10/03/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

degrees. Fiona. Thank you, Sarah. That's all from the BBC News at Six.

Tonight: A 17-year jail sentence for the woman

who ordered her youngest son to murder his brother.

Anybody who is family oriented will understand what the closeness of

family means and to find out you have been betrayed by your brother

and mother must be devastating. A warning that some could

close unless the way How this missing 18th century

portrait from County Durham was We meet the 11-year-old twins

from Teesside who've set their sights set

on being world champions. A year on Newcastle are on course

for promotion, but Fulham are out And can Boro repeat their FA Cup

heroics of 2015 to knock out Man City and book

their place at Wembley? A West Cumbrian mother

who told her youngest son to kill his brother is tonight

starting a 17-year jail sentence Alison Murphy, who's 52

and from Whitehaven, encouraged her son Gary

to kill his 26-year-old brother, A judge at Carlisle Crown Court

ordered Gary Murphy to be detained indefinitely in a secure hospital

while he receives treatment. Mark MacAlindon has been

following this extraordinary case Mark, tell us more

about what happened. It is quite an unusual case, as you

say. It is the story of a dysfunctional family, Alison Murphy

and her sons Tony, 26, and Gary, 23. Alison and Gary live separately in

Whitehaven. Tony was in the south of England and the two boys hadn't got

on for some time and Gary had a real resentment of his older brother and

that was exacerbated by his ass burgers syndrome. One night Tony

visited his mother and he drank heavily and then they rout. This was

when Alison Murphy exchange the text cases -- text messages with her

younger fund that are crucial in this case. One said, I think he

should be killed but I am not sure stabbing is the right method,

perhaps he should be pushed off a cliff or into a harbour. Gary

replied, I am fine with whatever, as long as he dies. Gary arrived at his

mother 's house and stabbed his brother in the neck, inflicting and

eight centimetre deep wound and Tony lost a litre and a half of blood but

he was treated in intensive care and he survived. Despite that, Tony

believes his mother is innocent? Yes, Tony left court today too

distressed to talk directly to us, but he did read a victim impact

statement to the court. He has pain in his face and neck,

but it was the emotional effect He said he felt sorry for his mother

and that her life was ruined, and that he hoped her appeal

would be successful He said he would look

after her house and her dog Clearly a complicated case. The

judge said there could be no sentiment here?

No, he said the plot between Alison and Gary was crude

and unsophisticated, but it was premeditated.

Alison Murphy has been jailed for 17 years,

Gary detained indefinitely in a secure hospital as he remains

Afterwards I spoke to the police officer who led the investigation.

It is so unusual that a mum and son plan together to kill the other son.

It is tragic. Luckily Anthony Murphy survived but it is a heinous crime.

What has been the impact on him? I think it has affected him immensely.

Anybody who is family oriented will understand what closeness of family

means, and to find out how you have been betrayed by your brother and

mother must be devastating. A desperately sad case, but thankfully

not the sort of case we find routinely in front of the courts.

Thank you very much. A Newcastle council boss has warned

a lack of maintenance could force the closure of local parks

unless there are changes The city is consulting

on a plan to transfer parks to a charitable trust,

after a sharp fall in funding. It says the new body will be better

able to raise income. But critics question

whether the approach will work. This report from our political

correspondent, Luke Walton. They date back to Victorian times

and been at the heart But parks like Leazes

in Newcastle have been feeling The core funding is

down more than 90%. And the man in charge says

a re-think is urgent. My personal opinion is that over the

next few years maintenance will slip so much that we will have to close

some parks because they won't be safe. That would be the other

option? That is not an option, it is not what we will do, but it will be

the inevitable consequence of doing nothing.

Newcastle Council is consulting on plans to transfer

parks and allotments to a charitable trust it says would be better

Sunderland Council is also looking at a similar approach for some

of its key parks over a longer timescale.

They'd be be following the example of Milton Keynes which runs more

There are so many advantages of having a trust that is dedicated to

looking after the parks. We are not against other services and demands.

