07/03/2017 Reporting Scotland

And on BBC One, we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Tonight, on Reporting Scotland: A husband who poisoned his wife

with laxatives is jailed for three and a half years.

She says she thought she was going to die.

I was in bed for almost two years on and off, I was so ill. They thought

I had the early stages of motor neurone disease.

The court hears he was a lying fantasist who told people

Also on the programme - a big increase in consultant

and nursing vacancies in the NHS in Scotland but the Government says

A further delay for the controversial Named Person Scheme

as ministers draw up new legislation to overcome legal obstacles.

It's official - Scotland's streets are getting dirtier.

Now campaigners say we should all do more to reduce litter and how

Scottish ballet is helping people living with Parkinson's

To his wife he was a successful businessman, whom she described

Tonight David Smith is starting a three and a half year jail

Over three years he laced her food with laxatives till

she was too weak to stand - at one point doctors thought

Elizabeth Smith has been speaking to our reporter Suzanne Allan.

Elizabeth Smith left court, shaken but satisfied. She had just seen her

husband jailed. This man, David Smith, claimed to be an SAS war hero

and successful businessman. In reality, he was a poisoner, a lie

and three. When I first met him, he was the kindest... Just a lovely,

normal guy. They were married, but he lived in England. They saw each

other every couple of weeks. The plan was to buy a place together

eventually. He told her he had been any SAS and involved in the siege of

the Iranian embassy in 1980. He seemed loving and attentive, making

spaghetti Bolognese and smoothies. But they were laced with laxatives.

One day, at work at her hairdressing business, she collapsed. I was

working and chatting and I would suddenly feel really dizzy. I would

think, God, thinking it was my head. I would go to stand up, and cold.

Blue lighted to hospital. It got worse. I was in bed for almost two

years on and off. I couldn't do anything. It was horrific. They

thought I had early stages of motor neurone disease. More lies were

told. This was supposedly him with cancer. He didn't have it. He was

finally caught after faking a break-in at Elizabeth's home.

Thousands of pounds of her money was found in his car. For me, there were

no signs of anything. Even above the SAS, everything, that part of his

life, the only time, at one point, I said to him, I haven't seen anything

about your past. As he left to go to jail, does she think he is a

fantasist, a conman or just greedy? I don't think that man knows what

love is. He saw money in me. I want people to be aware that there are

these people out there and they are very, very dangerous man. On

sentencing him to three and a half years in prison, the sheriff told

David Smith he embarks on a prolonged, evil course of criminal

conduct that caused mental and physical anguish to his victim.

In the past few minutes we have had an update from Suffolk police on the

case of missing airman Corrie McKeague. This is a significant

development tonight. 23-year-old Corrie McKeague, the airmen from

Fife, vanished while on a night out in Bury St Edmunds in September. A

bin lorry collected refuse later that night, where he was last seen.

You may remember in the early stages of the investigation, police said

that the rubbish in the waste lorry weighed just 11 kilos. Obviously

that was not heavy enough to possibly include a body. Tonight,

police have announced following rechecks, that the wait was far

higher than originally thought. Police revealed it was over 100

kilograms. This led to an arrest of a 26-year-old, six days ago, on

suspicion of conspiracy to convert the course of justice. A second man

was also interviewed under caution. Both of them have been told that

face no further action, as detectives believe there was no

attempt to hide information. Police say this makes their search of the

landfill site the next logical site to try to find him. That started

yesterday and could take anything between six to ten weeks to

complete. His family have been made aware of this new information. His

mother has told us that it is incredibly difficult for the family.

mother has told us that it is They are taking it one day at a

time. They are just waiting for the phone to ring. She says her whole

focus has been on trying to get this avenue investigated.

Almost half of unfilled NHS consultant posts in Scotland

Figures published by health boards today, also show a 15% rise

in the number of vacant nursing and midwifery posts

Doctors and nursing unions say it is having

The Scottish Government says record numbers of people are now

Here's our health correspondent, Lisa Summers

It is in areas like the Highlands that the challenge of recruitment is

most acute. 9% of consultant posts here are unfilled. 6% of nursing and

midwifery roles. In Shetland, paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Simon

