:00:21. > :00:25.Good evening. The headlines: The Miami Showband
:00:25. > :00:31.murders come up families they an investigation shows an RUC agent
:00:31. > :00:35.was involved. Heavy snow fall brings destruction,
:00:35. > :00:41.is there more to call? Torrential rain is thought to have
:00:41. > :00:49.cost his landslide in Londonderry. A former priest is found guilty on
:00:49. > :00:54.19 charges of sexual abuse. Violence Mars last night's local
:00:54. > :01:02.football as this man is attacked by a supporter.
:01:02. > :01:07.And we are expecting icy conditions on our roads and pavements.
:01:07. > :01:14.The murders of three musicians by loyalists in 1975 raised disturbing
:01:14. > :01:18.questions about collusive and corrupt behaviour. According --
:01:18. > :01:23.that is according to a report by the historical inquiries team.
:01:23. > :01:28.They were carried out by a UVF gang posing as an army patrol. A band
:01:28. > :01:35.member who described the -- the sick -- survived the attack
:01:35. > :01:40.described the findings as mind- blowing.
:01:40. > :01:45.Good morning everybody. Almost four decades after the Miami Showband
:01:45. > :01:48.murders, survivors and relatives of the dead gathered to release the
:01:48. > :01:54.findings of a report by the Historical Inquiries Team. Three
:01:54. > :02:00.band members were murdered when a UVF gang planted a bomb in a car
:02:00. > :02:07.near Banbridge in 19th and defied. The explosion and gun attack cost
:02:07. > :02:16.the lives of Tony Geraghty, Tony Neate -- Brian McCoy, and two of
:02:16. > :02:23.the UVF gang involved, as well as Brian Toon, the lead singer.
:02:23. > :02:29.-- Fran O'Toole. It was devastating for us. There was a devastating
:02:29. > :02:34.effect on my grandparents and my father. The report details the role
:02:34. > :02:37.of May then leading loyalist, Robin Jackson. His fingerprints were
:02:37. > :02:43.found on a wet been linked to the murders and when questioned by
:02:43. > :02:51.police he told them he had been tipped off prior to be a rest by a
:02:51. > :02:55.senior RUC officer and told to lie low. -- prior to the rest. If he
:02:55. > :02:59.was involved in the Miami murders, who else was aware of his
:02:59. > :03:04.involvement? Was he debrief by Special Branch or army
:03:04. > :03:09.intelligence? What did they know about the attack and why was
:03:09. > :03:17.nothing done about it? At least two of the ten-man gang involved were
:03:17. > :03:21.UDR soldiers later convicted. This man survive the night. He says he
:03:21. > :03:27.is still haunted by it. Francis and I were like brothers so it was sad
:03:27. > :03:31.to lose him. It was just about music. One of the things I find
:03:31. > :03:37.hard to understand is why we were picked out. We were just a band of
:03:37. > :03:40.musicians whose job was to entertain people both North and
:03:40. > :03:45.South, especially in the north, during those terrible times, to
:03:45. > :03:50.bring a smile to people's faces. The Historical Inquiries Team says
:03:50. > :03:54.it will pass this to the Police Ombudsman's office. Many people are
:03:54. > :04:01.now dead who were in Bob and his case. The families of the Miami
:04:01. > :04:06.Showband may have got as much information as they were going to.
:04:06. > :04:13.The worst snow of the winter's the bar has caused disruption in many
:04:13. > :04:17.parts. Counties in the north and west were worst affected. It is not
:04:17. > :04:26.just the snow that has caused problems. Heavy rain led to
:04:26. > :04:34.flooding and eight wall collapsing. -- a wall collapsing.
:04:34. > :04:38.They were struggling to get up this road near Krul Island this morning.
:04:38. > :04:45.-- this road this morning. It was not an easy drive on the way down
:04:45. > :04:50.either. Several inches of snow fell overnight, coating the road and the
:04:50. > :04:55.fines on high ground. They gritting lorries were hard but it would take
:04:55. > :05:03.time for the thought to do its job. In the meantime, some motorists had
:05:03. > :05:05.fallen victim to the conditions. Driving over a little on the
:05:05. > :05:12.outskirts of west Belfast was also treacherous first thing this
:05:12. > :05:15.morning. So far, the snowfall has not been as heavy or as widespread
:05:15. > :05:23.as they were during the big freeze of last winter but if you are stuck
:05:23. > :05:27.in the middle of it, that is little in the way of confirmation.
