20/01/2012 Reporting Scotland

Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight on your national news...

A new warning that the Scottish government can't call a legal

independence referendum. Alex Salmond says he's confident he can.

A court hears a police tape of this teenager admitting that he had

killed schoolboy Jack Frew. A victory for equal rights - the

women who fought for decades to be paid the same as men for an

equivalent job. We have won a. It has taken time, but we have one.

are going to get our money now. It is lovely.

And later in the programme... It is a sport that requires the

footwork of a dancer combined with ruthless precision - meet the

Scottish fencing champion hoping for Olympic glory.

A former deputy first minister has warned again that the Scottish

government cannot legally call an independence referendum. The BBC

has learned that the Scottish Government is preparing to drop its

opposition. The UK Government's most senior Loch officer in

Scotland has warned that the Scottish Government cannot legally

call the referendum. Eight ban on cigarette no scenes

has been repeatedly delayed because tobacco firms are challenging it in

the courts. Tonight, the UK Government's Law Officer for

Scotland suggested that the same fate could befall an independence

referendum if called by the Scottish Government under its

existing powers. We think it could successfully be challenged. But

that would leave everyone feeling that it is not right. The mood is

there that this matter should be decided. That is why the police

that if we go down the road that whether to governments sit down and

work this out, a referendum can take place on a sound legal footing.

To keep the referendum out of the courts, the UK Government is

offering to lend Alex Salmond explicit legal authority to hold

the boat. There are three conditions. It is a single question

- yes or no. That he drops plans to let 16 and 17 year-olds take part.

And that he uses the UK body, the Electoral Commission, to supervise

the ballot. The first Minister does not like these terms. As he

listened to advice from his economic Council today, he made

clear that he was not keen to take legal guidance from the UK

Government. The one thing that puzzles me about the UK Government

is that after last year's election, they said they did not want a

debate on legal technicalities. They acknowledged our political

mandate to hold a referendum. Now, be seen to talk about nothing else.

Why don't they just accept the democratic verdict of the Scottish

people? Alex Salmond reckons he already has enough legal clout to

hold a recommend an -- referendum. He will hold talks next week as

both sides search for an agreed way to ask the public if they want

Scotland to become an independent country or stay inside the UK.

There have been some developments in and around the independence

refererndum tonight. What have you found out?

The move on the Electoral Commission is significant. If the

Scottish Government is prepared to accept electoral supervision for a

referendum called by this Parliament, then one of the three

potential barriers to an agreed way forward between the Scottish

Government and the UK Government on a referendum is removed. Yes, when

Alex Salmond meets the Scottish Secretary one week today and in

later meetings with the Prime Minister, they may still wrangle

over whether 16 and 17 year olds should get the vote, whether there

should be one question or possibly a second question testing an option

which would give Hollywood more powers within the UK, that is all

still up for debate. It seems the question of an Electoral Commission

involvement is no longer an impediment. Why? What has changed?

The UK Government. The speech from the Lord Wallace tonight indicated

that the UK Ministers are prepared to let the Electoral Commission

report to this Parliament for the purposes of this referendum. That

has reassured the Scottish Government. An agreed way forward

is edging closer. And there'll be more on that story

on Sunday Politics Scotland. Here's Isabel Fraser with a look ahead.

The Government's top adviser on big questions for the economy. The

Advocate-General on the independence of Scots' lock and

what about a fat tax? BBC One, 1230. The jury in the Jack Frew murder

trial has heard a taped police interview in which Craig Roy

admitted killing the teenager. 17- year-old Roy said that Jack Frew

was blackmailing him over sex. Craig Roy arrives at the High Court

with his mother for the third day of his trial, accused of murdering

his schoolmate, Jack Frew. The jury heard from former detective James

Munro, who took charge of the scene where Jack was killed. He said he

had noticed that Jack's throat was cut and when he turned the body

over, he saw several injuries to his front and back. Jack Frew was

openly gay, as is Craig Roy. The court heard that jacket sent him a

sexually explicit text message harks back before he died and they

had a sexual encounter some months earlier. Craig Roy claims he was

being blackmailed. He admits he killed Jack Frew in these woods

near the school. They went there together. In a two you are a long

interview with police, he said Jack was a sex pest who never stopped

pressurising. In the tape, Craig Roy says he had taken a knife from

the kitchen cupboard at home but could not remember killing Jack. I

took a knife, thinking that would scare him. He wanted me to have sex

with them. That is when it got a bit blurry. At the end of his

interview, Craig Roy was formally charged with the murder of Jack

Frew. He was asked by detectives that he wanted to say anything. In

a quiet voice, he said that it was never meant to happen and that he

felt horrible that he could not take it back. Jack Frew's family

has been in court throughout the file - a trial. His mother sobbed

as the police interview was played. You're watching Reporting Scotland

from the BBC. Still to come on the programme...

