17/03/2017 East Midlands Today

A man appears in court charged with seven sexual offences

It follows a number of assaults across Derby which sparked a

high-profile police investigation. In the Champions League, guess who

drew Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals? Leicester City.

CHEERING Plus the humble vegetable seeds that

helped a unique city garden to flourish. And hundreds of people

turned out in Nottingham to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Good evening and welcome to Friday's programme with Geeta Pendse

First tonight, a man's appeared in court today,

charged with seven six offences against women in Derby.

It follows an extensive police appeal this week for public

help in what they called their highest priority

Well, James Roberson was at the court hearing earlier,

James, some of the charges relate to where you are tonight, don't they?

Yes, that's right, I'm at West Road in Spondon,

These incidents have received considerable publicity over

the last three years, and last night, Derbyshire Police

announced they'd charged a man with seven offences.

Now, the first thing this morning a 23-year-old man -

Ilija High from Chaddesden in Derby - appeared before Derby magistrates.

Mr High, who has dark hair and was wearing a white polo

shirt and grey trousers, spoke only to confirm his name,

It's alleged Mr High attacked three women over a 15-month period.

One charge relates to an attack on a woman in September 2014 -

as we've mentioned - on this lane, here in Spondon.

The second incident relates to another woman a year

There are five separate charges in connection with that attack.

And the last incident involves a third woman.

That alleged attack happened in December 2015, again,

Mr High was remanded in custody, and will appear

The police have said they are pursuing other inquiries?

Yes, the police had also appealed for information about another

serious sexual assault last month, in the Stoney Lane area

of Spondon, and those investigations are continuing.

A GP who mistakenly prescribed ten times the dosage of a strong

painkiller to a woman who later died had made another prescription

Dr Lawrence Axten yesterday apologised to the family

of 27-year-old Kymberley Holden from Derbyshire who had been

Our reporter Navtej Johal has been following the inquest

Nav, what more can you tell us about this previous mistake?

And today was the final day of evidence, so what happens next?

This prescription error was issued by Doctor Lawrence Axten in 2015 and

it led to a complaint by the patient. Yesterday, we had from

Lawrence Axten about the prescription for Kimberly Holden.

Today's heaving was not evidence but the response was that a neurologist

had recommended ten mg daily of a drug usually used to treat epilepsy

and migraines but Lawrence Axten had prescribed 25 milligrams daily. They

said this did not constitute a serious incident and it would have

been no requirement to report it. What happens next? The final day of

evidence included a representative from the company who made the

electronic prescription system. He talked about the issues they have

had in the past and steps they have taken to prevent them from happening

in the future. We had to wait until Thursday next week to hear the

coroner's conclusions and the finding of facts regarding

Kimberly's death. There is a lot of evidence to consider so the coroner

will take all of that into account before delivering the final findings

and hopefully delivering some closure to Kimberly's family.

Still to come this evening: A Derby student returns to her native

country to help battle a disastrous famine.

Sadia Abdi is leading one of the relief efforts

in Somaliland, where thousands of people face starvation.

A murder inquiry's under way in Leicestershire after the death

of a man found inside a car that appeared to have hit a wall.

Police were called to a crash on an industrial estate at Shepshed

But they found the driver's injuries weren't actually consistent

A 22-year-old man from Coalville's been arrested

School support staff in Derby have suspended strike action

in their ten-month dispute over a pay review.

Union leaders are urging Teaching Assistants to accept

a new ?2 million deal from the City Council.

They will now vote on the package, which would see the worst-hit TAs

getting about ?3,000 in cash to offset what they lost

Leicestershire Police are hunting two men after a security guard

It happened outside the Broad Street branch of Barclays at Enderby.

The money was taken from a G4S security guard who had

Police say he was attacked by two men, but it's not

It's emerged that an investigation is under way into the financial

The Charity Commission says it has serious concerns over the running

of the Bhaarat Welfare Trust and has frozen its bank account.

East Midlands Today revealed eight months ago that the Trust

was looking after donations for a dedicated Hindu

crematorium in the city, but it spent almost ?100,000

of the money on its own projects in India instead.

