08/01/2014 Reporting Scotland

goodbye from me. On BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where

On tonight's Reporting Scotland: Calls for a summer truce from a

former First Minister. Jack McConnell says this year's

Commonwealth Games in Glasgow should be free from political debate about

the independence referendum. This woman was killed, and her body

cut up and placed in a suitcase. Now her son goes on trial for her

murder. It's a beautiful country, but

Scotland's government says the distribution of who owns the land is

unfair. It may not be fair but is it fair that your wife is prettier than

mine, that you win the lottery and I don't?

Should pupils be given taxpayers money towards their savings? Find

out why Glasgow City Council is giving each school child ?10.

Paul Lawrie says he's swinging better than ever and tells us why he

thinks he can make this year's Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Good evening. The former First Minister, Lord McConnell, is calling

for both sides in the independence referendum debate to call a "truce"

during this summer's Commonwealth Games. But Alex Salmond says it's

"nonsensical" to suggest that politics would overshadow Glasgow

2014. Here's our political correspondent, Glenn Campbell. The

host for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be Glasgow. Alex Salmond was in

show anchor to celebrate when blase won the right to host the games. But

the 2014 B at was launched by his predecessor as first Minister, Jack

McConnell. He wants formal referendum campaigning suspended for

the games. I think it would be great for Scotland if both sides of the

campaign would agree there will be a truce during and in the run-up to

the games. Then they can start again. As the two campaigns limber

up for the last nine months before the independence vote, neither side

seems keen on a truce for the games. They said they think it's hard to

see that happening and that it is unrealistic to think it could.

Scotland's first minister could not foresee any problems. The idea that

politics could overshadow the games is nonsensical. They will be one of

the greatest events Scotland has ever seen. Ladies and gentlemen, the

Wimbledon champion for 2013, Andy Murray.

Politicians do like to celebrate sporting achievements, so how should

they play the Glasgow games at a sensitive political time? This

former badminton ace thinks they do need to be careful. Both sections

are going to be visible at the games but if they are too visible, it

possibly detracts from the Scottish performance and the Scottish

accident -- the Scottish athletes. I hope they are not too visible and it

should be about the athletes. Not all of Scotland's greats will be

competing. But it is Scottish politics that Jack McConnell wants

to keep out of the sporting arena at the Glasgow games. Well, we can

cross to Westminster now and join our political correspondent, David

Porter, in the lobby of the House of Lords. A debate is taking place

tonight about the Commonwealth Games? That is correct. It will get

underway in the next hour or so in the House of Lords chamber. They

will be discussing the plans to guarantee the success of the 2014

Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. That is a fairly wide-ranging debate. It

should allow peers to pick up any points they want to. There are a

fair number of peers who have some sympathy with Jack McConnell and his

call for the politicians to butt out for that fortnight in July and

August when the games take days to allow the athletes to take centre

stage. Some think that although that may be a good idea, it is rather

naive idea and that politicians will not be able to resist the

temptation. Other peers and MPs I have spoken to actually doubt

whether the public will have a -- an appetite for politics was the games

are going on. They point out what happened during London 2012, when

politicians tried to get involved -- try to get involved, they got the

rough end of the stick. They will be mindful of that. The politicians

themselves may decide it is wrong to try to compete with sport during the

two weeks of the Commonwealth Games. In that case, they may find you know

campaign so that when the Commonwealth Games are over, in the

last six weeks before the referendum vote, that is when the big fish will

take place. Thank you. And BBC Scotland has a new series of

referendum debates - beginning in Greenock on the 21st of January and

touring the country over the next nine months. If you'd like the

chance to come along and put your questions to senior politicians,

then go to our website for more details about how to take part.

A witness has told a murder trial how he noticed "very white teeth" on

the ground in a clearing in an Edinburgh wood. James Dunleavy, also

known as Seamus, is accused of murdering his 66-year-old mother,

Philomena, and dismembering her body and burying it in a suitcase on

Corstorphine Hill. Catriona Renton was in court.

On the 6th of June last year, a cyclist found human remains. For

weeks, the victim's identity was unknown but after many police

appeals, detectives established it was 60 Six Rd Philomena Donleavy

from Dublin. Today, in court, her 40-year-old son went on trial. The

first witness to be called was the whip -- the cyclist who found her.