:05:27. > :05:31.-- consolation. The snow affected many parts of County Londonderry,
:05:31. > :05:37.not least in the Sperrins. Driving on the Glenshane Pass was
:05:37. > :05:41.particularly difficult early this morning but by around 11, the worst
:05:41. > :05:44.was cleared, leaving the road passable with care. In the City,
:05:45. > :05:50.the weather caused a range of problems. Homes, cars and a church
:05:50. > :06:00.were damaged. A landslide, just missing the
:06:00. > :06:06.houses below. But not the cards. So much damage to see and also, the
:06:06. > :06:09.stench of oil in the air. Other damage also do not use the...
:06:09. > :06:14.Behind me is Marlborough Terrace. It had been receiving protection
:06:14. > :06:21.from this wall. It seems to have been there for some time and last
:06:21. > :06:27.night it gave way. Underneath where it collapsed you can see a barn is
:06:27. > :06:32.covered in debris such as masonry, sold, but what you can see
:06:32. > :06:40.alongside it is a taxi. Residents are shocked. They have never seen
:06:40. > :06:45.anything like it. My brother only got out half an hour before this
:06:45. > :06:52.happened. Things could have been a lot worse. Thank God no one has
:06:52. > :06:57.been injured or heard. Elsewhere, families having to leave their
:06:57. > :07:01.homes and they may not be back for Christmas. Torrance a border were
:07:01. > :07:05.coming around the houses and down the street. -- Paul Ince of water.
:07:05. > :07:10.Christmas presents were not so important any more. A short
:07:10. > :07:16.distance away, the local church, help is at hand but it is taking
:07:16. > :07:23.time. For some, time is crucial. is panic stations. I'm supposed to
:07:23. > :07:27.be getting married on Tuesday. I might have to get my mop and bucket
:07:27. > :07:37.out and give them a hand! Some clearing up will be done quickly
:07:37. > :07:38.
:07:38. > :07:41.but other damage will take much longer to clear up.
:07:41. > :07:46.There is more bad weather to come which could cause more scenes like
:07:46. > :07:51.this one. This was taken by one of our viewers in Glenelly Valley in
:07:51. > :07:59.County Tyrone. It is a worry when even the gritter end up in the
:07:59. > :08:03.ditch. We are hearing already reports of black ice in the north-
:08:03. > :08:06.west? We have heard that it is already
:08:06. > :08:10.turning icy in places. Hopefully we will not see a repeat of this
:08:10. > :08:20.morning over the next few days but there is still wintry weather to
:08:20. > :08:21.
:08:21. > :08:25.come over the next couple of days and for the rest of the week. As we
:08:25. > :08:30.have heard, it is turning icy in places. There will be our eyes on
:08:30. > :08:34.your car windscreen and also freezing fog. -- ice on your car
:08:34. > :08:40.windscreen. It will be when treated the rest of the week. There will be
:08:40. > :08:44.snow showers and round but we will have to wait and see if we get a
:08:44. > :08:49.repeat of this morning. A jury at Belfast Crown Court has
:08:49. > :08:56.found a former priest guilty of a series of sexual assaults against
:08:56. > :09:02.remain in the 1980s and 1990s. He has been on trial since last month.
