20/04/2012 BBC Newsline

Welcome to BBC Newsline. The headlines: The couple who stole

�100,000 from a pensioner suffering from Alzheimer's. The former bank

worker who had a taste for the high life paid for by other people's

money. Moore gloom for the motorist as

petrol prices here continues to rise.

It is Brian McLoughlin's last game in charge at Ravenhill. Can the

Ulster players give their coach the perfect send-off against Leinster?

Today we have had warm spells of sunshine interspersed with claps of

thunder so what has the weekend in store? Join me later.

A couple from Warrenpoint have admitted stealing almost �100,000

from an elderly widow suffering from Alzheimer's. James and Colleen

McPolin drove their 84 year-old victim to her building-society to

get her to hand over the money. This is the couple who preyed on a

vulnerable old woman. 41 year-old colleague and a taxi-driver husband,

46 year-old James, both from Warrenpoint. They befriended at

childless widow, Beatrice. In May 2009, they took the 84 year-old to

this building society in Newry where she made them out a cheque

for �46,000. Eight months later, she was back for a cheque for

�50,000. At this point, staff became suspicious and called the

police. At the time of the offences, the doctors said she was no longer

capable of looking after her affairs. They took advantage of her

ill state and that is what constituted the theft. When the

full extent of her dementia emerged during a police investigation, a

High Court gave him complete control over her affairs. This lady

was the most honourable and disadvantaged person, given the

extent of her Alzheimer's condition. She has no capacity to understand

what is going on on a day-to-day basis. A rethink of crimes against

the elderly and the vulnerable in our society, we think of a physical

assault and robbery. However, this particular case was no less serious,

it was perpetrated in a very callous manner and have the

potential to defraud and 87 year- old lady of her life savings.

couple have remortgaged their home to raise the money they took from a

pensioner. Today in court, they handed over a cheque for � 45,000

and that means they have paid back all the money they stole. The judge

said he would be passing sentence at next week after that cheque has

cleared. A former bank worker has been

jailed for eight months for stealing more than �20,000 from two

of his former colleagues. Stephen Glenn from Newtownards admitted two

counts of theft and forgery. Glenn told them he was going to invest

the money but instead he spent it. His ex-wife says she believes that

other people who gave him money are still to come forward. She's been

talking to our district journalist, Claire Savage.

This is Stephen Glenn outside a Swiss bank in Monaco. He had a

taste for the high life but are paid for it with other people's

money. Five years ago he told his victims he would invest their money

but today he was jailed for pocketing it. During this time he

was bankrupt but kept ahead and this fact from his wife at the time.

She doesn't want to be identified to protect their children but says

other people may have been fooled. There is definitely other victims

out there, I know that there fact. I cannot give any names and I guess

some people are too afraid to come forward and say they are victims.

When Stephen was a bankrupt, he may just damage to the south of France.

He said it was for business but later said there were threats

against him. His wife came back to Northern Ireland at the end of 2007

and found unpaid bills and a repossession order for their house.

A I can still remember the feeling, I thought I was going to faint but

I was so shocked and horrified, I didn't know where to begin to start

to peace my life back together again because it had just gone from

this idyllic life of living in the south of France in a wonderful do

love with a swimming pool and everything seemed so good. To then

come back and realise there had been such deception going on behind

my back and to realise my own home was being taken from me, it was

horrific. She says he has damaged people's lives. I hope that my ex

husband will recognise the extent of the devastation he has cost. He

has never shown any signs of being remorseful or made any attempts to

apologise. I think he lacks the high life and he likes of the rich

living. He always liked the film, catch me if you can. In some ways,

he has modelled his life in the past few years on the main

character in that film. Before he was sentenced, he told me he had

been the victim of an international scam and that he had been working

with the FBI to help smash it, something security sources have

rubbished. Today the judge said it would be in the public interest if

Stephen Glenn spent at least eight months of his 16 months sentence in

prison. A rare sentence for someone with a clean record.