It should have been money for a new crematorium

Led by Vinod Popat from the Shantidham Project,

?96,000 was raised over the years by the local community.

It would have provided the facility, which otherwise is not

available at the moment, for example, the chapel is a bit too

small and the service time is too small.

It's a shame that this hasn't happened yet.

Donations were handed over for safekeeping to the Bhaarat

to the Bhaarat Welfare Trust here all of the road

for the money to be given back several years later,

the charity said trustees had decided the crematorium project

was no longer viable and so agreed to divert the cash to its

Vinod's group were so concerned they contacted the Charity

Vinod's group were so concerned they contacted the Charity Commission

The Charity commission found serious issues with the welfare

trust when first visited the charity in 2015.

In particular, it had concerns about the ability of its trustees

to account for funds transferred to India over a five-year period

and over how donations for the crematorium

The commission says the charity's response to its concerns have

In a statement, the trust says it will continue to cooperate

with the Charity commission and that it has given them

It is confident this information will address

In the meantime, a frozen bank account means the welfare trust

can't make any payments without getting consent

The watchdog says while it can't advise donors, people should

use their own judgment on whether or not they wish

So what action can the Charity Commission take?

That's a question we put to Sumeer earlier.

Firstly, it's important to point out the Charity Commission has stressed

the inquiry doesn't mean any findings of wrongdoing

The commission says it is very reluctant to close down charities

because it doesn't think it's in the public interest to do so,

especially when so many questions need answering and the priority

is really to get the charities back on track, so it would look

to put measures in place and make improvements.

This could mean suspending or removing trustees or even

We don't know what course this inquiry will take and again it's

worth reiterating the commission hasn't found any evidence

of wrongdoing by the Bhaarat Welfare Trust.

The inquiry is at a very early stage and it will be sometime before

Shocking pictures are emerging of famine in East Africa,

as Britain's leading aid charities make a new Disasters

One of those relief efforts is being LED by a woman who lives in Derby.

Sadia Abdi came to the city to study.

But now she's back in her native Somaliland, as the country

She's been speaking to our social affairs correspondent, Jeremy Ball.

One child on the brink of starvation, one of millions

The most malnourished are already dying.

It's happening across vast swathes of East Africa where it has hardly

Sadia Abdi is leading part of the British response.

She studied at Derby University and still lives in the city centre

but for the past few months she has been coordinating aid deliveries

I have seen people in critical situations.

Some of them were weak and couldn't even walk.

Some of them told us they have not eaten for months.

They have been travelling for the last few months and have

They are desperate and starving to death.

This week, an emergency appeal has been made by Sadia's

charity and by 12 other leading aid organisations.

So much difference could money donated here really make?

It's making such a huge difference because someone in starvation

has been provided food, the food saves their lives.

It's only six years since another East African famine claimed hundreds

This time they hope a more effective response could prevent

Pupils and staff at a Leicester school are to be tested

Two children at Barley Croft Primary were found to have TB.

They've already been treated for the disease

They're back at school and no longer pose a risk.

Families are being reassured that testing is only a precaution,

and it's unlikely anyone else is affected.

More than ?1.25 million has been given to help

boost the profile of the Derwent Valley Mills World

The Arts Council cash will be spent developing culture

and heritage locally, as well as establishing a sense

The Vital Valley programme will encourage artists and residents

to work with cultural organisations and businesses to

A range of security measures have been put in place to protect the now

empty Market Harborough District Hospital.

Clinical services have moved to the nearby

St Luke's Treatment Centre making the former hospital site

NHS Property Services is taking action to protect the vacant

building and its listed war memorial, while it finds a buyer.

Now how do you bring the history of a green space to life?

Well, the people who run St Anns Allotments have started

a new heritage project to do just that.

The Grade II-listed allotments are believed to be the oldest

and largest detached town gardens in the UK and possibly the world.

Now, a range of vegetable seeds from different time periods have

been produced to help tell the site's story.

Behind every hedgerow, something different.