:09:02. > :09:06.James Donaghy has been on trial since November, charged with 26
:09:06. > :09:12.offences including indecent assault, serious sexual assault and common
:09:12. > :09:22.assault. There were three victims over a period from 1983 to be a
:09:22. > :09:25.2000. -- the year 2000. The jury had deliberated and returned with
:09:25. > :09:31.verdicts on 19 Afrikaans. He is guilty of indecent assault and
:09:31. > :09:41.serious sexual assault. Three victims, two of them have waived
:09:41. > :09:49.their anonymity, a fellow priest, and James Dougherty, a former altar
:09:49. > :09:55.boy who moved to live in England. A former victim is a former trainee
:09:55. > :10:00.for the priesthood. There was quiet sobbing from one of the defendant's
:10:01. > :10:09.family members in the lobby. The jury will consider their remaining
:10:09. > :10:14.seven counts tomorrow. Still to come... It's a Christmas
:10:14. > :10:20.favourite but could that. Set up be harbouring a deadly pest? --
:10:20. > :10:28.poinsettia. And to Northern Ireland men qualify
:10:28. > :10:35.for next summer's Olympics. Unemployment has fallen slightly in
:10:35. > :10:41.Northern Ireland during the last three months, down from 7.4% to
:10:41. > :10:44.6.9%, below the UK average. There are not as many jobs around. There
:10:44. > :10:48.are 14,000 fewer people in work here than there were at the start
:10:48. > :10:54.of last year. In this shrinking market even good qualifications and
:10:54. > :10:58.relevant experience and no guarantee of employment. Many are
:10:58. > :11:01.now looking to wider horizons in the search for work.
:11:01. > :11:06.Keith Davidson has just finished his master's degree. Born and
:11:06. > :11:10.raised in Ballinderry, he is going to Australia because even with his
:11:10. > :11:15.qualifications, he cannot find a job here. It is not what he
:11:15. > :11:17.envisaged when he began university. When I went to be the core of the
:11:17. > :11:24.Environment was brilliant and I was told it was the perfect course to
:11:24. > :11:28.do. -- when I went to do the course. The environment now is very Boruc.
:11:28. > :11:33.I find it hard to come across a job I would applied for, never mind get
:11:33. > :11:40.an interview for. I have decided to go to Australia to try and broaden
:11:41. > :11:47.my horizons and securing a job there. Out of a master's course of
:11:47. > :11:50.36 people, about 35 or going to Australia. With �30,000 on my
:11:50. > :11:55.education, I thought I would have got a good job in Northern Ireland
:11:55. > :12:04.or the UK. It does not seem to happen. The ships used to. Right
:12:04. > :12:08.here. But maritime history is remembered in this sculpture. It
:12:08. > :12:14.has been a long time since that but the exodus is happening again today.
:12:14. > :12:19.Unlike earlier years, those leaving are well qualified and they are
:12:19. > :12:23.increasingly when experienced as well. Best recruitment consultant
:12:23. > :12:26.has seen applications from senior managers and chief executives
:12:26. > :12:33.jumped 25% in the last three months are and they are looking beyond
:12:33. > :12:36.Northern Ireland as well. Managing directors and top level people are
:12:36. > :12:41.losing their jobs and they are very experienced. There are less
:12:41. > :12:48.opportunities for them. For every one or two senior managers there is
:12:48. > :12:51.maybe 20 or 30 or 100 employees. There are no official figures for
:12:51. > :12:54.emigration for Northern Ireland but when people with years of
:12:55. > :13:03.experience cannot find work, there is evidence of a job situation
:13:03. > :13:07.Tomorrow night Jim will be looking at the changing face of the High
:13:07. > :13:10.Street in these austere times. A former British agent who worked
:13:10. > :13:14.undercover in the IRA has begun giving evidence to the Smithwick
:13:14. > :13:17.Tribunal in Dublin. It's investigating allegations of Garda
:13:17. > :13:20.collusion into the murders of senior RUC men Harry Breen and Bob
:13:20. > :13:25.Buchanan in 1989. Our Dublin reporter Julie Kirby joins me now
:13:25. > :13:35.live. Julie, this is the agent known as Kevin Fulton. What did he
:13:35. > :13:37.
:13:37. > :13:42.have say about these murders? Kevin Fulton was giving evidence
:13:42. > :13:48.behind a screen today to protect his identity. He was told its - -
:13:48. > :13:56.he told how he had joined the British Army and infiltrated the
:13:56. > :14:01.IRA in 1980. He said he was in the House of mute player when new
:14:01. > :14:06.skimming on - - of the two murders of the RDC officers and he was told
:14:06. > :14:12.that our friend the gardener was involved, and he took that to mean
:14:12. > :14:17.that the Garda had tipped off the IRA about their whereabouts. He
:14:17. > :14:27.said it was the worst kept secret that this policeman was helping out
:14:27. > :14:28.
:14:28. > :14:32.the provisional IRA. He gave one example of a car being fountain
:14:32. > :14:42.discard or removed fingerprints from it. Did he say who the Garda
:14:42. > :14:52.was? He said he believed that the man was 01 Corrigan. He said he
:14:52. > :14:55.