UK petrol prices may have risen to a new high today but the cost at

the pumps here is even higher. The average price per litre of petrol

is now �1.44. Diesel costs even more with a further price rise to

come for both in the autumn. Many motorists have no alternative but

to pay more for fuel. There may be big price cuts at the

forecourts but they are in the shops, not the pumps were the price

of fuel continues to rise. Brittle has reached an UK high of �142.88

and later on average and here we pay 1.5 pence more. With household

incomes squeezed by inflation, pay freezes and benefit cuts, it means

filling up the car is now an necessary evil. It is 2 p a litre

more than last week but most of that his tax. It used to be �30 to

fill the car but now it is �70. you drive a diesel, you cannot feel

the pain. It is much more expensive than their petrol. Where you are

really going to see the difference is if you go abroad. Northern

Ireland now has the second highest diesel prices in Europe. Only

Norway is more expensive. There are alternatives, the main one being

public transport. That is OK if you live in a town or city but for

those living in the countryside, it is sometimes not an option to.

live in an area where there is not a great deal of competition, there

may be is not a supermarket in your area at driving the price down and

you're paying the highest prices for petrol and diesel in the UK and

in Europe and you have no alternative but to use public

transport. That is the position of people living along the border find

themselves in the Ikea in County Tyrone. I could spend �one and 50 a

week on diesel, is a disgrace. is very, very expensive for us.

you saying -- spending more? Definitely, yes. At a saving of

around �12 on the if the love of tank, it is not attractive as it

once was. Government duty mix up the bulk of what we pay. There is

another increase coming in August. Next week, the Assembly debates and

motion calling for the devolution to set fuel for duty. That might

ease the turning of the screw on the motorist.

Many people have commented on this story on our Facebook page today.

You can join in the conversation in. You can also follow us on Twitter.

The Ulster Hospital in Dundonald says 40 of its staff had been moved

from administration buildings during a gas leak this afternoon.

It happened after contractor ruptured a gas main on the west

side of the hospital complex near the renal unit. Staff reported

hearing hissing noises earlier today but no patients were affected.

Phoenix Gas engineers and the fire service cut off the gas supply at

the mains while the leak dissipated. Still to come on the programme:

They were promised a piece of paradise. Instead they got disaster

but today they got their money back. Now it is just, all my goodness!

This is a future for our family again.

We meet the Armoy woman who is hoping to paddle her way to the

London Olympics. The 120 year-old Athletic Stores

building in the centre of Belfast is to be demolished to make way for

an apartment block. Campaigners say they are annoyed that not enough

was done to save the building. The Victorian building has stood at

the corner of Queen Street for more than a century. It survived the

Blitz and the IRA's bombing campaign of the Seventies and

Eighties but it is developers who will end up pulling it down. After

years of controversy, the Environment Minister has finally

granted planning approval for the building to be demolished. Nobody

really believed the building could be saved. The issue is, cannot but

the sad be saved? When you look at the cost of doing so, the better

judgment, hard though it was, is that the building to be demolished

or stop in its place, there will be a seven-storey block of apartments

and a row of shop at street level but conservationists insist the

ornate front could have been saved. We think it makes sense. It is

fundamental to the character of this conservation area and to lose

buildings like this, we use our links with the past and identity

and we lose that authentic, tangible link with industrial

heritage of Belfast on which we sell ourselves to tourists in

particular. We cannot afford to lose buildings like this any more.

The building had not been given special protection and was not

listed. Today's decision means Belfast is poised to lose another

of its victory in buildings but before the demolition squad moves

in, the developer will have to raise the cash necessary to carry

out its plans and that won't be easy in today's property market.

There was traffic disruption in Belfast city centre earlier today

when metro bus drivers went on strike. Dozens of drivers stopped

work in support of a colleague who had been disciplined by Translink

management. The action lasted around 90 minutes. Services resumed

when the union heard the driver had been reinstated on full pay.

Management and unions will meet on Monday. The strike led to confusion

at bus-stops and long queues at taxi ranks.