By having good and well maintained parks the income is ring fenced to

use back in those parks and it means we can invest in the parks.

Back in Newcastle the woman who represents the city park users,

says the effects of austerity are already evident.

She worries the new organisation wont fill the gap.

She worries the new organisation won't fill the gap.

We don't know how much it will cost to maintain parks and green spaces

and on the other hand the council is not telling us how much this social

enterprise will potentially raise in order to maintain parks and green

spaces, we just don't have the figures.

The council says it's still examining how much income

But it insists parks would remain in the ownership of the local

That's unlikely to silence further questions about the future

And there's more on that story, along with the rest of the week's

That's this Sunday morning at 11 o'clock, here on BBC One.

A man's been arrested by police investigating a rape

in the Northumberland town of Morpeth last month.

The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, February 4th.

An 18-year-old woman was walking near Morpeth Golf Club

when a man in a car stopped and offered her a lift.

She got in, and after driving a short distance, he raped her.

Police say they've arrested a 55-year-old man, who's been

released on bail pending further inquiries.

People using trains in our region can expect disruption on Monday.

A strike on Arriva Rail North and Northern Rail is due to start

The 24 hour stoppage by the RMT union is part of a continuing row

Directors of a Gateshead firm which offered to help people benefit

from the Government's ill-fated Green Deal scheme will not be

prosecuted after agreeing to refund customers.

Gateshead Council's Trading Standards began an investigation

into the firm Tivium after receiving a large number of complaints,

but say it's not in the public interest to pursue the now-defunct

At a pre-trial hearing the father and son directors,

Andrew and Jonathan Matthews, agreed, through their solicitors,

to pay back more than ?100,000 to 372 customers.

Police are investigating after a 14-year-old boy was spotted

Northumbria Police found the car parked in a lay-by

in North Shields and seized it for not having insurance.

The force's roads unit tweeted that the boy denied all knowledge,

but forgot his books were in the boot.

A new survey suggests people here in the North are drinking

It says more than 40% of us have cut back on the booze over the last year

compared to the national average of just over 30%.

Well, it's Friday night, traditionally the time of the week

when many of us might head to the bar, so we've

sent Jonathan Swingler to a pub in Ponteland,

We are at the blackbird Inn and pings are -- things are gearing up

for the weekend in this popular place.

2,000 people took part in this survey by Mintel,

It revealed some interesting figures.

Their figures say almost a third of people in this country have

cut their alcohol intake over the last year.

People in the North East are the most likely to be drinking

41% in the region said they had reduced their intake

Compare that to the South East where that's 27%.

Across the country 44% said it was to save money.

39% said they wanted to improve their health.

Some 14% are concerned about becoming dependant on alcohol.

But we did speak to Balance, the organisation that wants people

They say almost one in three adults are drinking at risky

Well, we've been having a chat with some of the drinkers here.

Probably more, to be honest. I drink much less now than before. How come?

I don't know, I don't know if it's just as you get older, but it just

doesn't appeal as much. Probably a bit less. How come less? Just

moneywise, pennies. Purse strings and all that. I'm a teacher so I am

definitely drinking more. How much more are you drink it? What do you

teach? I teach PE. I don't know, I like weekend.

Joining me now is Michael, the Landlord here.

Is this normal for a Friday? Yes, this is our normal start to a Friday

evening. It will start at about 4pm. People drink in stages now. They

will stop the soft drink and they may start early and go on a bit

earlier. Do you think this research is true? Game know. People are

enjoying themselves. Even during the week people are still coming out and

relaxing. We are doing a good trade here, as is the village. Basically

for us people are still drinking and still coming out. I think they are

managing their drink better. This research says people want to be more

healthy so are your customers doing that, cutting down on health

grounds? We find some may start with a soft drink or have won during the

evening but mainly they are still drinking. They do not drink soft

drinks all night. It is not going to change. I know you are busy so I

will let you crack on. I might have a drink now! Back to you.

