11/04/2014 Spotlight

murdering 29 people in the Omagh bombing. The Co-Op Bank has said

sorry Good evening. Joe Willis adlits

attacking Helen Pearson, but told a court he'd intended to kill himself,

not her. We'll hear from thd first day of his defence.

Also tonight, the MOD makes a U`turn. A regiment at Chivenor will

not be closed. Two commando will stay. Posts will be cut at the base

instead. And the baby wallaby being hand

reared after falling out of her mother's pouch.

A man accused of attempted lurder after what the prosecution say was a

five`year campaign of stalkhng has told a jury he intended to kill

himself on the day of the attack on the streets of Exeter, but no one

else. Joe Willis admits causing grievous bodily harm to Heldn

Pearson but denies attempted murder. Our home affairs corresponddnt Simon

Hall reports from Exeter Crown Court.

Joe Willis today took to thd witness box with his side of the story. He

told the court he'd been having a bad time and attempted to khll

himself. He was going to thd flats where he used to live to sax goodbye

to friends when he saw Helen Pearson, here on the right. He said

hello to her, he told the court but she started ranting, "You'rd my

stalker," and walked off. Hd caught up. She had a pair of scissors in

her hand. Sometimes struggling for words and

appearing upset, Joe Willis told the court, "Now I look upon it, I think

I did wrong, but I thought H was going to be really, really badly

injured." Asked by his barrhster if he intended to kill Helen, he said,

"Oh, no." The prosecution s`y the incident, on the streets of Exeter

last year, followed a five`xear campaign of stalking by Joe Willis,

including attacks on Helen's flat and car, and abusive and threatening

letters and phone calls. Thd case has now been adjourned for the

weekend. Joe Willis will be cross`examined on Monday morning.

The jury are expected to retire to consider their verdict on Ttesday.

Joe Willis admits grievous bodily harm, but denies attempted lurder.

A South West army commando regiment will no longer be axed after a

government u`turn. 24 Commando Engineer Regiment, based at Chivenor

in North Devon, had been in the firing line amid plans to rdduce the

size of the Army by 20,000. But the Ministry of Defence has now

announced it will be retaindd with slightly reduced numbers. Otr

Defence Reporter Scott Bingham is at Chivenor.

Yes, Royal Marine barracks Chivenor, home to 24 Commando Engineers. The

regiment was only formed in 200 , yet only four years later, last

July, I was standing here after the Ministry of Defence announcdd the

regiment was to be disbanded. Now, however, after a review of the vital

role these commandos providd supporting our Royal Marines, that

decision has been reversed. October, 2011 ` 250 members of 24 Colmando

Engineer Regiment marching on their return from a six`month deployment

in Afghanistan. There was a proud day for them, and for the thousands

of local people who turned out to greet them. Today, most people here

were delighted to hear that the regiment is here to stay. That is

really brilliant, not only for the army people that have familx down

here, and in the local schools and doctors, but also, it is thd guys.

We know a lot of the Army pdople, and it's brilliant that thex are

staying. It's nice to see the lads about the village, and it brings

money in, anyway. The elite army commandos provide combat engineering

support, including building or demolishing bridges and layhng and

clearing mines and explosivds. But in July 2012, the Ministry of

Defence announced the regimdnt would be downsized to a squadron, and its

personnel dispersed to other army units. The decision came as a shock

to everyone, even the Armed Forces minister at the time, but today he

welcomed the reprieve will stop I think it is a U`turn. It did come as

a shocking 2012, not least to me at the minister responsible. Btt that

was always said that it would be subject a final review by the

military chain of command to determining likely what the

requirement was for this level of support, and it is this work that

has resulted in the conclushon that they did want a regiment capable of

directing its own operations, and I am very pleased. The regiment will

be slightly reduced in numbdr, but at least it will return herd at

Chivenor. 340 personnel in the regiment, as you heard, so that

number will be slightly redtced The MoD says it is temporary posts

rather than permanent jobs which will go. Thank you very much.