It is uncomfortable for everyone and people will be disappointed but

people need to look at where the blame is. Do not put the blame on

the workforce. They supported their colleague because it could happen

to them. Three people from Northern Ireland

whose dream of owning a holiday home in Italy turned to disaster

have got their money back after five years. They handed over

thousands of pounds for a deposit on apartment that was never built.

They sued the solicitor who did the conveyancing work and today they

got the result they wanted. They were promised a piece of paradise.

The kids, this will be our beach. Instead, they had a devastating

disappointment. This couple from East Belfast board an apartment off

plant in southern Italy. Despite doing plenty of research, they

found themselves thousands of pounds out of pocket. A lawyer took

their deposit but the holiday homes were never constructed. They sued

the Italian solicitor and today at a High Court, the case was settled

in their favour. You put something to the back of your mind and don't

allow yourself to think about it because you cannot think of the

reality of this not coming to fruition and now is just, on my

goodness, this is a future for our family again. It is nice to get the

justice. The money comes into it obviously but it was in black and

white. The scheme was well marketed in Northern Ireland. The lawyer in

Italy appeared to have good credentials but the buyers were

badly let down. He sent the money on to the estate agents and didn't

carry out any of the proper checks. The land itself was designated for

agricultural purposes only so nothing could ever be built there.

Robert Crawford from County Down also won damages. Until you get

there, anything could happen. It has been a tough time and I am glad

to see the back of it, to be honest. So they have finally got the money

back but many others are still waiting. More than 60 people from

Northern Ireland who bought holiday homes are also suing the Italian

lawyer. Ireland's boxing team for the

London 2012 games is nearly finalised. Today Adam Nolan booked

his ticket in the welterweight division. Paddy Barnes is already

London-bound but he had a controversial defeat today.

With qualification assured, the pressure was off paddy Barnes to

win his semi-final but today. That didn't stop him a landing hard

punches on his Turkish opponent but surprisingly the judges ruled in

favour of the home fighter Bostock the result frustrated him but

another Olympic hopeful but he doesn't think he will have any

trouble when the Games come around. I don't think it will matter, the

experience will stand by him. London doesn't throw any secrets up,

he knows what it is all about so fingers crossed he could go better

this time. The day started well for the Irish boxing team when Adam

Nolan became the 5th fighter to qualify for the Games. But there

was heartbreak for Tommy McCarthy, he lost his semi-final with and the

last hour and with that, his chance of an Olympic place.

The Olympic qualification deadlines are not confined to boxing at this

time of year. With 98 days to the game's opening ceremony, this

evening we profile a County Antrim woman who is hoping to paddle her

way to London 2012. When it comes to an water sports,

Pamela's background is hardly typical. She was raised on a ship

San -- sheep farm in Armoy. Her family moved to France when she was

nine and she developed a passion for canoe slalom. There's little

room for error. It can be a lonely sport. Sometimes the only training

partner you have is a duck or swamp. But this is constant challenges, it

is the combination of a thrill and skill but I have never found in any

other sport. And she is good at it. In a sport that often the struggles

for exposure and funding, Hannah and her fellow hopefuls have had to

work particularly hard. She has a brilliant chance of qualifying, I

think it would be great for the sport. It is important now a

because the sports are really vying for each other for funding because

funding is going down for all sports and if you can show that you

are qualifying people for the Olympic Games, it gives the sport

much better chance of getting funding. Olympic qualification

hinges on next man's European championships in Germany. A big

performance there would Secure Hanna a picture in the summer.

It is Ulster's penultimate game in rugby's pro 12 this evening, which

they must win to keep their play- off hopes intact. Leinster are the

visitors for what will also be Brian McLoughlin's last match at

Ravenhill as Ulster head coach. Live now to Gavin Andrews.

A BIC atmosphere building here at Ravenhill ahead of the start a.

Some of the stories of Irish rugby are on a store and one joins us now.

