These are the latest Liverpool ECHO headlines this morning.
Kebab shop owner tried to slash wife's face with skewer and locked her in cellar
A kebab shop owner tried to slash his wife's face with a skewer before locking her in a cellar.
Huseyin Erdogan also made sinister threats to arrange for a hitman to murder his partner after she accused him of having an affair. The restaurateur was told by a judge that he held views which were "unacceptable in a modern society"
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Wednesday, that the 54-year-old was confronted by his wife Samara at the Istanbul Grill on Mersey Street in Warrington town centre on April 1 this year. Peter Wilson, prosecuting, described how she believed he was having an affair, but Erdogan responded by shouting "you are a stupid w***e" and slapping her in the face - causing bleeding to her ear.
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The businessman started trying to slash at his victim's face with a skewer, pushing her down into the basement while continuing to "lash out" with the implement. He trapped her in the cellar and threatened to "cut her with a knife" if she called the police.
Ms Erdogan suffered injuries to her forearms and legs as a result. Then, on April 16, she discovered her 11-year-daughter was speaking to the defendant on the phone at 1am.
The complainant took the mobile from her and spoke to the defendant, telling him she wanted a divorce. Erdogan, of Mersey Street, replied: "You're going to make me a murderer." Read more here.
Mum asked why her benefits were stopped was told she died in August
A woman was shocked to be told her vital benefit payments had been stopped because she was dead.
That was the reasoning given to 65-year-old Liverpool resident Ann Smith by the Department of Work and Pensions when crucial payments that she relies on to live were stopped.
Ann, who lives in Kirkdale, was forced to stop work years ago as she suffered with a number of debilitating conditions including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Osteoporosis, which weakens her bones and means she regularly suffers breaks and fractures.
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A former care worker, Ms Smith relies on regular Personal Independence Payments and Employment Support Allowance to get by. So she was concerned when neither of those benefits were paid into her account last month.
She said: "I rely on that money so I was worried when it didn't go in. So I contacted the DWP."
On contacting the department, Ann was told that her benefits had stopped because according to their records, she had died in August. She said: "I couldn't believe it, I said well that's news to me. I even got sent a letter addressed to the executor of my will." Read the full story here.
Pregnant mum woke up and couldn't move her toes before devastating diagnosis
A mum diagnosed with a deadly brain tumour knew something was wrong when she woke up and couldn't move her toes.
Laura Mahon was diagnosed with a fast-growing brain cancer when she was 20 weeks pregnant. Laura, from St Helens, said she first realised something was wrong in September 2021 when she woke up and couldn't move her toes.
But the 30-year-old said at first she thought it was her baby pressing against a nerve so was sent to The Walton Centre for an MRI scan of her back. After it came back clear Laura was sent for another MRI scan on her brain.
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Laura said: "I was told the devastating news that I had a brain tumour. They told me it had more than likely been there for years and years and had now started growing. It was such a shock - I was only 29 and didn't think something like this could happen to me."
Laura was diagnosed with glioblastoma - a fast growing grade four brain tumour. She suddenly became very ill when she was 27 weeks pregnant. She and husband Danny, 29, made the "toughest decision of their lives" and opted to bring their daughter into the world at 30 weeks.
The couple's daughter Siena Grace Laura was born on November 30 2021 weighing just 3.4lbs at Warrington Hospital. Siena was taken to the neonatal ward and placed in an incubator. Sienna developed pneumothorax - a collapsed lung - so was rushed to the Royal Oldham Hospital to receive specialised care. Read more here.