This 75-acre site in the heart of Nottingham

Now its incredible history and current diversity

The team here has launched a range of vegetable seeds from different

time periods that this glorious green space has witnessed.

It's a real celebration, the fact we're still here and these

allotments were laid out in the 1840s, so nearly 200 years

and there's a lot of history and a lot of stuff to celebrate.

I want people to buy a piece of St Anns allotments history.

Among them, long green bush marrow from Victorian times.

Some of these varieties have always been around but it's bringing

The Growing Heritage project also features plants.

This is the nursery, the behind-the-scenes area

Here, we have a fruit trees being grown.

There are also roses and a variety of different heritage flowers.

This may look quite bare right now but by the summer,

The site was really well-known for rose shows in Victorian times

and back in the 1930s so there will be a good variety

of roses that we know were definitely grown

here and that's great, to have that provenance.

It's a great way of being able to take things home,

get your hands dirty and get involved.

It's something that gives you a bit of a look into the past.

The monuments trust funded project has been a year in the making.

Now they're starting to see the fruits of their labour.

Still to come: Sara's standing by with the weekend weather

forecast, so it might be best to leave the room for a bit.

Or just close your eyes! The weather over the weekend is going to be a

bit of a mixture. It will be windy and cooler with some rain but we

might see a bit of brightness. Time for the sport. Will you be

brushing up on your Spanish? Coming up, all the excitement

of Leicester's Champions League draw but we start with a game

which effects two cities. It's also the biggest game

of the season for Forest and Derby. Tomorrow's East Midands Derby

comes with added spice - for the first time in their history

both teams have new managers making their debut for this

hotly-contested clash. Both desperate to get

off to a winning start. The way they've been doing it just

didn't work. This is the fifth consecutive game between the Rams

and the Reds with different managers in charge. Making his debut, Gary

Rowett. Is going to be a great fixture. I've played in local

derbies. It's going to be a billing went for the fans. I know how much

it means to the fans, I get that, I get what the fans want to see from

the players. Every game to feel like a big Derby but the atmosphere will

have a different edge to it. Ready for the Reds, their new boss, Mark

Warburton. I understand the emotion and passion involved. We know what

it means to supporters. Relish it, enjoy it. Prepare well, train well

and look forward to it, it'll be a great encounter and touch wood, we

win. Both men unaware of what fate awaits any long-term failure. That's

part of you -- being a manager, that's part of the game and you have

to flourish in that environment. That's the only way you'll get

success. For the fans, it's about a win, whoever it is in charge. It

adds spice to the mix. If you can't get the motivation from the guys for

this kind of game, they shouldn't be at Derby and Gary Rowett knows what

that means, he's played in these games before. The players have to

play for the manager to play for their place. Hopefully it will be a

good game. It should be a great atmosphere. no tape cassette into

these management hot seats. Which of the men will come out on top? Games

don't come much bigger than this. Points and pride at stake.

From one big moment to another - today was the day Leicester City

found out who they would be playing in the Champions

We gathered some fans together in a pub close to the stadium

to watch Ian Rush draw out Athletico Madrid and then,

Leicester City. CHEERING

A very happy reaction to drawing out last year's

That's for two reasons - Leicester fans remember Athletico

controversially beating them in the Uefa Cup 20 years ago

and they have taken great heart from beating Seville.

Very happy with the draw, especially with the second leg being at home.

It'll be a brilliant night just like the other night.

We've got our mojo back and we're going to win.

I can't believe they're still fighting, it's brilliant.

Hopefully Madrid will think it's only Leicester City,

I hope they take us lightly and I hope they do,

This is not going to bed yet, my passport is not going to bed yet!