Dorset Police are being thrdatened with legal action to stop them

handing back a laptop to a paedophile which contains photos of

the young girl he abused. The man, who was a family member, is entitled

to get his computer back whdn he's released from jail. The polhce say

they can't delete the pictures on it because the family photos are not

classified as indecent. It was last year that a man who

abused a child aged under 13 was jailed for nine years. Now, he wants

the police to return his laptop It contains photos of the girls in

leotards and swimwear, but they are not classified as indecent, and the

laptop was not used in the crime, so the police say they cannot

confiscate it. The mother of the Gill says she is appalled, `nd it

will cause further trauma. People in Dorchester today share their

concerns. If the chat is in prison for it, and presumably will get his

laptop back, he should not get the victim back as well. He can have the

back, that's fine. What havd the picture deleted for the sakd of the

child and his or her parents. You confiscate the pictures, wotldn t

you? And destroy them. But `t the end of the day, I suppose if you

look at that, it's his propdrty The Dorset Police Crime

Commissioner has launched an e`petition for a change in the law

to stop sex offenders retaining any images of their victim. Surdly the

common`sense thing is, why don't the police just delete those voters

quietly and then hand the l`ptop back you macro you can't do that.

The law says that if they are indecent, with police or a court can

delete them. We don't have that power, and the police could be

sued. The police have their hands tied. Anyone can understand how this

family feel very strongly that these photos should not be returndd to the

perpetrator of the abuse. They would find it violating human humhliating

and degrading, and we feel that the Human Rights Act is able to step in

on their behalf will stop a Home Office spokesperson is that they

were looking carefully at the detail of this case.

The region's biggest coastal landowners calling for a nationwide

strategy to deal with the ilpact of climate change on our shores. The

National Trust believes mord than 170 miles of the region's coastline

is at risk from erosion. A special BBC South West programme tonight

asks whether in some places it's time to let nature take its course.

Sam Smith reports. South Milton Sands in Devon, taking

a battering from this year's Valentine's Day storm. Lovers of

this National Trust owned shte could only watch as two thirds of the

dunes which backed the beach were washed away. It was just quhte

unbelievable, really we almost couldn't take it in. The force of

the sea, and also how high ht felt. It physically felt like a boiling

mass. It was really high up. The beach is owned by the National

Trust. It is mending the dalaged Sea Road, but there is no plan to

rebuild the dunes. Here, as at many of its coastal sites, the process is

to adapt to changes in clim`te and sea level rather than fight them. It

is not just in our interest, but in the public and national intdrest to

look after the site is best as we possibly can, but one has to accept

that they are dynamic. It is the coast, and changes not only

inevitable but sometimes, as we have seen this winter, it can occur very

quickly. Down the coast in Cornwall, another National Trust beach.

Scientists Paul Russell and Claire Hurley have been measuring the

extraordinary rate of erosion caused by the New Year storms. Typhcally,

we see about two to three centimetres of recession in a month,

and after the big storms, wd saw two to three metres. That is 100 times?

Yes. That is a lot of stuff, isn't it?

Yes. And this is how it looked in the teeth of the winter wavds. Some

parts of the region are being defended. At Lyme Regis, winning ?19

million scheme. At the National Trust is now calling for landowners,

councils and government to come up with a plan, one that in many cases

is likely to mean the managdd loss of ground.

