27/01/2012 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story:

One of the men wrongly convicted of the murder of Lynette White calls

for a retrial of eight police officers after missing evidence is

found. I would like to see a retrial so we can get to the bottom

of this and I can find out why I Also tonight:

An 18-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder after a person

died in a house fire in Cardiff. How important is your bus service?

A warning routes could be affected as grants are cut.

Mitt Romney wants a nomination for the US presidential election. His

wife is showing off her Welsh roots on the campaign trail.

In tonight's sport: There's six months to go until the

Olympic Games - three Welsh rowers are dreaming of medals. We take to

the picturesque water to assess their chances. It is always nice

when you guys turn up. It is often colder than this and you would not

want to go out on the water. Good evening. It was the biggest

trial of its kind in criminal history. Last month, the trial

collapsed of eight former police officers accused of fabricating

evidence in the original Lynette White murder investigation. The men

were acquitted when it emerged that two files of evidence were missing.

It's thought they'd been shredded. Last night, it was announced the

files had been found at South Wales Police Headquarters. But a legal

expert says the discovery is very unlikely to lead to a retrial.

Rebecca John is in Butetown this evening.

Lynette White was murdered in the flat above the book keepers behind

me almost a quarter of a century ago. Three men were wrongfully

convicted of her murder. One of the Cardiff Three, Yousuf Abdullahi,

has since died. But the surviving two still want to know why they

were convicted. The trial of the eight former South

Wales Police officers was the biggest of its kind in British

legal history. It collapsed last month when it was thought files of

evidence had been shredded. The judge at Swansea Crown Court ruled

that the former officers couldn't get a fair trial. They were all

cleared of perverting the course of justice in the original

investigation into the murder of Lynette White. But last night it

emerged that the files had been found at South Wales Police

Headquarters. Tony Paris is one of three men wrongfully convicted in

1990 of Lynette White's murder. The convictions of the so called

Cardiff Three were quashed in 1992. I would like to see a retrial so we

can get to the bottom of this and I can find out why I was implicated

in this case, who gave the word that implicated me, and how they

got their evidence. Lynette White was 20-years-old when she was

murdered in 1988. She was stabbed more than 50 times in this flat in

Butetown, where she worked as a prostitute. The solicitor, Stuart

Hutton, represented the brothers, John and Ronnie Actie, who were

acquitted of her murder in 1990. He thinks the former police officers

should face a retrial. There is a lack of closure because the matter

has not been resolved in the quarter. It is quite incredible

that in these documents have now been found and, by virtue of having

been found, we can reasonably suppose that they existed at the

time that the prosecution said they had been destroyed. The cost of

this case from the time of Lynette White's murder in the late '80s

until now is thought to be around �30 million. It seems unbelievable

that papers were not dealt within a very detailed way and totally

properly, given the millions of pounds that have been spent on the

investigation and are that things could fall at the point when the

Crown Prosecution Service was bringing matters before the court.

Supporters of the Cardiff Three - Tony Paris, Yousuf Abdullahi and

Stephen Miller - took to the streets to protest the men's

innocence. People living here haven't forgotten what happened.

People in the community would want to see a retrial. People want to

see closure for Lynette White and for the boys, but also in the

context of the wider implications for the justice system and the

criminal system. The case of Lynette White's murder was reopened

in 2000. Advances in DNA led to the arrest of the security guard

Jeffrey Gafoor, one of her former clients. He was jailed for life in

2003 for her murder. South Wales Police say it would be

inappropriate to comment on the discovery of the files because of

the ongoing investigation by the Independent Police Complaints

Commission. The IPCC says South Wales Police still have the boxes.

They say their investigation hasn't concluded and will need to

establish what happened to the two files of evidence. Lynette White

was killed on Valentine's Day, almost a quarter of a century ago.

Her murder was eventually solved, but many questions remain about the

original investigation. The people we've spoken to here

today would like to see the former police officers retried, but many

doubt it'll be possible because of all the legal hurdles that would

need to be cleared. Lucy. Winston Roddick QC is a former

leader of the Wales circuit. Good evening. What hurdles would have to

be overcome for a retrial to take place? First of all, you will have

to establish that this is an offense in respect of which the

double jeopardy rule has been abolished. It has not for this

offence. It was abolished for serious offences like murder, rape

and conspiracy to commit those offences, but not the conspiracy to

pervert the course of justice, and therefore the double jeopardy rule

still stands and you cannot retry them. If that interpretation is not

correct, you have got to show two things in particular. One, that

there is no evidence, and secondly that the new evidence is compelling

such as might lead a jury almost inevitably to the conclusion that

these defendants were guilty of this specific offence. This

evidence does not fall into that category because it was evidence

which favoured the defendants, rather than the prosecution.

Therefore, that hurdle could not be crossed either. We heard it here

that many people feel that justice will have failed without a retrial.