A special report from India on a company that's one of Scotland's

big success stories. In sport...

News of Rangers' latest signing, but is his name Selik or Che-lik.

It doesn't really matter, because Rangers are calling him Mervan.

And en garde! I'll be crossing swords with one of Scotland's

Olympic hopefuls. All that coming up...

An unspeakable act of depravity. Those were the words of a judge to

a man who raped a 14-month-old girl in Grangemouth and shared the

images on the internet. David Morrison will stay in jail until he

no longer poses a risk to the public.

David Morrison was caught only after a friend alerted police. He

had confessed to her he fantasised about sex in front of children. It

was in these crime labs that detectives spent hours deciphering

online lobs, examining hard drives. They found hundreds and thousands

of videos and images of children being abused. But police soon

realise that he had not just been looking. This was a breakthrough

moment. We were able to identify from the chat lobs that the

individual involved had been abusing a child. We were then able

to link that to see that he had actually taken a photograph, and

from the photograph, we took it one step further. Iman's hand is

clearly visible in an image of a child being abuse. Be sent this

photograph of David Morrison's hands along with the abusive image

for comparison. For her, it was like a fingerprint. Anatomically,

we know that there is so much information written into your hand.

It is our job to extract that information and to lick it has

similarities to somebody else. was Morrison's hand. He had raid a

child only 14 months old. This case sparked a worldwide investigation,

leading to more than 90 prosecutions here and overseas.

things he was sentenced for today were beyond normal human reason.

The acts against a defenceless child that people will not be able

to comprehend, it has taken us a lot of work to get here. But now he

is being punished. The judge described David Morrison's actions

as unspeakable, incomprehensible acts of the property on a child. He

said he would not be released until he was no longer a risk to the

public. Two men have appeared in court in

connection with the death of a 57- year-old man in Pollokshields in

Glasgow. 20-year-old Asif Rehman and Adil Ishaq, who is 19, are

charged with murdering William McKeeney outside his home in

Melville Street on Sunday morning. Both men made no plea or

declaration and the case was continued.

No action is to be taken against the former leader of Glasgow City

Council, Steven Purcell, who was being investigated by Strathclyde

Police. Inquiries began almost two years ago when Mr Purcell resigned

suddenly. His departure sparked a surge of allegations about his

links to wealthy party backers and civic contracts and claims of a

cover-up of alleged drugs misuse. The Crown Office said there is

insufficient evidence of criminality.

The latest attempt to move the UK's clocks forward has failed after a

Westminster debate ran out of - what else - time. When the

controversial issue came up at the House of Commons, opponents managed

to block any change. Those on the other side, who were trying to move

the UK into the same time zone as Europe, argue it would be better

for business and health. It is a perennial argument. Would

adding one are up to UK time give us the benefit of lighter evenings

all year round? Probably. The downside is an extra are of

darkness in the morning. But despite being thwarted at

Westminster today, campaigners say there were in increasing support.

Lots of companies are supporting this, it even the Scottish National

Farmers' Union of Scotland. Farming practices have changed over the

years. This could be beneficial. Party general safety for

pedestrians as well, but also from a sporting point of view - golfers

and cyclists would be a well up for But a three-year trial in 1968 Good

did nothing to convince the doubters. The further North you go,

the later you see the light. Towards the end of February and

March, we get far more activity done in the morning. I was not like

to seek one hour of darkness them. If you put the clocks forward

permanently, an area North of Manchester would not see Don before

9 o'clock in the morning before two months of beer. It is a non-starter.