:14:55. > :15:05.could not imagine he else it would be. Key said he was told that an -
:15:05. > :15:06.
:15:06. > :15:16.- that's a County Louth farmer or hides turns into an informer for
:15:16. > :15:16.
:15:16. > :15:20.the IRA. He was later shot dead. Kevin Fulton said that he was proud
:15:20. > :15:23.of his work, but he did have an demons that he was having to live
:15:23. > :15:27.with. Well, a day of treacherous road
:15:27. > :15:30.conditions is not perhaps the best time to be reminded that drivers in
:15:30. > :15:32.Northern Ireland are still paying more for car insurance than they do
:15:32. > :15:38.in Great Britain. Typically, 11% more, according to the Office of
:15:38. > :15:45.Fair Trading. Here is our consumer correspondent, Martin Cassidy. For
:15:45. > :15:51.motorists across the United Kingdom, the cost of car insurance and isn't
:15:51. > :15:58.celebrating - - is accelerating. It went up 9% in 2011. In Northern
:15:58. > :16:02.Ireland motorists are paying even more. On average, 11 % more. The
:16:02. > :16:08.Consumer Council says some motorists in country areas here
:16:08. > :16:13.face significantly higher premiums. What is shocking is that we're
:16:13. > :16:16.paying in will communities up to 70 % more than our counterparts in
:16:16. > :16:23.rural communities in group Britain. That prohibits many people from
:16:23. > :16:28.working, from accessing social activities and it is a form of
:16:28. > :16:32.exclusion. Sir like his cards - - car insurance more expensive here?
:16:32. > :16:39.But, according to the Office of Fair Trading, car accidents are
:16:39. > :16:44.more frequent here. And then there are the personal injury claims here,
:16:44. > :16:49.they tend to be more generous. Legal fees are also higher in
:16:49. > :16:52.Northern Ireland. Consumers here could do more to help themselves.
:16:52. > :16:58.The Office of Fair Trading report says that just over half of
:16:58. > :17:01.motorists here compare car insurance quotes. In Britain, three
:17:01. > :17:07.out of four driver shop around. The Association of British Insurance
:17:07. > :17:11.says that for a minor whiplash came and individual in England to Wales
:17:11. > :17:15.might get between �500 and �2,000. Here, the figures are very
:17:16. > :17:21.different. The association says a person in Northern Ireland might
:17:21. > :17:27.get as much as �8,000. We have a history were personal injury awards
:17:27. > :17:33.were awarded by juries, which would be higher than those across the
:17:33. > :17:38.water. We still tend to follow the same pattern. We do have problems
:17:38. > :17:44.that record system as law. Tougher penalties for motorists who drive
:17:44. > :17:54.without insurance would also help. They add around �30 their
:17:54. > :17:55.
:17:55. > :17:58.everyone's annual premium. - - to been a lot of reaction to this
:17:58. > :18:01.story and, surprise, surprise, most people are telling us that they
:18:01. > :18:04.think car insurance here is far too expensive. If you would like to
:18:04. > :18:08.join the debate, the address is on screen now. Our journalists have
:18:08. > :18:10.been updating on Twitter throughout the day. You can keep across all of
:18:10. > :18:16.that at twitter.com/bbcnewsline. If you want to email us, it's
:18:16. > :18:19.Tighter controls on plant movements here have been introduced follow
:18:19. > :18:21.recent outbreaks of disease. It is thought that some of the recent
:18:21. > :18:25.tree diseases came from imported plants. Even at Christmas time,
:18:25. > :18:27.extra care is being taken to ensure new pests or infections can't sneak
:18:27. > :18:37.in, as our environment correspondent, Mike McKimm, has
:18:37. > :18:38.
:18:38. > :18:42.been finding out. These are poinsettia. They're very
:18:42. > :18:46.popular at Christmas. These ones are imported by the farming and
:18:46. > :18:50.horticultural college at Greenmount. They look rather spectacular at
:18:50. > :18:56.this time of year and they endured for a reason because these are
:18:56. > :19:00.imported and the can harbour a rather horrible and exotic pest,
:19:00. > :19:10.the tobacco whitefly. If it got out there it could cause a lot of
:19:10. > :19:15.damage. We would put it through a quarantine periods of three weeks.