Barker has travelled from Aberdeen to provide a visiting clinic. It

makes a huge difference to his patients to have the doctor come to

them. It was difficult to go to Aberdeen every week. It put a lot of

strain on us. Stretch that foot, the naughty one there. Simon Barker says

it puts additional pressure on doctors. We have a worsening crisis

of longer term vacancies in consultants across Scotland. That is

a very big concern. There is a huge amount of pressure on clinicians in

that apartment to maintain the service. At the other end of the

country, they are having recruitment problems of their own. I worked in

hospital here and it was very difficult to try to get doctors to

come and work. There are hardly any GPs left. They can't seem to get

doctors that want to come here. I don't know if it is because it is

such a small place. This local GP practice has been advertising for

six months. They have not had one response. Now it is to be taken over

by the health board. Most of us are close to retirement age and there

are very few GPs who will still be GPs in ten years' time. The

Government points to record levels of training places and says 1000 new

staff have been taken on by the NHS last year alone. The Health

Secretary says even then the Government is working to fill vacant

posts. We are working with networks across more than one hospital, for

example, to help those rural general hospitals to sometimes recruited to

posts that are more difficult to fill if they were stand-alone. We

have brought in things like recruitment bonuses for GPs in

harder to fill areas. Nursing unions say the recruitment crisis is having

an effect on patient care. Nurses come out every day, trying to do a

good job, to look after the most vulnerable in our society. If they

are telling us they don't have the resources to do the job the best of

their ability, we should to that. Today's figures are a gauge of the

pressures on NHS staff. A workforce plan for the future is due in

spring. These figures on recruitment were

not the only ones released today? That is right. Health boards

regularly publish statistics to get a picture of how the NHS is

performing at any given time. We saw the latest staffing level statistics

today, but also something else very much in the public domain, access

for children and young people to mental health counselling. We saw a

slight increase in the number of people that were referred to

councillors within the 18 week target. Overall, since the

Government set the target, it hasn't been met and there were considerable

variations up and down the country. When you look at the bigger picture

of how the NHS is performing, the Government will tell you it is doing

a lot of groundwork to try to change the way that staff and services

operate. The fact that we will integrate with the NHS, interact

with the NHS, I should say. If you look at the general trend, for now,

we are seeing an NHS that is increasingly stretched.

New laws will be introduced to address legal concerns

in the controversial named person scheme - meaning a further

The Supreme Court ruled last year that information-sharing

elements were incompatible with human rights law.

The Conservatives say the whole idea should be abolished.

Our political correspondent Andrew Kerr has more.

The Conservatives like to think they have been driving the opposition

against the named person scheme. The party leader was on a visit to

Lothian buses this morning. She voiced her anger again at the

controversial plan. At the same time, the Education Secretary was

trying to beat his policy into shape. John Swinney came to

parliament to tell MSPs what he planned. I propose to bring forward

a bill that will include new provisions on when and how

information can be shared by hand with the named person service. The

new provisions will ensure that we address the Supreme Court judgment,

live up to our objective of supporting children and young

people, and give them and their family reassurance that their rights

are fully respected. The new provisions mean information will be

shared without consent, only in exceptional circumstances. Ministers

expect that will address the Supreme Court's ruling that elements of

policy were incompatible with the right to privacy and family life. It

is hoped the plan for young people to have a single point of contact,

such as a teacher or health visitor to look out for their welfare, will

be in place by next year. The Conservatives continue to dismiss

the policy. The whole scheme is an absolute dog 's breakfast, it has

been kicked into the long grass, it was ruled unlawful, John Swinney

came to Parliament to try to clarify things. He has not actually given

any information about what exactly will change. We know parents across

the country do not want this, that practitioners are in the dark. He

would be better off swallowing his pride, scrapping the whole thing and

starting again from the beginning. Campaigners called it a climb-down.

John Swinney accused the Conservatives of fuelling

opposition. The Education Secretary says he is strong and robust on

answers that are being raised. It is clear John Swinney is determined to

keep fighting on this controversial issue. He will face plenty of

Parliamentary battles ahead. Almost 500 people have been

suspended by the Scottish Youth Football Association for failing

to complete background checks. It follows a BBC Scotland

investigation in December which revealed more than 2000

coaches were working in youth football without

the required clearance. The Association had called

on all coaches and officials to complete the checks by the end

of last month. Holyrood's Health and Sport

Committee heard those who didn't comply have been suspended

until they do, and won't be allowed to take part in any

football-related activity. A man who killed a Scottish toddler

in a shootout at a Turkish cafe in 2003 has been shot dead

at his own wedding. Two-year-old Alistair Grimason

was hit by a bullet as he slept in his pram in the Aegean seaside

town of Foca. Daimi Akyuz was jailed for life

for killing the child and another Akyuz was released last week but,

according to reports in the Turkish media,

was gunned down at his own wedding In the next few weeks, Theresa May

is expected to trigger formal talks that will take the UK out of the EU.

That could prompt the first minister Nicola Sturgeon to demand another

Our political correspondent, Glenn Campbell, has been looking

at some of the competing advice she has to weigh up.