Look North understands more than a dozen schoolchildren were sent

home from a North Yorkshire school today after the police were called

The pupils protesting at Bedale High School say they're

being denied permission to use the toilet outside of

North Yorkshire County Council says students who need the toilet

during lessons or need access for medical reasons will always be

However a number of parents claim that isn't the case,

and some girls have been punished for going to the toilet

They have only been given certain time slots, roughly about a

five-minute time slot at break time and lunchtime to go to the toilet.

It is absolutely ridiculous. I have actually been to the school twice

within the last week myself to complain about this.

A missing portrait of the man who created Sedgefield's Hardwick Park

is now back where it belongs, in County Durham, after being traced

John Burdon took ownership of the Hardwick Estate in the mid

18th century before he set about developing and

After disappearing in the 1950s, it turns out the 18th century

painting was very well travelled before its return to the North.

The life-size portrait of John Burdon was hung in a prime

spot at his beloved Hardwick Hall in 1792.

It stayed there for more than 100 years after being taken

down by the estate's next owner it was eventually sold

at auction in 1958 and then it disappeared for decades.

Then in the 1990s Durham County Council teamed up with the Friends

with the Friends Of Hardwick to find the painting and they traced

The director of Sotheby's acquired it and took it

to his grand villa in Tangier, so we move from Britain,

right through Europe down to North Africa.

And there it lay until he died in the early 2000 and came up

And there it lay until he died in the early 2000s and came up

Eventually we tracked it down through the auction house,

it was quite a job, but we got there, found that French artist had

She lives in Geneva but has an apartment in Paris

After the long search Tony and his team went to Paris to bring

We were in this apartment in Paris, came around the other side

of this wall and there, in front of you,

The thing that struck me straightaway was the archway,

and that without a shadow of a doubt is Saint Edmund's church.

Until now I had seen anything but a tiny smudge of paint

Just to make sure, had a quick sniff.

This is it, it is what we have been searching for the 18 years.

This magnificent painting depicts John Burdon proudly

surveying his land back in the 1790s.

Now in 2017 he is back in his rightful place.

The smell of old paintings, completed!

Dawn Thewlis joins me shortly with the weekend's sports news.

We meet the very sporty 11-year-old Teesside twins who're

hoping to become national and world champions.

It will be mild this weekend and there will be rain at times but it

won't be a full wash-out. Join me later for the full forecast.

It was the worst loss of life the Lake District has seen

in its time as a tourist destination, and it led

to new safety rules governing pleasure craft.

Now in a new book a retired policeman is telling

the story of the Derwentwater disaster of 1898.

The Lake District, one of the nation's favourite tourist

But it was equally popular in the late 19th century as well.

A visit to Lakeland provided respite for those who lived and worked

in the grimy industrial towns and cities of the North.

Among them mill workers Mary Jane Smith, Mary Alice Reid,

Nancy Pickles, Francis Crossley and Helena Clegg.

They were in a party of mill workers from Nelson who headed

Sadly the five young women and never returned home.

It was the worst loss of life on an English lake

On the final day of their stay the highlight was to be a trip

out on Derwentwater, the ladies arrived at

the landing and boarded a rowing boat and set sail.

Out in the middle of the lake one of the ladies lost their handbag

overboard, and in the scrabble to try and retrieve

It already overladen and then capsized and sank.

Ray Greenhowe, a retired policeman from Cumbria has documented

From my research on this as an incident I could find no one

in the Keswick area that knew anything about this as a subject,

It was such a significant incident that it should be remembered.

Following the accident new rules were introduced

to govern pleasure craft, so the legacy these five young women

left behind was to make leisure time on the lake safer for us all.