He described how he was cycling home and took a deep to up the hill. He

said it was a fine day and he decided to have a rest in a clearing

he had spotted. He said almost instantly the first thing he noticed

were very white teeth. He realised what he was looking at were a skull

and teeth and he said there were markings on the ground that look

like they have main -- they had been made by a shovel. He took a photo

and later went to the police. He said, I could not remember what I

said exactly to them but it was something like, I think I have found

the body. The court was shown a photograph of what confronted him

with a warning that some might find it disturbing. The accused denies

murdering and dismembering his mother. He also denies telling

others that his mother was ill and had gone home to Ireland when it is

instead claimed that he put her remains in a suitcase and took them

to the hill, where he buried them. Still to come on the programme: Why

local campaigners are fighting hard to save this piece of printing

history. And Paul Lawrie on trying to get

over the nightmare of last season and get into the Ryder Cup team. And

can you put a price on this level of the site -- meant excitement?

MSPs will have failed Scotland if they fail to reduce the dominance of

traditional sporting estates. That is the message from some.

Research suggests just 432 people own half the Private held land in

Scotland. That is largely down to big estates created for shooting and

fishing. A league table of big landowners includes the government,

the National trust for Scotland and even the RSPB. But traditional

estates still hold five of the top ten places, with the Dukes estate

leading the pack. The government wants to see change. We believe

there should be a fairer distribution of land. The

communities should have access to land in order to achieve what they

want to. And if in decades to come we still have a pattern of land

ownership in rural Scotland where our landscape is dominated by

sporting estates, will that be a failure of government? If we do not

see a fairer distribution of land, we will have failed. But is this an

issue the government should act on? One man who owns a very large estate

inks not. It may not be fair but is it fair that your wife is prettier

than mine? That you win the lottery and I do not? It is a concern

stirred up, as far as I can see, by those with access to these things

but those who live in these areas it does not seem to bother them. The

government are looking into this. The gentleman looking into it has

said that he does not want to get rid of all big estates, but he wants

to look at it properly. And you can see more on that story in BBC

Scotland Investigates: The Men Who Own Scotland, tonight at 10.35pm on

BBC One Scotland. A Super Puma that crashed into the

North Sea killing 16 men was declared fit for service the day

before the tragedy. A fatal accident inquiry in Aberdeen also heard that

the aircraft operator's head of engineering wasn't aware that a

fault had been found with the helicopter in the days before the

crash. Steven Duff's been listening to today's evidence. Jackie, this

has been at times a very technical fatal accident enquiry. Today, we

heard from James Gilmour who was the director of engineering at Bond

offshore helicopters in 2009. He was shown a photograph of the crashed,

seen here in flight in 2005, and he showed -- he confirmed that a

licensed engineer had certified the helicopter fit for service the day

before the crash. The same engineering team also lifted the

need for additional inspections on the aircraft which had been imposed

on previous days because a metal particle had been found in its

gearbox. That is important because later the air accident investigators

pinpointed the presence of metal particles as being fundamental to

the cause of the crash. Asked if he knew about the particle or the extra

inspections, he said that he did not. Asked if he should have done he

said he would did not get involved in day-to-day hanger work. The

enquiry is still being attended by many of the relatives of the 16 men

who died and will continue tomorrow. The European Commission is looking

into claims that Celtic Football club broke EU rules in land deals

involving Glasgow City Council. Officials in Brussels say they've

asked for information from the authorities here, after receiving

several complaints from members of the public. Glasgow City Council

confirmed one of the complaints focussed on land deals around Celtic

Park. The St Mirren player Paul McGowan

has been sentenced to 130 hours of unpaid work and a one-year

supervision order for attacking two police officers. The midfielder

admitted kicking one constable and repeatedly kicking another in

Airdrie and at Coatbridge Police Station last August. A sheriff told

McGowan, who has a previous conviction for police assault, that

his punishment was a direct alternative to custody. Pupils in

the first year of secondary school in Glasgow are to be given ?10 by

the City Council, in a bid to halt the rise of high-cost payday

lenders. It's become the first local authority in the country to run a

voluntary scheme, giving youngsters the chance to open a credit union

account and learn to save responsibly. Suzanne Allan reports.