For some who believe Scotland would flourish as an independent country,

another referendum cannot come straight enough. Yes, I would like

another referendum, the sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Public support has not withered from the 45% accorded in the last

referendum. But not everybody wants the question asked again. I don't

think we should have another vote. We voted two years ago and it should

stand. We are part of the UK. We should, definitely. Sorted out once

and for all that we are staying or going. Last spring, the SNP

manifesto said Holyrood should be able to hold an Indyref2, if the UK

voted to leave the EU and Scotland voted Remain. That is how the Brexit

referendum turned out. The First Minister said it was highly likely

there would be another vote on independence. In the winter, the

Scottish Government proposed what it described as a compromise that might

keep Scotland in the UK. Nicola Sturgeon said she would accept

Brexit if Theresa May could find a way to keep Scotland rooted in the

European single market. The Prime Minister doesn't seem likely to

accept that idea, which might leave the First Minister with little

option but to push for another independence vote. I think

legitimately she would have every right, if the negotiations fail, to

call a referendum or set a date, at least. We hope the referendum will

be called at a time when we could win it. Some independent supporters

are also backed Brexit want leave talks to run their course before

there is another Scottish vote. I think it is far too early. If you

take a decision now to have a referendum, you do not know what the

issues are going to be as Brexit is negotiated. Another potential snag

is the power to hold a referendum. She would need to ask the Prime

Minister for that, and she has refused to say whether or not she

would And tomorrow we'll look

at the dilemmas facing the UK Government over possibility

of another independence referendum. And in the last few minutes, Theresa

May has suffered another sizeable defeat in the House of Lords over

Brexit. By almost 100 votes, peers have demanded a legal guarantee that

there will be a vote in parliament before the UK leaves the EU in two

years. You're watching BBC

Reporting Scotland. A reminder of tonight's top story:

A husband who poisoned his wife with laxatives is jailed for three

and a half years. And still to come: It's official -

Scotland's streets Now, campaigners say we should

all do more to reduce litter. A campaign launched today is aimed

at educating the public, and future jurors, that when facing

a violent or sexual assault, many people freeze

rather than fight back. From next month, judges in Scotland,

when considering such cases, will direct the jury to consider how

differently people might react. Our correspondent

Lucy Adams reports. I always thought, if it happened to

me, I would fight back, but actually, I just froze. Last year,

more than 1600 rapes were reported in Scotland, but few matched the

common preconception of a violent struggle with a stranger in the

dark. You do just freeze, you don't know what to do. Your body goes into

shock to protect you, and you can't move. You don't know what to do, and

to me, the safest option was to do what he wanted, because if I didn't,

I probably wouldn't be here speaking to you today. Sarah was raped two

and a half years ago by a friend of a friend. I was at a party, I had

two drinks, wasn't drunk. I was wearing a long dress with dark tight

and a pair of boots. It was winter. I wasn't the stereotype that people

believe rape victims are, that you have to be a certain way, to look a

certain weight for someone to rape you, but you can be anybody. It

doesn't matter, they don't discriminate. From next month, if

you are really juror in a court like this one, the judge will tell you

that many rape victims don't fight back and it could take them years to

go to the police. Last year, some judges spoke out against the

introduction of statutory jury directions, but experts say the jury

are simply being presented with the facts. For many people, a natural

response to trauma is to freeze, to not be able to fight back or screen.

It is important that the jury making the decision in a rape trial are

aware that this is a natural reaction, because otherwise, our

concern is that their assumptions might influence how they assess the

evidence in a case in a way that acts as a barrier to justice. The

campaign, much of which is voiced by actress Daniela Nardini, seeks to

address the balance between myth and fact, to make sure that the public,

who ultimately form the jury, understand how different victims

react. The oil and gas sector will face

a significant decline in production if fresh capital isn't urgently

secured, according to The business outlook warns that

capital investment is likely to fall Our energy correspondent Kevin Keane

is in Aberdeen for us tonight. Kevin, what else

does the report say? All in all, Jackie, this report

paints a gloomy picture of the industry in 2016, and that won't be

a surprise to people who live and work here in the north-east. They

talked about development drilling being at its lowest level since the

1970s, and the supply chain being depressed. It makes a prediction

that in 2020, if there is an urgent investment now, there will be a

significant drop-off in production from 2020 onwards, coupled with the

fact that capital investment is predicted to fall, to continue

falling, for the next two years. There is optimism highlighted, in

that operators are starting to show positive cash flow, so they are

making more money for the first time in recent years than they are

investing. Does it mean the future is Rosie? One description, from the

Chief Executive of the industry body oil and gas UK, says it indicates

they are at rock bottom and looking at ways to begin a recovery.

Scotland's streets are getting dirtier -

The public spending watchdog says most councils are spending

Councils have faced years of tight budgets, but campaigners say we can

all help to reduce the amount of litter on our streets.

Here's our local government correspondent, Jamie McIvor.

