
The nine-year-old became the third person to die after being shot in the space of six days when a gunman burst into her home on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, at around 10pm on Monday, August 22. Her death came less than 24 hours after 28-year-old Ashley Dale was killed in similar circumstances in Old Swan, and six days after 22-year-old Sam Rimmer was shot in the street in Dingle.
Since Olivia's death, no shootings had been reported in Merseyside, perhaps due to a massively increased police presence as well as ramped up targeted operations to disrupt organised crime, enabled by extra Home Office funding and mutual aid from neighbouring police forces.
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Woman put off learning to drive by 'terrible' potholes
'Amazing' teen with 'infectious smile' dies aged 16
Woman pulled to the ground by 'aggressive' robber
Major Liverpool road to close to cars for a day next week
New train strike dates after action called off in wake of The Queen's death
