27/01/2017 BBC Wales Today

Their families describe the pain of their loss,

as the boss of a haulage firm and a mechanic are jailed.

And Jo Stevens resigns as Shadow Welsh Secretary in protest

over Labour MPs being forced to back the bill to trigger Brexit.

The owner of a haulage company and a mechanic are starting

prison sentences tonight for the manslaughter of three men

from south Wales and a four-year-old girl who were killed

Stephen Vaughan and Phillip Allen, both from Swansea, and Robert Parker

from Cwmbran, died alongside Mitzi Steady, who was from Bath.

Their families told the court about the life-changing impact

of the crash in Bath two years ago, as Ben Price reports.

This was the scene near Bath in February 2015 after the brakes

of a 32 tonne tipper truck failed to work causing it to career out

of control, devastating everything in its path.

Tonight the owner of Grittenham Haulage Ltd,

Matthew Gordon, is starting a seven and a half year jail sentence

for the manslaughter of four innocent lives.

The judge described Gordon as a man who had showed more concern

A business owner who flouted the rules.

Mechanic Peter Wood will spend five years and three months behind bars,

the judge told him that he should have known that his casual attitude

We need to remember the devastation that their gross negligence

caused to innocent lives and their families.

As well as the deep impact this has had on the community at large.

Including the driver of the bus, the emergency services,

and all the passers-by who attended the scene.

Philip Allen from Swansea and Robert Parker from Cwmbran

were on business the day of the crash.

Stephen Vaughan from Swansea, a professional chauffeur had

As they meade their way back to Wales they travelled

as they did so there was nothing Mr Vaughan

could do to avoid the truck which careered towards them.

The track had also hit four-year-old Mitzi Steady,

killing her as she tried to cross the road.

Her grandmother suffered life changing injuries.

Gordon and Wood listened in the dark as a series of very emotional victim

Stephen Vaughan's wife, Sian, wept as she spoke of her loss

and described the time she had to go to identify her husband's body.

The man she'd married just six months before the crash.

We would have had a family by now, which we've been denied.

You know, the owner of the company has gone on to have a child,

You know, I feel very upset over that.

He's gone to have a life, and mine has been taken away from me.

Phillip Allen leaves behind two grown-up children,

His wife, Louise, said he was her soul mate,

the family had been looking forward to seeing him give his daughter

away at her wedding, but he died before he could walk down the aisle.

In her statement Louise Allen said Hayley's wedding day will always be

remembered as bittersweet, emotional day.

Robert Parker was married for 42 years, and had one son, his wife,

Denise, said their lives can never be the same again.

The judge, Mr Justice Langstaff described the condition

of the brakes on the vehicle which crashed as appalling,

and he said the failures of Gordon and Woods to maintain

He said this was not a one-off, but an accident waiting to happen,

which devastated the lives of so many families.

Gordon and Woods were jailed for a total of 12 years and nine months.

Ben Price, BBC Wales Today, at Bristol Crown Court.

The Labour MP, Jo Stevens, has resigned as shadow Welsh

secretary over her party leader's instruction that Labour MPs

must vote to support the bill to trigger Brexit.

In her resignation letter to Jeremy Corbyn, she said

she was a passionate European and had been urged by her

constituents in Cardiff Central to vote against the Article 50 Bill.

Here's our political correspondent, Arwyn Jones.

She's only held the role since October last year,

but the shadow Secretary of State for Wales has decided that,

for now, her conscience comes before her career.

Jo Stevens isn't the first Labour MP to resign over this issue,

but she is the first member of the Shadow Cabinet to go.

Front bench members of parties are generally expected to resign

from their post if they choose to defy an instruction

to vote in a certain way, called a three line whip.

In a letter to Jeremy Corbyn the Cardiff Central MP said

she believed Brexit is a terrible mistake, and that many of her

constituents have strongly urged her to vote against triggering

the process of leaving the EU.weather It means a search

Since the election in 2015 the post of Shadow Secretary of State

for Wales has been filled by Owen Smith, Nia Griffith,

The party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, wished Jo Stevens well,

said he understood why she was torn, but insisted it's important

the Labour Party respect the outcome of the referendum on leaving

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies,

has demanded a public apology from the First Minister

for accusing him of not wanting to be part of deciding Wales'

Writing to Carwyn Jones, Mr Davies called the comment,

made on the BBC's Wales Report programme, a "false

A spokesman for the First Minister has described

BBC Wales understands a one-off pension contribution of up

to ten thousand pounds, could be made to Tata

workers in their 50s, who plan to retire early.

Unions will begin balloting members on Monday, on whether to move

from the current final salary provisions, to a less

It's all part of changes linked to long term investment

Six decades of food production has come to an end in Newport tonight,

At one time, the company employed 1,000 people in the city.

Now, the remaining 100 staff, will lose their jobs.

Food Utopia say they've been unable to find a way to keep

It's the end of an era, to be honest.

They are looking at other jobs within the food industry, we've had

We are offering as much as we can, but obviously, from our point

The people took pride in the work, and pride in what they'd done.

Onto sport, and in Rugby, the Ospreys may be forced to play

their home European Challenge Cup quarter final, against

Stade Francais, away from the Liberty Stadium.

They're due to face the French club on the first Sunday in April.

But that could clash with Swansea City's Premier League

match against Middlesbrough if Sky decide to move that game

The Cardiff Blues meanwhile will play Gloucester

The Welsh boxer Lee Selby says he's proud to be fighting

at what h' calls 'the Mecca of boxing in Las Vegas

The 29-year-old from Barry, will make the third defence

of his IBF World featherweight title against the Argentine Jonathan

Time for a look at the weekend weather now, Sue's

Tonight, outbreaks of rain, possibly wintry over higher ground,

but misty and murky with overnight lows of 3 to 6C a small

Tomorrow, some early fog and mist, rain will start

Across the UK that band of rain moving eastwards through the day,

allowing some dry and bright spells to develop behind it

but a scattering of showers will push in from the west again

later, possibly wintry on high ground, especially

And for Wales, some bright spells, also a few scattered

showers some wintry, but temperatures generally higher

Tomorrow night, those showers peter out dry for a time,

mist and fog developing, then clouding over with a few

spots of rain pushing in from the west overnight.

Less cold here, but temperatures around freezing where it's

This warm front moves eastwards through Sunday,

So a milder, more unsettled Atlantic influence, but still some

uncertainty how far north this system will spread.

So a misty murky start Sunday cloudier with some drizzle.

Spells of rain move eastwards, more likely to be heavier

Eventually clearing from the southwest later,

remaining misty, but slightly milder at 7 to 10C.

Some dry spells tomorrow and we are into mild and unsettled weather into

next week. Spells of rain at times, generally blustery but less cold.

We're back with our next update at 5:20 tomorrow evening.

But for now, from all of us on the late team,