Justice has not failed. The prosecution said that there existed

evidence which might favour the defendants. The defence said they

wanted it, the prosecution said, we understand it is no longer

available and the judge had to decide whether that was an obstacle

to a fair trial for the defendants. The judge kept his eye on whether

the trip -- trial would be fairer not and came to the conclusion it

would not. That is justice. How is it that files of evidence can go

missing and then appear again? Was it that the evidence was not locked

properly? What do you suspect may have happened? This was a case in

which there were probably millions of pages of documents, bearing in

mind the age of the original case and the age of the present case. I

am not at all surprised that something went wrong with the

disclosure provisions in this particular case, having regard to

the volume of documents which had to be managed. I have a personal

professional experience of managed large cases and finding there were

documents which have not been disclosed to the defence, not

through any abuse of process by anybody but simply human error.

Thank you very much. Five officers with South Wales

Police have been given written warnings for disobeying orders to

stop pursuing a man who went on to crash into a wall and later died.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission released its findings

following yesterday's inquest into the death of 22-year-old Lee Lewis

in 2008, in which a narrative verdict was recorded. South Wales

Police say they'd taken "extensive action" to ensure staff were aware

of expectations during pursuits. A murder inquiry is underway after

a person died in a house fire in the village of Pentyrch on the

outskirts of Cardiff in the early hours of this morning. An 18-year-

old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Matt Murray

reports. A fire investigation soon became a

murder inquiry in the early hours of this morning. Scene of crime

officers entered the property in this village on the outskirts of

Cardiff. Many neighbours woke unaware of what had happened, but

say the man who lived at the property only moved into the area

just over a year ago. He was a very quiet man, just kept himself to

himself now. We used to have a chat when the bend into each other but

that is about it. It is a small community, it is a friendly

community. It is just a shock. People who live on the streets say

that in the early hours of this morning, they heard a car revving

its engine. Shortly afterwards there was a sound of a crashed. It

is believed that car hit this wall. Police and fire crews arrived at

the scene shortly after. The general feeling today is one of

disbelief. We woke up at 4am because we heard the police and

everything and we wondered what was going on. I was a bit concerned

about my neighbour who lives down the road. I just said to the

detective, what is going on? He said there has been a very serious

incident. An 18-year-man is still being questioned by police and,

while inquiries continue, an incident room has been set up at

Cardiff Central Police Station. Officers are urging anyone who may

have witnessed what happened to come forward.

The chair of the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee says the police

should investigate allegations of financial corruption at Wales'

leading race relations organisation. It comes after the All Wales Ethnic

Minority Association had more than �3 million of funding suspended by

the Welsh Government. The claims concern chief executive, Naz Malik,

alleging he used the organisation's funds inappropriately.

I certainly would welcome a formal police investigation. We are told

that South Wales Police have been informed of the ongoing Welsh

Government investigation but clearly some of these allegations

are criminal in nature and I think the police should step in and get

involved. A 26-year-old man has been remanded

in custody, charged with the murder and rape of 67-year-old Irene

Lawless from the village of Llanllwni in Carmarthenshire.

Darren Martin Jackson, who lived in the same street, will appear before

Swansea Crown Court next month. Bus services could be cut and fares

increased following the Welsh Government's decision to reduce the

subsidy it provides for local transport. Bus operators say they

will struggle to maintain some routes once the amount of fuel duty

they can reclaim is reduced in April. Councils say they've been

given little time to prepare for the changes.

Jenny Brooks is on her way home to Llangynog in Powys from her regular

bus trip to Oswestry. Services like this are subsidised by the Welsh

Government but, from April, it's reducing the fuel rebate it gives

bus firms by 25%. That could put trips like this under threat.

is the only service so it makes sense to use the bus. If you don't

use it, you're going to lose it, but he would be very inconvenient

if it was not on because I do shopping and that. It is very good.

Bus operators say with the fuel duty rising, they have no option

but to pass their extra cost on to local authorities but they are

facing cutbacks of their own. The Welsh Government will also reduce

its grant for local transport from �11 million to �8 million this year

- a 27% decrease. The Welsh Local Government Association says the

severity and suddenness of the cuts was unforeseen and the effect on

services is likely to be severe. can't see what alternative that

they have got apart from reducing the number of services which will

be pretty catastrophic to the people of Powys. Those who have

come to depend on the local bus network. The Welsh Government says

operators in Wales have previously enjoyed more generous rates for

standard diesel than in England and hopes firms can find ways to meet

the needs of local communities. Those waiting at Caernarfon bus

station today hope so too. I don't know what we would do without a bus

service so we will keep our fingers crossed. In terms of the best

prices, it does affect the way you travel around. If your car is

broken down, you have got to use the bus. Bus firms in Wales have

told us that schemes in England help to make up any shortfall in

fuel rebates and that cuts there have been phased in gradually.