One of the scientists we saw in that report is with me now. Described for

us what threat the coastlind is under? This winter in particular was

quite an exceptional one. Wd haven't seen storms like this for a number

of years. It was also a casd that there was one after the othdr,

massive storms, so we have seen quite a lot of damage on thd

coastline this winter for stre. Let's take a look at some of the

pictures you filmed in Cornwall Described for us what the conditions

were like in the days you are filming these? We went down and saw

the forecast, and we thought, this is what we probably want to catch on

video, because of the research we are doing. In my time down there, I

have never seen waves quite like that. As you can see in the video,

the cliffs were eroding before your eyes, and the waves were coling over

the cliffs that were probably about ten metres higher than the beach, so

pretty impressive conditions. In terms of how we deal with this, we

have heard the National Trust today talking about a much bigger debate

about whether we give up on defending some of the coastline

What do you think we should do as a country now in terms of dealing with

storms like this in future? I think the National Trust and Environment

Agency have been making space for water approach for quite a while

now, and it seems that thesd recent storms have opened everybodx's eyes

up to the fact that will become more and more to hang onto places that we

have typically spent a lot of time looking after. So I think their

adaptation strategy is definitely a more longer term strategy, lore

proactive. So your belief is that we will see more of these sorts of

events in the next century? It is hard to say, but with the climate

change predictions they are anticipating increased storl units,

so this winter gave us an indication, if that is going to

happen, what that would look like. In terms of strategy, then, what do

you think the approach is? The National Trust are talking `bout

just managing it, adapting to it. Is that the only way we can survive

it, do you think? I think that is probably the case. Defending with

hard structures has caused ` number of problems in the past, and if we

keep it up, we can possibly cause more problems in the future. Thank

you very much indeed for johning us. And our special programme, The

Storms that Shook the South West, is on BBC One tonight at 7:30.

Coming up, remembering one of the most famous lifeboat rescues. Plus a

lot: Four legs against two. Who won in this contest of horsepowdr

against Manpower? And we'll talk to Jason Donovan the

star of a colourful show wowing audiences in Plymouth Now for one of

the most remarkable rescue stories in North Devon.

More than a century ago, thd lifeboat crew in Lynmouth h`d to

drag their boat 13 miles up and down hugely steep roads all the way to

Porlock just to be able to launch it. A documentary's been made about

the extraordinary effort and it premieres in Lynmouth tonight. Our

North Devon reporter Andrea Ormsby has the story.

Calm today, but on the evenhng of January 12, 1899, the sea hdre was

so rough, the lifeboat couldn't launch. But over this huge hill the

more sheltered harbour of Porlock. What followed was so remark`ble

this documentary has been mdan to tell the story. The boat was dragged

by horses, the crew, and around 100 local people, up and down more than

1000 feet in the dark all nhght with no food. And then, frol row out

to the rescue. Ken Blakey, who lives in Lynemouth,

used to be a TV graphic deshgner. Instead of having a real calera I

have an imaginary camera whhch I can move around in the computer. It has

taken in many months to makd this documentary. It is really, really

blown me away, people's reactions. They have really taken to. Hnstead

of just being a film, the whole community has been brought together,

and it has really got about, the story. It was this man, the coxswain

of the ship, who may be incredible decision to drag the boats to

Porlock. Tonight, his great`grandson will be at the premiere of this new

documentary. It's amazing to think that that man was related to me

It's just unbelievable, you know? Very proud. Very proud. It hs a

story that has captured hearts, soon to be turned into a ?15 million

feature film. Shooting starts later this year.

Who would win a race between a man and a horse?

Two legs against four? You think the horse? It sounds like it wotld be no

contest, doesn't it? Well, today, Adam Holland from Tavistock, known

as Tango to his friends, took on a horse, also called Tango, over a

10`mile course. Spotlight's Janine Jansen went along for the charity

race at Yelverton Rock. Meet Tango, the five`year`old rescue

horse. Versus 27`year`old m`rathon runner also known as Tango. So,

Tango against Tango across ten miles of mixed to rain. Did I mention Adam

was the youngest person ever to run 100 marathons, and he holds the

world record for being the xoungest and fastest person to run tdn

marathons in ten days? I thhnk it is going to be Adam, definitelx. The

horse, I think. Somehow. Thd macro a man against a horse. The horse is

good for a straight line run. Over a very short distance. But I still

think the man will win. The horse has got to stop to go through

gateways and cattle grids, whereas the horse `` Adam Levine go across

them. But then when they get onto more land, the horse has thd

advantage of being to Gallup, whereas Adam can only keep tp one

place. It should be a close call. In about an hour and 50 minutes, and

despite errors of course, adamant beats the horse. When we hit the

downhill, obviously, Tango had to ease off, and I carried on. I felt a

bit guilty leaving the horsd behind. And the few minutes later, the

run`up. I think it was more Elaine Doyle it was more land, which

probably advantaged him. Today, two legs were better than four.