:19:15. > :19:18.Weary able to monitor them on a daily basis and to check out if the
:19:18. > :19:22.pests are there in the first place, and then to look at what
:19:22. > :19:29.preventative measures we could take wanted images quarantine and moves
:19:29. > :19:35.into the growing and production house. Last month 43,000. Sector
:19:35. > :19:40.were destroyed in England's. It is already too late to exclude the
:19:40. > :19:46.fungal disease that is killing cypress trees here. The infected
:19:47. > :19:50.areas here can only be controlled to prevent their - - further spread.
:19:50. > :20:00.Tens of thousands of Japanese larch trees have also died from disease,
:20:00. > :20:05.the disease thought to have come from rhododendron. Rhododendron
:20:05. > :20:11.should carry a planned passport. I would be checking that it carries
:20:11. > :20:15.to protect - - correct paperwork. One site check documentation I do a
:20:15. > :20:21.general health check on the plant, checking from the symptoms of
:20:21. > :20:25.disease. A faded notice anything peculiar and I would issue a
:20:25. > :20:31.detention notice and the plants would be taken off sale. That will
:20:31. > :20:35.probably end up here at the laboratories in Belfast where they
:20:35. > :20:40.are examined for pests and infection. They can even use DNA
:20:40. > :20:44.samples. Controlling plant diseases getting harder, and it is not just
:20:44. > :20:47.humans who ignore the warnings. Local football is back in the dock
:20:47. > :20:51.tonight after violence marred last night's cup game in North Belfast.
:20:51. > :20:55.Here's Stephen Watson. We have the exclusive footage of
:20:55. > :20:58.the trouble and an interview with the player who was attacked by a
:20:58. > :21:02.supporter. Coleraine's Johnny Black was punched just minutes after
:21:02. > :21:05.scoring a late winning goal against Cliftonville. There were also
:21:05. > :21:08.scuffles on the pitch between home supporters and stewards. The PSNI
:21:08. > :21:18.arrested and later released on bail a 16-year-old male as they continue
:21:18. > :21:21.
:21:21. > :21:25.their investigation into the violence. Thomas Niblock reports.
:21:25. > :21:31.Emotions were running high last night after a dramatic finish at
:21:31. > :21:35.solitude. Johnny Black's extra-time winner sent Coleraine through to
:21:36. > :21:42.the Cup final and Cliftonville crashed out. As Johnny Black,
:21:42. > :21:46.number 33, is leaving the pitch he was struck by a spectator. The
:21:46. > :21:53.supporter who punched him was eventually caught by stewards and
:21:53. > :21:57.later arrested by their police. was just walking off and saw
:21:57. > :22:03.somebody coming up and he gave me a punch in the mouth. Hopefully he
:22:03. > :22:13.will be dealt with, there is no place in football for that. It was
:22:13. > :22:13.
:22:13. > :22:21.not the only incident. We totally condemn the actions of a very few
:22:21. > :22:29.morons last night. They have no place in football. I apologise to
:22:29. > :22:36.Cliftonville. Unfortunately, we have got to redouble our efforts to
:22:36. > :22:41.make sure the scenes never reoccur in football again. You cannot
:22:41. > :22:46.legislate for things like that. When emotions run high at the end
:22:46. > :22:50.of games, you can legislate for every single person the walks into
:22:50. > :23:00.your ground. Am sure the powers that be will punish the
:23:00. > :23:00.
:23:00. > :23:03.perpetrators. The clubs will co- operate with any investigation.
:23:03. > :23:10.Both clubs will be hopeful that these scenes will not be repeated
:23:10. > :23:14.this Saturday as both Cliftonville in at - - Cliftonville and
:23:14. > :23:17.Coleraine meet again at solitude. Ballymena's Roy Walker was one of
:23:17. > :23:20.three local football managers to part company with their clubs
:23:20. > :23:24.yesterday. He quit the job after his team lost last night's other
:23:24. > :23:26.Irn Bru Cup semi-final against Crusaders.