Sharp cuts here could see some Still ahead in Wales Today, we've

been to Team GB's rowing headquarters. We are taking to the

waters at the rowing headquarters. Catching up with the Welsh athletes,

Meet the Romneys. Mitt Romney, a former Governor of Massachusettes,

is a multi-million dollar businessman battling to claim the

Republican nomination for the US presidential election. But it's his

wife Ann who's been stealing the show on the campaign trail, handing

out Welshcakes to journalists. And as Sian Lloyd reports, her family

in Wales are fully behind the Romneys' race to the White House.

He wants to be the most powerful man in the world. And, on the

campaign trail, his wife is at his side. Her husband's rivals have

painted him as an a latest, but her story epitomises the American Dream

and she has been showcasing her Welsh roots to the public and the

press. Her family moved from Wales to the USA 90 years ago and her

father, Edward, was 14 and his father took the decision after

being injured in a mining accident. Rodney Evans is her second cousin.

My grandfather and her grandmother were brother and sister. So that's

why we became her father's first cousin and she is my second cousin.

I have met them here and in America, a lot. Lovely people. He is a nice

guy. A family boy. Five sons of his own and 16 grand kids. A formidable

family. It was in the 1920s that her relatives left their home in

search of a better life in America. Well, work was very, very scarce in

the valley. They were closing the collieries at the time. They all

closed and there wasn't work in the valley for the miners. Seen her

relatives making headlines around the world, it's a proud moment for

Irene. Her grandmother was her sister. Yes, I think it's a

wonderful and obviously, if they hadn't gone to America, as chance

would never have happened to them, you know, but we have met over the

years, several times, and she's a lovely personality. It's a long way

from Wales to the White House, and Mitt Romney's early advantage

suffered in the latest primaries, but, while his American supporters

tried to regain momentum, they can be sure of the continued support of

their relatives back home in Wales. Claire is here now with all

tonight's sport. Lucy, thank you. Good evening. The

Scarlets prop Rhys Thomas is recovering from emergency heart

surgery after falling ill in training. The 29 year old forward,

who's won seven caps for Wales, is in a comfortable condition at

Morriston Hospital after surgeons operated to treat a heart condition.

The Llanelli Scarlets says they will be keeping in close contact

with doctors as Thomas continues his recovery in hospital. Of course,

we wish him well. More rugby in a moment. It's just

six months to go before the start of London Olympics and the pressure

is cranking up on all our athletes hoping to get medals on home soil.

Britain's rowing team won six medals last time round. And now

three Welsh rowers, all from Wrexham, could play a big part in

London. Tomos Dafydd has been to meet them at Team GB's rowing

headquarters near Reading. 7:30am and the rowers are up before

sunrise. Early starts are the norm Miles and miles are covered out on

the lake each day. No chance for a quick weekend away. The rowers are

lucky if they get one Sunday off a month. And there are hours of work

to do in the gym too. After success in Beijing four years ago, Tom

James from Wrexham is hoping to repeat that feat again in the

coxless fours. Illness meant he missed a training camp in South

Africa but now Tom is back in the boat. For the next couple of months

or so, we will decide who we will be rowing with, and it's our chance

to get a gold medal, which we are all after. There's a lot more to it.

You enjoy what you're doing every day. One of the most satisfying

things about growing is building crews, building a team and

achieving something from that unit. While Tom was picking up gold four

years ago, Victoria Thornley had barely set-foot in a boat. A former

model from Wrexham, he career was cut short. Too tall for the catwalk

she was told But now she's using her height to her advantage. At

nearly 6'4" Vicky's got involved in the sport after a search for

athletes of a particular size. was a sporting giants talent search.

They were trying to get tall people for tall sports in London, and it

looked like a great opportunity, so I just applied on the line and was

selected to go for testing. I didn't have a clue about rowing, so

I went along to it blind, and it went from there, really. I am just

under six foot four, so pretty tall for a girl. I think I was the

height they wanted the guys to be. 27-year-old Chris Bartley is hoping

to make into the lighweight four but after failing to defend the

World Championship title last year, he knows there's plenty of work

ahead. And the training is intense. It's always nice when you guys turn

up. It's not always like this. It's cold and wet and windy. You

wouldn't want to go out on the water but, yeah, a general day, we

do a session on the water, a session in the gym and on the

weights. It is two or three sessions a day, six or seven days a

week. The key moment will come at the national selection trials for

so after then, we will have a better idea who will make it to the

London Games. After those trials, the coaches will have a few weeks

to find tuna their tactics and line-ups before the Olympic regatta

starts on the 28th July. Rugby. Wales have called up Stephen

Jones to their training camp in Poland. With 104 caps under his

belt, the Scarlets number ten, has arrived in Gdansk to provide extra

cover in the fly-half position. Rhys Priestland is struggling with

a knee injury. James Hook has returned to France to be available

for Perpignan this weekend. Wales's Six Nations opener against Ireland

is a week on Sunday. Back here, the regions play in the

LV Anglo-Welsh Cup this weekend. It's an all-Welsh affair at the

Brewery Field in Bridgend tonight where the Ospreys face the Dragons.