The Government has said it did not impose a change unless it had

backing from every party in the UK. In the Commons today, even

supporters warned that forcing a time-zone change on an unwilling

public here would provoke a backlash. If this Parliament

changes the time-zone for the United Kingdom against the wishes

of the people in Scotland, that is going to give extra ammunition to

those people in Scotland who are campaigning for an independent

Scotland. So the issue is being kicked into the long grass once

again. It is bound to re-emerge, of course, but just when? On that, we

It has been claimed that councils across Scotland could have to pay

out millions in compensation to female workers who have been paid

less than their male colleagues. Edinburgh City Council has just

settled out of court with hundreds of employees over disputes over

historic claims that women were being paid less than men for jobs

of equal value. This group of council workers past

and present all felt they were the victims of of form of sexual

discrimination. We have waited a long time. Now, their complex case

has finally been resolved out of court. We have one. It has taken

time, but we have one. I am happy that everything is settled. I have

been with the council 27 years. We're now going to get our money,

so it is lovely. The women here are just some of the 400 who have just

agreed a settlement. As many as 35,000 other similar cases across

Scotland are still to be resolved. This case itself has taken seven

years to come to this point. It is an important point of principle to

establish equal pay for women who do very well paid jobs. It may all

seem like something from a bygone era, women workers at this car

plant in Dagenham went on strike for equal pay in the 60s. Later,

all was changed. The issue here is, going to be much more complex. It

has its roots in moves by councils back in the 1990s to equalise

conditions of workers. Manual workers in some jobs normally done

by men received bonuses almost automatically but those doing other

jobs of the same worth, usually done by women, did not. She has now

retired and reckons she lost out on to a �3 every hour. How is he

getting as much for doing that job and I'm only getting that for what

my job entails? A Edinburgh council did not want to be interviewed on

camera, as other cases are still ongoing. Thousands of similar cases

are one going across the country. - - are all going.

I'll look at what has been happening across the country. Award

has been closed and non-urgent operations cancelled after an

outbreak of a super bug in Inverness hospital. It has been

claimed that Ireland -- that Highland Council's plans to spend

money on roads damaged by the weather could be undermined by job

cuts and its roads department. A special police team is

investigating an upsurge in rural crime in Dumfries and Galloway.

They think the same gang may be responsible for breaking into for

country houses and stealing five quad bikes in the last two weeks.

It has been announced that the new RNLI et al weather lifeboat stage

and on Harris -- station on Harris is going to open on 11th May.

have taken this project too hard and we have had 50 people from a

small community expressing interest in helping the lifeboat. -- they

have taken this project to their Hearts.

1000 dogs have been practising for the biggest husky dog race in the

country. It is run on forest trails near Aviemore. We have 220 teams

this year, which is almost the maximum. We usually have around 250.

Shetland's latter-day Vikings are to take part in the Queen's diamond

jubilee celebrations. The sail up the River Thames in a replica

longship as part of of 1000 vessel thought a lot.

The Courier newspaper has printed its final product cheap edition. --

broadsheet edition. It will appear in a compact size tomorrow.

One of Scotland was my most successful companies is retreating

from the scene of its breakthrough success in India. Cairn Energy is

giving its shareholders more than �2 billion and pay out next month.

It is selling most of its stake in India.

The desert near endear's frontier with Pakistan, where Edinburgh form

Cairn Energy struck black gold or eight years ago. It had paid Shell

less than �10 million to take on the licence here and it is now

worth 8 billion. It has just begun -- it has just begun production

here. These fields will be producing for 30 or 40 years.

production, in three a four years' time, they will be producing 30% of

the India's energy. Anything that India has 20% of the world's

population, that is quite a feat. While it showers shareholders with

billions in profit, this is hoped the company is celebrating. It has

turned his attentions to Greenland. There has been 16 months of

potential -- of intense political wrangling. It raises a significant

question about how much India is open for business. It has kept

foreign supermarket out until now to protect India's small-scale

retailers. For an investment has slowed up on a lot more is needed.

That is why the heat is on India's leaders to return to rapid growth.

Meanwhile, a small Scottish oil explorer moves on to other

prospects to seek a second fortune. Let us have a look at the sport.