:23:26. > :23:30.Two more Northern Ireland competitors secured qualification
:23:30. > :23:32.today for next summer's London Olympics. Matt McGovern and Ryan
:23:32. > :23:34.Seaton will represent Ireland in sailing following an impressive
:23:34. > :23:37.showing at this week's World Championships in Australia. Austin
:23:37. > :23:47.O'Callaghan's report begins with the two sailors' video diary, which
:23:47. > :23:50.
:23:50. > :23:56.they have been keeping down under for BBC Newsline.
:23:56. > :24:02.The first day in Australia. As you can see, the weather is tropical.
:24:02. > :24:08.It is not as glamourous as you may think. We are in a car park and we
:24:08. > :24:11.have just gone and bought some timber, a drill and a sore
:24:11. > :24:16.underplanted days to put a refract on our hire car so we can transfer
:24:16. > :24:22.our boat for Melbourne to Sydney. Luxury it isn't. The road to the
:24:22. > :24:27.World Championships may have been unconventional for this pair, but
:24:27. > :24:31.the journey to London has, in the end, been relatively smooth, even
:24:31. > :24:36.if they have been living in each other's pockets since putting their
:24:36. > :24:39.lives and university study on holds three years ago to pursue a Olympic
:24:39. > :24:43.qualification. You would not believe how much time we spent
:24:43. > :24:51.together. I look at people who are married and we spend even more time
:24:51. > :24:56.than that. Going to the Olympics as a great honour. We're looking to go
:24:56. > :25:01.and bring home medals. Even getting there is something that we have to
:25:01. > :25:08.remember is a good achievement in itself. They will compete in the 49
:25:08. > :25:13.er class, the fastest of the sailing events. But securing your
:25:13. > :25:16.ticket for London still does not excuse you from their DIY part of
:25:16. > :25:20.the sport. One young man dreaming of Olympic
:25:20. > :25:24.qualification is Ian Sloan. He is part of the Irish men's hockey team
:25:24. > :25:26.who will try to make it to 2012 in the New Year. Today, the 17-year-
:25:26. > :25:31.old schoolboy turned in a remarkable performance for his
:25:31. > :25:33.school. The captain scored four goals and set up a fifth to help
:25:34. > :25:43.Cookstown High beat Banbridge Academy 5-3 to win the McCullough
:25:43. > :25:53.Cup. Well, time now for a full weather
:25:53. > :25:55.
:25:55. > :25:59.Ice is the main hazard tonight. We're not expecting any more fresh
:25:59. > :26:03.snow tonight, but it doesn't mean that we will not have some more
:26:03. > :26:13.wintry weather in the next few days. Thank you very much for all your
:26:13. > :26:15.
:26:15. > :26:22.pictures. There is still plenty of snow over the hills and lying on
:26:22. > :26:27.the ground. This lush will freeze. The height made all the difference
:26:27. > :26:31.today. Redundancy level it was mainly falling as rain or sleet. So,
:26:31. > :26:35.very icy conditions around and they will persist right through the
:26:35. > :26:41.night in Inter tomorrow morning, with the added complication of some
:26:41. > :26:48.fog. The winds will disappear tonight. Tonight we can expect very
:26:48. > :26:52.calm conditions leading to dense areas of fog with a sharp frost,
:26:52. > :26:59.temperatures falling down to five below freezing. So, for tomorrow
:26:59. > :27:09.morning, there could well be ice and fog. Not too much in the way a
:27:09. > :27:13.
:27:13. > :27:17.During the afternoon there will be some cloudy and damp weather moving
:27:17. > :27:21.up from the south-west. It will fill called tomorrow once again. By
:27:21. > :27:26.lunchtime it will be relatively dry in the north and east, even with a
:27:26. > :27:30.bit of sunshine. Towards the south- west, the skies will be cloudy and
:27:30. > :27:33.we will see bits-and-pieces of rain and sleet. That will continue to
:27:34. > :27:38.move northwards with most this is becoming dry again be the end of
:27:38. > :27:42.the day and we can expect another very cold night tomorrow. There
:27:42. > :27:46.will be an area of significance no developing over southern counties
:27:46. > :27:51.of Ireland. At the moment it looks like it should not come much
:27:51. > :27:58.further north than Dublin, but if it tells a could well be something
:27:58. > :28:01.to watch out for. I suppose the advice is if you