Now, just ahead of tonight's sports desk, meet the 11-year-old twins

from Teesside who've set their sights set

Imogen and Amelia Hall from Wynyard have Achondroplasia,

the same condition as the Paralympic multi-gold medallist,

Well, this year the girls have a chance to realise

their dreams after being selected for the National Dwarf Games

In the games lessons at Teesside high school

At 11 years old, though, Twins Amelia and Imogen Hall now

have plans to be world champions, arguing that may come true this year

have plans to be world champions, a dream that may come true this year

It's like, you know, it's amazing being there but it's quite a...

You are nervous, yeah, very competitive.

And when you are against all of the children you will be

a sore loser and be like, oh, and get really annoyed.

What happens when you compete against each other,

If we lose, we would like there is any excuse.

Yeah, so if Imogen wins I'll be like, just because she cheated,

They have been involved in a lot of the dwarf sports events

since they were seven years old and it has helped them

It obviously keeps them fit and they get to compete with people

The twins have achondroplasia, the same condition as Ellie

Like Ellie, it's a condition that hasn't held them back.

So what do you have to line up with the back leg?

With the special coaching from the school they are first

aiming for the National games in Birmingham, with shot

and badminton just two of 12 sports they will be taking part in.

So from all of these sports that you are competing in,

which one do you think will make you world champions?

I'm going to be one of the oldest there so I hope we will win medals.

The National Championships take place at the end of April,

with two bright hopes from Teesside aiming to add to their already

A couple of winners there. Chatterboxes as well!

Middlesbrough and Sunderland would have been playing each other

in the Premier League tomorrow in a potentially season defining

game, if it hadn't been for the fact Boro are in the quarterfinals

But it's not exactly a break from the pressure of the top flight.

Boro are likely to be without defenders George Friend,

Daniel Ayala and Calum Chambers, and if they want to get

to Wembley the Teessiders, who fell into the relegation zone

last week, will have to get past third-top Manchester City,

whose boss Pep Guardiola's just been voted Manager of the Month.

He might have been a former Man City youth player but Adam Clayton,

who's just signed a three-year contract extension at Boro,

will have full family backing in this game,

despite his mum being a lifelong city supporter.

They always want me to win. There are no tears shed if we win. They

will all be on my side, there are a few United finds in there as well so

they will be happy if we can get over the line.

Boro drew with City earlier in the season and two years ago

Championship Middlesbrough knocked them out of the FA Cup

With a place at Wembley at stake, Clayton believes it's important

It gives you belief. We have done it before and now we are a Premier

League team so it is a level playing field and we can get our fans behind

us and we will be disappointed if we are not in the next round, albeit

against a great team. We need to send our fans have with a smile on

the face again from the Riverside so that will be our mail -- may name.

There hasn't been much to smile about lately.

But a win for a side bereft of goals could spark

And despite dropping into the relegation zone,

boss Aitor Karanka believes there's much to be happy about.

It can be amazing, especially to realise how well we're living

because sometimes I heard someone tells me that we are in an awful

situation but for me to be in a Premier League, to be in the

quarterfinals is an amazing situation. It is true that we are in

the relegation zone and that is the first time we're in that position

since the league started but again for a team like we knew that it was

going to happen so we will just try to win and we are in a really good

moment. We knew wouldn't be easy. It is the first time we've been in the

relegation zone all season so maybe it has dawned the last hour little

bit more that we do need to pull our finger out and get around each other

and now is the time because you are running out of games.

Talking about Cup games, South Shields are preparing for one

of the biggest games in their history.

The Mariners head down to the Midlands for the first leg

of their FA Vase semifinal at Coleshill Town tomorrow,

knowing a victory would secure them a place at Wembley.

In the Championship Newcastle Utd are poised to celebrate the first

anniversary of Rafa Benitez at the club.

Typically, the Spaniard is playing down his own role, concentrating

Because after three great away performances a largely underrated

and in-form Fulham side are out to spoil the party at

These are the scenes fans will fondly remember.

Exactly a year ago tomorrow the hugely successful man

from Madrid strolled into St James Park.