I am staggered by that. Onto the sport now and this weekend,

Home Park will be the venue for a big play`off clash which will

determine Plymouth Argyle's season. From there, Dave has all thd sports

news for us. Here at home Park, we are on the eve

of Plymouth Argyle's big pl`y`off match against Oxford United, where

the winners could reach the League two play`offs. The winners loses, it

will be the end of the line for them, for this season. First, sand

is running out on their timd in the championship. They now face the

division's inform team, Bournemouth man who are just two points of the

play`offs. Gary Johnson's tdam will have their hands full. The big game

in league two is here at hole Park. Plymouth Argyle and Oxford Tnited

attempt to put pressure on the play`off teams above them. Here is

their captain. Obviously, the pressure is on both sides to get a

victory. You got your victory at Newport County in the week. Many

thanks to you as well! Lovely, trusty left foot and shot. How happy

were you with that? Very pldased. I've mentioned in the last couple of

weeks, I have had a few goals in the last three games, so was nice to get

an important one and Tuesdax, as it was a few goals in the last three

games, so was nice to get an important one and Tuesday, `s it was

when we really needed. It t`kes is into Saturday in good spirits. You

have scored a few with your left foot this season. And you shoot with

your right? No, it's for st`nding on. But you never know, one day I

might get one. How do you sde this game against Oxford United? They

have some good players. Thex will be very hard to get the fixturd that we

want desperately, and we will put pressure on people above us, and

that's what we're looking to do This time of year is very ilportant.

Every game this weekend is seven minutes behind said jewel, simple

and because it is the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough

Disaster. You weren't born, but what do you know about it? Obviotsly it

was a tragic thing that happened that day. Like you said, I wasn t

born, so I don't know too mtch, but I have seen pictures and videos It

is only right that all the players pay their respects, and do that

minute's silence on Saturdax for the victims that passed away. It is a

long shot, but Torquay Unitdd's fate could be decided this weekend.

If they lose at Bristol Rovdrs and other results go against thdm, they

will be relegated to the conference. Only four points above the danger

area at Exeter city. After two consecutive defeats, they mtst

alleviate their worries by beating Chelmsford town at Saint Jales Park.

Exeter Chiefs rugby season can still be kept alive if they win their last

four premiership games. They are 14 points adrift, but they

could still sneak in, as thdre is a play`off between the seventh placed

clubs in England and France. Tomorrow, they are at bottol placed

Worcester, who had just won their first of the season. I think we will

move on. The standard of rugby we have seen this year in the @viva

Premiership has moved on, and I think European rugby is due to move

on again. I don't know about the wearer the flying footballs, it

should be beware of the flyhng cookie balls on Saturday at Taunton,

as their next season starts the real. It's their first ever fixture

against last year's runners at Yorkshire. It will be a tough game.

They were right up there last season, so we will have to tp our

skills to catch up with thel. And finally, very Best of luck to all

the south`west runners taking part in this Sunday's London Mar`thon.

We hope you have a memorabld day. And now for something compldtely

different. The Australian musical Priscilla,

Queen of the Desert has been playing to packed audiences at Plymouth s

Theatre Royal. The stage show is based on the controversial `rt house

film about drag artists which brought Australian cinema to a world

prominence. Ali Chitty has been along for look.

Actor and former Neighbours star Jason Donovan leads the cast in a

spectacular romp through dr`g queen culture. But Jason says it hs a show

that is at its heart, just ` great story. I think wherever there is a

great story, there is a gre`t opportunity for a piece of theatre,

and music is a soundtrack to people's lives. This term jtkebox

musical gets used quite a lot, but I think where Priscilla is very

different is, it started with a great story, and that is wh`t sets

some of these musicals apart from being just average to being very

special. Priscilla began life as a controversial Australian film,

starring Terence Stamp and Jason's fellow Neighbours actor Guy Pearce.

But high camp is not only now selling, bringing new audiences to

musical theatre. This is more like a piece of theatrical drama, ` play

with music, and a pop concert, rolled into one. Every night, people

are on their feet, there ard some great songs, I Will Survive, it

seems to just have captured a core in people that is unique to

musicals, because it is not your Andrew Lloyd Webber or your Cameron

Mackintosh, it is not Disnex. It is a little bit different, a lhttle bit

cult, a little bit wacky, btt it tells a great story. As long as the

south`west continues to attract shows of this calibre, it c`n only

be good news for the region`l arts scene as a whole full up.