It's one of the most basic local services, and according to the

public spending watchdog, in most of Scotland, street cleaning is getting

worse. The biggest drop in Scotland, street cleaning is getting

cleanliness was in Aberdeen. Letter, chewing gum, dirtiness - it is just

never washed down. Chewing gum and cigarettes. If they started fining

people for dropping litter, that would make a difference. They should

put all the waste in the bin and that will save the council and the

public a lot of money. Some would say that rubbish like this is almost

a national disgrace. This picture was taken in Edinburgh, near the

National Museum of Scotland. All but four councils have cut the amount

they spend on street cleaning in recent years. Aberdeen saw the worst

dropping cleanser -- drop in cleanliness. Some have made

improvements, despite cuts. These included Shetland, Moray and East

Ayrshire. With budgets tight, some councils would argue that spending

less on street cleaning is preferable to other cats, but some

rubbish is there because of ignorant or thought let's behave. -- other

cuts. And councillors left to clean up the mess. It is the case that

people are showing a great deal of this respect for themselves and

their neighbours. This is a way that we can assist councils in this time

where they are facing issues with budgets and really make a

difference. The debate on local services is often about money, but

for many voters, what things boil down to is whether a service is good

enough. Could how clean the streets up and be an issue in these local

elections? -- how clean the streets are.

It began as a local class for people living with Parkinson's.

But the free weekly dance classes offered jointly by Scottish Ballet

in Glasgow and Dance Base in Edinburgh are now among

They've won a string of awards, and built up a waiting list

of participants who believe they help them feel better

Now organisers hope they can extend them across the country.

Our arts correspondent Pauline McLean reports.

This is a class for those living with Parkinson is. The condition

affects the central nervous system, causing the trademark tremors, but

dance helps not just those who have the condition but their partners. It

helps me. You can see I am bad just now, but that is the excitement of

being in front of you. Does that slowdown? Yes. What else happens? My

balance and coordination are better, and just being amongst people that

understand. I am not saying we are good at it, but we both enjoy it.

Speak for yourself! But this is about more than the physical

benefits. These classes, part of an 18 month pilot by Scottish Ballet in

Glasgow and Dance Base in Edinburgh offer important research for those

studying Parkinson's. Thinking out movement is speeded up in a class

environment, is held by the music in the class environment, and then the

person can practice after or between classes as well. And it is more than

movement. Parkinson's also affects mental health, and the social side

of the weekly gatherings is important. We talk about movement,

not Parkinson's. We all have it, but that is almost incidental at times.

All of this group from one local class, and there are now plans to

extend them across Scotland. Even if many of those who attends did not

see themselves ever doing it. Never in my life did I see myself in a

dance studio, jumping about. I love it. We are all Shakers and movers

here! Bill was certainly enjoying it!

She's Britain's most decorated female Olympian

and today the Scottish rower, Katherine Grainger was made a Dame.

Dame Katherine Grainger, for services to sport and charity.

During her career she won one gold and four silvers over five

She retired from international rowing after narrowly missing out

It takes a bit of getting used to. I am used aiming for medals and

achieving titles in roving, but this is one you don't dream of. It is

sinking in now that it has happened, but it will take awhile to bed it

in. Now, the weather. Looking at the pressure chart, low

pressure is never too far away, this front sweeping across the country

tonight, introducing rain and strong wind. Once that clears, we have

westerly winds, which means a lot of showers, especially with that load

never too far-away. Driver eastern areas on the hole at the moment.

This rain will push across the country fairly quickly. Rather

persistent in nature, with snow over the hills and strengthening

south-westerly winds. Showers will be confined to the Northern Isles by

the end of the night. A risk of ice first thing in the morning,

particularly in the North East. Showers push in from the West, with

strong winds. A largely dry and bright start with sunny spells. Here

are the showers in the north-west. With those westerly winds, they will

push further across the country. We will see a lot of showers across the

northern half of Scotland, but there are brighter in between. We will see

gale force winds across the far north and Western Isles. Something

brighter in between. Some bright spells and showers coming and going

for Caithness. The further south you go, the fewer the showers. Southern

Scotland should escape predominantly dry, with spells of sunshine for the

rest of the afternoon. Heading towards the evening, still some

showers in the north, but they begin to fade. As we head into the

overnight period, more showers piling in. There is a little feature

coming in, bringing a band of showers across the country. It will

be as showery start across northern Scotland on Thursday. The showers

start to die away, the winds ease and it brightens up, with spells of

sunshine. Now, a reminder of tonight's main

news: The Government is facing ... The Government has been defeated

in the House of Lords in a vote over Brexit. It is the second defeat in a

week for the Government in the Lords over Brexit. That's Reporting

Scotland. We have an update that have passed then. Until then, from

all of us can enjoy the rest of your evening.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, presents the first Budget of 2017.

What will it mean for you and your family's finances?