He immediately embarked upon a Rafo-lution and since then

he admits he's had to perform some serious, deep root canal surgery

throughout the club, but he's slowly getting

When you see from outside, you think it is OK and you analyse the games

and everything but when you are really here you can see the problems

from inside and maybe it was a difficult task. There was a lot to

change? Yes. A team that in the last two or three years were not doing

really well, it means something, so we try to then define the problems

and to find the solutions. Sometimes you can sometimes you need more time

and we are going in the direction altogether.

Among Rafa's first signings was the big Irish central

And the Republican of Ireland International knows

the danger now is that one or two players might take their foot off

the gas after those three great away results at Brighton,

It was a tough week but we know ourselves that if we don't get a

good result tomorrow than the results would have mount nothing. We

don't want that to happen at all. We want to get the run going and keep

our form. Fulham arrive at St James' Park

tomorrow on the crest of a six game unbeaten run,

and a reputation for open Goals look very likely,

possibly quite a few. Well, talking of promotion,

Carlisle Utd need to get back to winning ways and quickly

when they take on Cambridge The Blues have dropped out

of the promotion places And it's real six pointer

for Hartlepool who travel to Notts County who're one point

and one place below them just A big weekend. A lot to play for.

Now time for the weather. I cut the grass -- I am hoping to

cut the grass this weekend, what are the chances?

We will see rain at times but there will be windows in the weather so

you might get lucky. It has been a cloudy day today and this picture

was taken in Ambleside by Weather Watchers. Really grey with clouds

here. Similarly in the north-east we saw a fair amount of cloud and the

sunshine tried to break through. This weekend there is going to be

rain at times, not a complete wash-out but there will be a fair

amount of rain. Very cloudy as well. This stand Merc but crucially it

will be staying fairly mild. This is the picture overnight tonight.

Cloudy with spit some spots of drizzle over the Cumbrian fells. Mr

as well. Overnight the cloud will help to keep temperatures from

falling away to low so we expect a minimum overnight of around 9

degrees. That is 48 in Fahrenheit and it

means will be quite a mild start. Missed, especially over Cumbria in

the morning, but a dry stout. It will not stay that way as we head

into Saturday afternoon the weather front will sink to the south. It

will bring outbreaks of rain. By 3DM the weather front is with Cumbria.

The rain will be fairly light and patchy and quite drizzly. It will

have cleared parts of Northumberland and be dry here and fairly cloudy.

The remaining parts of the north-east. In Co Durham and North

Yorkshire the rain is not quite made it here yet by three in the

afternoon. Temperatures much the same as today, ten or 11 degrees. On

Saturday night the rain gets more energy to it and it reinvigorates

for a time. Heavy bursts of rain during the night to take us into

Sunday and the temperatures are still falling down to seven or

eight. Sunday is another fairly mild start but a misty and murky start.

Dry weather on Sunday morning. Parts of the north-east will see the

sunshine before another band of rain pushes in from the West. Further

west you are on Sunday afternoon the more likely you are to see the

sunshine once the rain clears away. Parts of Cumbria will end up with a

sunny day. Temperatures on Sunday around 11 degrees. Into the start of

next week and things are improving ever so slightly. A ridge of high

pressure takes us into Monday so we will see spells of sunshine. It will

be a fairly Saturday and temperatures up to 11 or 12. Rain at

times this weekend and you might get the grass cut!

Thank you very much. I might leave it a week. It is too early!

Whatever you are doing, have a great weekend, we will see one Monday.

So, like, you get sponsored to swap clothes with somebody for a day.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK, I don't get that. So, maybe...

I don't get that. ..you wear your mother's clothes?

I don't get it. What does she wear? No, no, she wears someone else's.

OK, I don't get that, it's too complicated. Do another one.

So, like, you get sponsored to let people lick stuff

No, but, like, you get these flavoured... Cool, yeah.

Not going to happen. Peanut butter. Do another one.

For better ideas, get your free fundraising kit now.

Let's Sing And Dance exploded onto our screens,