The Gwent region have won their last three encounters, including a

narrow victory earlier this month. With their top stars on

international duty, both sides have picked a number of younger players.

You look at it the year before, a lot of those boys played. Matthew

Morgan, Ashley. They all played a lot against Wasps and Leicester.

It's a game of experience for these boys and, going forward, these

could be the squad. Football. It's FA Cup action for

Swansea City this weekend. They travel to Bolton tomorrow in the

fourth round. Defender Alan Tate could make his return from injury

after breaking his leg last summer. Manager Brendan Rodgers is expected

to sign a new three-year contract this weekend. In the Conference,

second-placed Wrexham welcome Bath City. It will be a busy weekend for

Newport County fans. They travel to Gateshead in the league. While a

second string side will take on the New Saints in the Welsh Cup.

We all did PE in school but I can't remember skydiving being part of

the curriculum. Well, a 15-year-old GSCE student from Aberystwyth is

believed to be the first in the UK to sit an exam in the sport.

wasn't an option when I was in school. Like all PE students her

age, Sian Spence has to demonstrate her ability at four sports. As

Cemlyn Davies explains, it hasn't been easy preparing for an exam

nobody seems to have sat before. Just a few hours after leaving

school in Aberystwyth, she arrives in Manchester for another lesson.

This is one of three skydiving centres in the UK. Once picketed

out, it's time for her to get started, and watching on, two more

experienced skydivers. Her father used to coach the Red Devils

parachute regiment. As she has got it in her blood. We are both very

proud parents. She has progressed at a fantastic rate and I can

sincerely say, maybe begrudgingly, she flies better than I do. She was

given her first lesson for her 12th birthday. Her grandmother was

celebrating her 80th birthday at the same time and a sky dived

together. She enjoyed it so much, she is deciding to sit and examine

it as part of hippy GCSE course. friends know I like it. They were

shocked I was allowed to do it. But people in my PE class for example

said, you can't do that, it's not a sport. Even so, preparing has not

been straightforward. A brand new syllabus had to be drawn up and she

eventually sat her exam last week. I was going in with her at the same

time. I was moving around left and right, checking she was following

me with control and smoothly. In the second part, we had formations

to do in one minute, and we saw how many we could do in a minute.

exam was not too bad. It was fun. You can't say your exam was fun.

she passed her exams with flying colours and is now preparing for

her next assessment, Beskeen exam in America.

A good idea. -- a skiing exam. Now a man with his feet firmly on

the ground. Here's Derek with the There is some snow in the forecast

but don't get too excited. It will depend on where you live. We are in

for a cold weekend. Some sunshine and frost. If you've got any

outdoor plans, Saturday looks the best day for getting out and about.

If you're thinking of going for a walk up Pen y Fan, you may need a

pair of crampons. Rob Jones took this picture of snow on Corn Du

this morning. We've also had a few more hail stones today. Jason Ahmed

took this photo in Cardiff. This evening wintry showers will die

away. The whole country having a dry night. The cloud clearing. A

few mist patches forming and a widespread frost. Icy patches on

untreated roads as well. Minus two or minus three Celsius. Frost on

the ground and on your card tomorrow. Mist and fog patches to

watch out for. Otherwise, it will be bright and dry with plenty of

sunshine. A good day for a walk on the prom with a light breeze.

Plenty of sunshine. The sunshine could turn a hazy in the afternoon

with some high cloud invading the sky, but it will stay dry. Reaching

five or six Celsius with hardly a breath of wind. Tomorrow night dry.

Some frost. A few mist and fog patches as well. Less cold and

cloudier in Pembrokeshire. Sunday much of the country will start dry.

Bright for a time but rain in Pembrokeshire will slowly become

more widespread during the day. Some sleet and snow is likely too.

Mainly on higher ground but there is uncertainty on exactly where and

how much snow there will be. To keep an eye on the forecast over

keep an eye on the forecast over the next couple of days. There are,

thank you very much indeed. The main news again. Pressure is

growing on the Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester to

turn down his bonus following a political backlash. Yesterday it

emerged Mr Hester would receive shares worth �963,000 on top of his

salary at the bank which is mainly owned by taxpayers. One other men

or wrongly convicted of the murder of Lynette White has called for a

retrial of eight officers. Missing evidence which led to the collapse

of the trial on charges of perverting the Court of Justice,

have now been found. And that is Wales Today. Don't forget you can