Rangers' attempt to sign Francisco Sandaza has gone pear-shaped. But

they have made their feist -- their first signing of the transfer

window. They have signed Mervan Celik. They are paying �250,000 in

compensation to his former club. Rangers' new boy Mervan Celik just

chatting with me after signing a three-and-a-half-year deal. He has

made the switch from Sweden. Rangers have withdrawn co-operation

from the BBC but I asked his representative the burning question

on fans' lips. I am not sure if you're aware of all that talk

surrounding his name? Yes. How do you pronounce it? His real name is

"Che-lik". Rangers have ended their interest

in Francisco Sandaza. The reason? The player does not want to sign a

pre-contract agreement. They now welcome Mervan Celik to Ibrox.

Edinburgh Rugby can make sure of a place M that the quarter-finals of

the Heineken Cup. We have been watching their preparations for

their biggest match of the season. Plenty of voices, plenty of desire

as Edinburgh train for the European showdown. The man in charge knows

they must win to stay in the Cup. People remember winners, they do

not remember entertainers. It is nice to be able to play

entertaining rugby but it is effective rugby for Edinburgh Rugby,

it is the way we play, it is the brand of rugby that is played

tennis club. The game against London Irish will be a tough one.

The Scottish International's in the squad know that in terms of their

career, this one is a big one. is my first opportunity at entering

the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup. It is the premier competition

for clubs and the northern hemisphere, so that has a pretty

big thing for me as an individual. I am very excited about this game

the coming weekend. Edinburgh have scored 14 tries in five games this

year. A few more like this one on Sunday and Scotland will have its

first real European success since 2004. If we achieve it, it is

fantastic and we can reflect. Otherwise, there is a lot of work

that needs to be done in the next couple of days. The lights were on

at Murrayfield today to ensure that the pitch would be in perfect

condition. They should attract the largest ever Heineken Cup crowd on

Sunday. Thousands of Scottish rugby fans think Edinburgh's European

future is bright. News of us got targeting Olympic

glory. Sword fencer Keith Cooke has already beaten the Olympic champion

in other competitions. He believes he can bet -- beat the very best in

London. I have been to meet him. My name is Keith Cooke, Scottish

and British champion. I am part of the Olympic team for 2012. Time for

your first fencing lesson. Careful, Keith, you could have somebody's

eye out! Straighten your arm. Lunch. Two steps back. Back foot, front

foot. That was terrible, wasn't it? That was all right. OK, time to

fence with the master. Ready? Fence! Heady thing you'll get on at

the Olympics. -- how do you think you will get on at the Olympics?

Daily thing I am thinking about is getting a gold medal. -- are the

only thing. The other realistic chance? With a positive attitude,

you can do anything. You're doing Right, Keith, I think I have had

enough! I need to go and lie down! You have done well. I have been

rumbled. He didn't actually think And that is the sport. Easily

It looks very windy tomorrow. It has been wet today. It will

continue to be wed this evening. The rain today is courtesy of this

front sweeping across the country. Tonight, is will be wet and

increasingly windy. He is the map. That rain will continue north. It

also push out to the east. Once those showers have pushed through,

we will have a rest of ice. Further south, it will be a little bit

milder. Tomorrow, it will be windy. That is Kersey's date of the area

of low pressure. -- that his courtesy of an area of low pressure.

Further south, we might see some severe gales. Across much of the

mainland, it will be windy. Across Tayside and around Dundee, in

particular. There will be some sleet or snow in the Highlands and

Islands. Windy, so temperatures may be reading six or seven on the

thermometer but it will feel much colder than that. We could see

gusts of 120 miles per hour in the north-west Highlands. There could

be some blizzard conditions for a time. The best of any sunshine will

be through the east, across the Angus hills. Into the evening, the

rain and showers will start to clear away. It will be a cold and

clear night. Overnight, in two Sunday, we will have some rain

working its way in. It will be quite heavy across Strathclyde and

Argyll. For Sunday morning, there could be a risk of ice. Far less

when on Sunday. It still will be cold, with some sunshine and

showers continuing in the north and west. Some of those showers could

be wintry across the higher ground. Any real rain will just turn up on

Tuesday. Tomorrow, it will be windy. Sunday will be better than Saturday.

That is the forecast. Apologies that there was no graphics!

That was a real tour de force without the weather map.

And dissident republican has been jailed for life for the murder of

two soldiers outside the barracks in Northern Ireland. He was found

guilty of the killing three years ago. The be BC has learned at the