Jerry is here, a Leicester legend. What do you make of this drop? It's

a fantastic achievement by the club over all. Just getting to this stage

is a fantastic achievement but the draw itself, it doesn't matter which

team they would have pulled out of the hat but with it being Atletico

Madrid, there is a tinge of revenge. it's part of Leicester folklore, all

the dodgy refereeing. Yes and the second leg, that game could have

went the other way, it should have gone our way. We should have been

given a couple of penalties by the referee and subsequently we went out

and let the market left a bit of taste in the mouth. the fans think

it's a winnable game. Which Virginia picked out, it's always going to be

a difficult team to play against -- whichever team was picked out. They

have all won the Champions League or tasted victory saw the King is

Richie Macha, there are five points behind Seville -- looking at where

Atletico Madrid are they are five points behind Seville. I think the

biggest gratitude you've got to give is Craig Shakespeare, he's in

temporary charge. He is a simplified the game for the players. He's got

them the way they were playing last season, competitive, organise,

working their socks off. There's also the small matter of West Ham at

the weekend before the play Atletico Madrid.

In League Two, the battle at either end of the table continues.

On Saturday, play-off chasing Mansfield welcome Carlisle.

While on Sunday Notts County's good recent home form

Now then, Leicester Tigers, who could put another trophy

The Anglo-Welsh Cup is very much the junior competition but winning

the final against Exeter would be a highlight of a very

They're certainly going to the Stoop to win.

If we were to win, it puts us in a great position.

Momentum wise, but also in the atmosphere and the environment

for us to go on and hopefully win the next five home games

We'll have to work very hard to get the ball back from them and we'll

need to be very clinical when we have the ball,

so hopefully both sides are going to go out to try and play

We did our big feature on them yesterday, but I just wanted to wish

all the best to Leicester Riders' Men and Women who both go into their

You can watch live and in full on the BBC Sport Website.

There is so much sport being streamed live on the website now.

And finally celebrations have been taking place around the world,

and across the East Midlands, to mark St Patrick's Day.

In Nottingham, hundreds of people joined a parade through the city.

It culminated in a festival of Irish dancing and music

The streets of Nottingham became a sea of green

as the St Patrick's Day parade made its merry way through the city.

It wound its way to Market Square, where thousands of people

joined the celebrations and they were treated to a cultural

feast including live music and, of course, Irish dancing.

What does St Patrick's Day mean to you and to everyone here today?

For me, it's about my Irish heritage.

The festival has been running for 18 years.

It's really important not just for the Irish community,

but for anyone else who wants to join in.

How much do you enjoy St Patrick's Day?

What do you think of St Patrick's Day?

Happy St Patrick's Day indeed. A lot of black stout being drunk this

evening! Were you a good Irish dancer? Not in these shoes! Maybe

after a a few drinks later. The Sunrise disappeared as quickly as it

came. We've got a lot of cloud cover for the rest of the day and that was

captured by one of our weather watchers in Calke. It is turning wet

outside at the moment. We've got a ridge of high pressure and is

weather front working its way down his moving around a little bit and

it has been producing some rain through the early part of this

afternoon and into the evening but it tends to back off a little bit

after that. It will still affect parts of Derbyshire and north

Nottinghamshire on and off into the early hours. We might see some hill

fog through the Peak District and it's still a mild night but also a

breezy night with temperatures of eight Celsius and tomorrow morning,

the rain is still present early morning. It's quite patchy, quite

right, light. By the afternoon, the weather front is coming down from

the northwest and it might start to come in and produce patchy drizzly

rain. Daytime temperatures of 13 or 14 Celsius and it is still a breezy

day. The wind starts to strengthen through the evening and into Sunday

and Sunday, the wind will be stronger. We start off dry but again

another weather front I ran through the daytime on Sunday so still the

chance of seeing a little bit of rain as we head into the afternoon.

The wind remains strong through the daytime but as we start off next

week on Monday, a band of rain it works its way from the south and

this is the potential to produce heavy rainfall for a time on Monday

but there is a Government of hope. By the time we get a Tuesday,

brighter skies returning. It will feel slightly colder next week but I

think we might see high pressure also building in.

I'm going on holiday so I can't go to Madrid but half of Leicester

seemed to be going! The last one here, turn out the lights! That's it

from us, have a grey weekend. It was the most beautiful view

I've ever been through. For one second, I was swimming on my

back, and I was looking to the sky. I was swimming across

the Aegean Sea. I was a refugee,

going from Syria to Germany. This is my life, my career!

I did not frame him. This is my life, my career!

I did not frame him.