It is no indication of Ulster's success at the tail-end of this

season but you are being rested tonight for a game so big? It shows

what a good squad we have. We can tick players like Stephen Ferris

and Dan Tuohy and myself that are carrying bumps and bruises and make

sure we are right for next week. Wigan have no fear of the boys

coming in because we know they would be a cracking job. We are

going to see Brian O'Driscoll out there for Leinster? It is a good

sign that leads to feel they have to bring a strong side appear.

They're at home, is a big game with two very strong teams out and it

should be a cracking game of rugby. A couple of the South Africans will

be playing at their last game had given Hill and Brian McLaughlan?

Over the last number of years we have had a few people playing their

last games at Ravenhill. Obviously it will be a sad day for this

evidence but a particularly sad day for Brian Haw. But it is a good day

for him as well, I am sure the boys will bring in a performance for him.

He has done a fantastically well for us but it is always a little

bit special when it is somebody from within Ulster and everyone is

very thankful for the job he has done and hopefully we can give him

a good scent of tonight and again next week. Best of luck, enjoy and

to keep calm. There is live coverage over on BBC Two from 7pm.

In football, the Irish Premiership title may already be decided but

the relegation battle is still intense. Carrick Rangers will go

down if they fail to beat Lisburn Distillery tonight. Glenavon are

not mathematically safe yet either, although their 4-0 win here over

Donegal Celtic last week has boosted their survival prospects.

We have done the first part of our job but the most important part of

our job is to not into any relegation fight and we don't want

to be in a play-off situation. We want to get to the end having a

winner. It will not be easy at Ballymoney. I am confident that if

we play there will be have been playing and tighten up the back, we

can get a result against anybody in the league.

Gaelic football - Armagh and Crossmaglen goalkeeper Paul Hearty

has announced his retirement from Inter county football. He began his

Armagh career 12 years ago and was understudy to Benny Tierney during

their All-Ireland triumph in 2002. Fancy yourself as the next Gordon

Ramsay or Jamie Oliver? Then get along to the north-west this

weekend where the focus is on fabulous food. Hundreds have signed

up for special cookery demonstrations tomorrow but today

it was the turn of the Junior masterchefs to showcase their

talent. The former army parade grounds at

Ebrington is playing host to a special event. Today, budding young

cooks were up against each other in a masterchefs attack competition.

They all have come through college's degree course but this

was a very public challenge where the heat was on. I am doing a pan-

fried salmon with oven baked potatoes and and lemon dressing for

some salad. My granny and my parents both love cooking so any

time anybody comes, there is something ready in the oven or any

recipe to try out. He is hoped this will have a positive impact on what

people put on the dining tables. is so important to get young people

thinking about a healthy lifestyle. The competition judge was certainly

impressed by what was another. is really important that children

are to get into cooking because it teaches them discipline, it teaches

them to have passion for something oh stop it is great to see them

getting excited about something that is not on a screen. So, to the

winner, this 13 year-old from foil and Londonderry College. I grew up

with cooking will stop my mum and my sister influenced me and I'm so

passionate about kicking. The focus on third continues throughout the

weekend. The last couple of days, the storms

have avoided as but today we had higher temperatures and in the

sunshine, tender just got up to 14 degrees. The dealer shows the

picture, a lot of sunshine around but in the afternoon, this area of

cloud kicked off with some heavy showers. There was some lightning

reports around and we got this picture in the Cookstown area. It

has been one of those days, the air goes up and you get at Anderston,

the air goes down and you have lovely sunshine. One or two of

those shares could reach Ravenhill in the next few yards but the rain

is beginning to die away and the emphasis will be on dry, clear

weather. It would be as cold tonight. Not the frost we had last

night. It does mean the weekend will start of a rather damp and

cloudy. The shares could be quite lengthy as well so it is a very

much an East, West divide. It is with ticking an umbrella if you go

out tomorrow. The further west you are, the drier and sunnier it will

be. It will feel very pleasant and those sunny skies will head

eastwards so that most places will have a decent end to the day and a

nice Saturday evening. On Sunday, it will start of a sunny but the