Are you going to think about joining? Today, pupils were amongst

the first to try the scheme. The council will give any first-year

pupil at a Glasgow secondary ?10 to put into a credit union account. We

are making sure that our young people have the opportunity to do

join the local credit union. They will learn how to manage their own

finances and hopefully save money. We are providing ?10 for each

account holder to start a savings fan. Pupils cannot touch the money

for at least a year. I think it is great having credit unions at

school. It is teaching young people how to save money. Is that something

you already need lessons on? I think I probably need some lessons. I

think it is great because if you want to know what you'd needed for

in the future. With the recent recession, the numbers of people

taking out payday loans is soaring. 100,000 people in Glasgow last year.

Do credit unions see people coming to them who have had had experiences

with payday lenders? Yes, they have got into bother. It has cost them an

awful lot of money. And possibly through speaking to family, friends,

relatives, they understand that by saving, they can then borrow at a

very low interest rate. This scheme is voluntary and already a thousand

of the 4000 pupils in Glasgow have signed up in advance. Be investing

in one year 's time to see if those accounts are zero or ?20. -- it will

be interesting. Other stories from across Scotland

this Wednesday. Police in the Highlands are

appealing for witnesses to an accident when a man was apparently

killed by his own vehicle. It happened between Maryburgh and Tor

north of Inverness. To the driver, a 44-year-old man was

run over by his own vehicle at the head had stopped his vehicle in this

lay-by. -- after he had. The accident happened when the road

would have been busy with commuter traffic heading home.

A woman who died in a three vehicle crash on the A75 Dumfries by pass

yesterday has been named as 50-year-old Lynne Trainor who lived

nearby. Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses.

Administrators for the Orkney-based jewellery company Ortak say that

they've been unable to find a buyer for the whole business, leaving

dozens of jobs in doubt. The company, which operated 15 stores

across the UK, went into administration in March last year.

Dumfries and Galloway Council wants to tap into a ?30 million government

fund to open up to four new railway stations in Thornhill, Eastriggs,

Dunraggit and Beattock. The Cameo cinema in Edinburgh

celebrates its centenary today. Originally called the Kings Cinema,

it's had to reinvent itself to survive the threat from home-based

entertainment. I think there is still a real appetite for seeing

films in a cinema, a collective experience. It is unique. Archivists

at the Black Watch museum in Perth have begun studying documents left

by an officer who fought during the First World War.

Lieutenant Colonel John Stewart left instructions the letters and other

papers were to remain sealed until 2014. It's one of the biggest

collection of papers left by an individual from the war.

And there are more stories from your area and regularly updated news on

BBC Scotland's website. Let's now get the sport news from

David. Yes, good evening. Paul Lawrie says

his game is in better shape now than it was in the run-up to the last

Ryder Cup. The 44-year-old Aberdonian admits he endured a

nightmare last season but that a hard winter of practice has him in

good shape for the start of his bid to make the European team for

Gleneagles this autumn. Phil Goodlad reports.

Now, a look at what else is happening across Scottish sport.

Test test test. The remaining three spots in the 12

player team, they will be picked by the captain. Last year, I would have

had no chance but I think I have got myself sorted out. I did a little

work with my swing coach and we have got things sorted out. It is

probably better than it was in 2012. There is a lot of confidence coming

back. Peter Lawrie will be in the Middle East next week, where his

quest to qualify for the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles begins.

Supporters of second division club Albion Rovers are in a great mood

this evening. The fans here are choosing what they

want to pay to watch the match. I think football is expensive. It

has become a crease in the expensive and times are difficult at the

moment. We are not yet out of the recession. I know there are some

green shoots of recovery but we are not yet there. I do think football

clubs and the game in general needs to look at the pricing models and

make sure it is fit for purpose. Nobody Albion Rovers attracts two

wooden 50 spectators -- normally Albion Rovers attracts 250

spectators. They do need a bit more support. People make jokes about it.