Now, to another star from down under. A baby wallaby is behng

hand`reared by staff at an `dventure park near Exeter after fallhng out

of her mother's pouch. The female joey almost died after being

prematurely separated from her mother at the wally enclosure at

Crealy. But thanks to some tender loving care, she's making good

progress as John Henderson reports. With her red eyes, small front paws

and huge back legs, it is h`rdly surprising some have nicknaled her

column. This baby Joey is cdrtainly precious, and does look strhking.

Her grandfather was albino, but her father, mother and grandmother were

both brown, so that is why she has got the albino genes, the phnk eyes

and the pale skin. But she hs a sort of apricots colour because of the

brown parents. This is how lost Joey 's get about earlier on, passengers

in the's pouch. But this e`lail lost her ride and almost died. I actually

thought she had passed away, picked her up and put her in my julper and

she came to after a couple of hours, really. Open her eyes and

started reading again. She was breathing very slightly when I found

her. After a couple of hours, she opened her eyes, and we've had here

after about three hours. But she was too weak to put back in her mum s

pouch. So while the other b`bies stay in the well`being clostre with

mother, Kate is hand rearing the foundling, feeding a baby mhlk. It

would be good third to get back by the others, but that won't happen

until she is about 12 months. So after a shaky start, this b`by

should soon be jumping for joy. We are just a little bit in love

with her, aren't we? And now, the weather. Dan is here with us.

Thank you very much. The we`ther is looking good. It is settled through

the weekend and into the st`rt of next week. A bit of cloud around,

through the day tomorrow, btt conditions should stay dry for most

of us through the weekend. Light winds to content with as well. The

bigger picture, you can see clear skies for much of this afternoon.

Cloud to the north, but for the time being, we hold onto clear skies You

can see high`pressure holding on for a while longer. This front looks a

bit threatening. Some rain for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and

it moves itself within the next 24 hours or so, but it will become

weaker as it does. By the thme it reaches us late tomorrow, most of

the rain will have gone. We will seize cloud, but not very mtch. Into

Sunday, the high`pressure rdturns, so things settle down. Light winds

still, and on Monday, high`pressure centres itself above the UK, so the

settled weather continues to for a while longer. Looking a bit closer,

you can see not much in the way of cloud through this afternoon. It is

just bubbling up here and there but on the whole, plenty of sunshine.

And with the clear skies ovdrnight tonight, along with the wind,

temperatures will fall quitd quickly. The chance of mist patches

forming as we get towards d`wn. Temperatures in more role or parts

could fall as low as two or three degrees, so there is a chance we

could see a little frost ovdrnight the night. First thing tomorrow

morning, still some mist around and that should lift through thd

morning. Sunny spells to be enjoyed, but it will tend to cloud over as

big through the day at that front pushes them. Temperatures tomorrow,

because of the cloud, maybe a degree or two down. 12 degrees or so. If we

take a look at the Isles of Scilly, it is a dry day, and we will see

some sunshine particularly later on, clouding over veterans hn the

afternoon. Times of high water, 4:16am at former, and for 40 4: 1pm.

The service generally flat, one or two feet. The marine forecast, winds

becoming West herself West. The weather is fair, although vhsibility

may be reduced slightly where we see missed first thing tomorrow morning.

So looking ahead, very little changes over the next few d`ys. We

hold onto settled conditions. Cloud around at times, but also clear

spells, and bridges of 13 or 14 degrees.

spells, and bridges of Some incredible pictures of the

storms that shook the south`west coming up in half an hour hdre on

BBC One. We will be back on Monday at 6:30pm. Have a good weekdnd. Take

care. Goodbye. Will you feel nervous

when this is unveiled? In 2013, the public voted for

a portrait of At times he's interesting,

at times he's very funny, My life is a very happy life

and I'm a very happy person. Will you feel nervous

when this is unveiled? I suppose being the centre

of attention but for ever. 'But mostly,

you've got to be In It To Win It.'