I think people should get behind the team. They would rather go on watch

-- go and watch Rangers and Celtic. After their Scottish cup win over

Motherwell and the cost eight constant gripe amongst fans, this is

at least an example of a football club trying to do something for the

long-suffering fans. And now I look at what else is happening in the

world of sport. Andy Murray's been seeded fourth for

the Australian Open. The draw's made on Friday. The tournament starts on

Monday. Murray's picked up the runners up award in the competition

three times. Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has

been talking about reports suggesting he wants to sign David

Goodwillie. The Blackburn striker's loan deal at Dundee United is due to

end this month. Inverness have extended the contracts of two

players. High Speed two agents every day and we are looking for players.

-- I speak to agents. Midfielder Danny Williams has signed up till

summer 2016 and so has tough tackling left back Carl Tremarco.

Hibernian's Kevin Thomson has been told he can leave the club. The

former Scotland midfielder's contract runs till the end of the

season. Scott Brash has kept his place at

top of show-jumping's world rankings. The 28-year-old from

Peebles is also the sport's overall 2013 Global Champions Tour winner.

And there are more sports stories, plus all the latest news, 24 hours a

day on BBC Sport Scotland's website. Some transfer news, Dundee United

have signed a former Falkirk striker on loan from Brentford.

Historians and local campaigners are working on plans to save one of the

last remaining working print shops in Scotland. They building housing

the machinery is hidden in a side street in Blairgowrie. It's a time

capsule housing the old fashioned printing presses with their letters

and fonts. But the premises are in danger of collapse, as Elizabeth

Quigley's been finding out. Putting words together, piece by

piece. It is painstaking and time-consuming. This the listed

print shop has been here in Blairgowrie since the end of the

19th century, complete with all the original cases and fittings. The

technology might have changed but the language we use today is

littered with phrases from the world of printing. They had the upper case

and lower case, which had the upper and lower case letters in. And the

individual letters in those cases were known as sorts, we you had a

box of sorts. If you ran out of letters, sorts, you were out of

sorts. The bed of the press was where you put the newspaper to bed.

It looked like a big double bed. All these other terms became gradually

absorbed into everyday language. This is a real time capsule. It is a

method of printing that is all but forgotten, consigned to the history

books but it could get a new lease of life. There are ambitious plans

for the disused local school. What you have seen today is some unique

machinery, going back 150 years. It is still working. The primary school

project will represent an opportunity for us to take these

machines, put them into a new purpose-built museum and let all the

generations of today see what the generations did in the past. This

way of printing might be long gone, but perhaps the machinery will find

a new way to live on. Time now for the weather forecast.

This is the map from seven o'clock. Some showers across the north and

north-west. Maybe a spell of snow across the a 468. Further north,

largely dry and Chile. Temperatures in towns and cities in low single

digits. Some frost in rural parts. Tomorrow, it is a day much like

today, fairly settled. Bright spells and a couple of isolated showers.

The showers will be isolated, across the West and nothing too heavy. By

mid-afternoon, a touch cooler than today. Seven Celsius at times. Some

blue skies. Come further north, the showers will be a bit more frequent

and that breeze coming in from the West or the north-west. Then the

rest of the afternoon into the evening and overnight, still some

showers to content with added will be called -- it will be colder.

This front will bring in some rain and much cooler air as well. On

Friday, it starts dry and bright in the East but turning wet by late

afternoon. It should improve by dusk.

And that cold air right overhead as we head to win to Saturday. It is

the tail end of the very cold conditions they have had in the

United States. But thankfully, not that cold. Just about average for

us. It will be fairly cloudy this evening. The chance of seeing the

aurora borealis, but maybe tomorrow is the best night to see that. That

is the focus for now. There were angry scenes at the Royal

Courts of Justice after a jury found that Mark Duggan was lawfully killed

when he was shot in a police marksman.

Lord McConnell is calling for both sides in the independence referendum

debate to call a truce during the Common of games. Alex Salmond says

it is nonsensical to suggest politics would overshadow the games.

Air force personnel have spent the day removing ammunition and a brief

run a beach in Norfolk where a US military helicopter crashed last

night. The aircraft was taking part in a low-flying exercise.

And that's Reporting Scotland. I'll be back with the headlines at 8pm.

Until then, from everyone on the team here in Glasgow and around the

country, have a good evening.