20/05/2014 BBC Newsline

degrees. A bit of cloud and the risk of a few showers. That's all

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline.

Convicted amid allegations of a shoot-to-kill policy, now one

of the Colombia Three is cleared of a controversial weapons charge.

Sleeping rough on the streets, a special investigation by

BBC Newsline discovers how people treat those they believe to be

A nun admits that children were abused in care homes run

The head of Victim Support loses her job following complaints from staff.

And, there'll be some showers this evening, but bright and

I'll have the weather details shortly.

Martin McCauley has been involved in two highly-controversial incidents.

32 years ago, he was seriously injured and his

17-year-old friend killed by RUC officers in County Armagh, in 1982.

It was one of a series of controversial incidents that led

to allegations that the police were operating a shoot-to-kill policy.

13 years ago, he was at the heart of an

international case that threatened to destabilise the peace process.

He was one of three men convicted of being a member of an IRA team

He was also convicted here of possession of weapons at the time

he was shot, but the Court of Appeal today said that conviction

There is some strong language in this report.

Scars that time has not removed, Martin McCauley was seriously

injured when shot here by RUC officers in 1982. Nearly 32 years

later, the shooting here remains shrouded in mystery and controversy.

The police claimed they were confronted by two men armed with

rifles and only opened fire after shouting a number of warnings.

Martin McCauley has always insisted they were not armed and that no

warnings were given. It later emerged that MI5 had a listening

device hidden inside the shed that recorded what happened, but the

recording was destroyed. This is Martin McCauley leaving court in

1985 after being given a two-year suspended sentence for possession of

three rifles found in the shed. The court was not made aware of the MI5

recording. Its existence and the fact that it was later destroyed was

discovered by the Deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester and

somebody from West Yorkshire Police. They looked into investigations that

IDC was killing Republicans. This is the first time details of the report

have been made public. The lawyer said the report notes that police

officers fired 47 shots at the men come and that one of them were fired

in return. She said it was clear there had been a conspiracy by

senior police officers to prevent those involved in the shooting

facing criminal charges. The cover-up included the destruction of

the secret recording. The QC read from the accounts of five MI5

officers who listen to the recording before it was destroyed. None of

them refer to hearing anyone Inc. One officer, a former soldier, said

he was concerned there have not been a warning, and that by ring had

continued even after a cease-fire order had been given. Another

officer said he heard somebody said, we will get them, in between bursts

of gunfire. The barrister said it was clear the pair had been shot

without warning or the opportunity to surrender. She said the fact that

evidence about the shooting had been destroyed and that police officers

had lied meant that the conviction was unsafe. After a brief discussion

with the two other appeal court judges, Lord Chief Justice said they

were satisfied the conviction was unsafe and should be quashed. Martin

McCauley's wife was in court, and she welcomed the ruling. Nothing

will bring back his friend, but what has been exposed, what they have

known, he was put down in Cobb blooded murder. Martin McCauley

faces extradition to Colombia if he returns to Northern Ireland. He was

sentenced to 17 years in jail for training rebel forces in the

country. This is the sort of scene replicated

in many towns and cities. A person who is living

on the streets. A recent poll found that one

in every 18 of us has at some stage This person is in fact one

of our reporters, who slept rough to get an idea of

what being homeless is really like. I slept rough for three days

and four nights. I wanted to see something

of what being homeless in Belfast is like today, and really the only way

to do that is to put yourself But, of course,

I only slept rough for a very short space of time, and I don't want to

pretend that my experience was anywhere near as tough as it is

for people who genuinely find I was able to witness some of the

behaviour of the general public and the organisations who are there to

help homeless people. I ought to say that

my report includes some strong Belfast city centre, the shoppers

and workers have drifted home, leaving behind those with nowhere to

go. Saturday night, this was my first night sleeping rough. I felt

vulnerable and exposed. I would have never guessed what happened next.

Incredibly, the same thing happened the following night. And, the night

after. But not everyone showed me kindness.

I was not begging, but that did not stop this girl from hurling abuse at

bay. And a few minutes later, a more

serious attack, a different war but this time, hidden here from the

camera's view. I have just had a girl get very aggressive and was

asking whether I was foreign. Then she started joint ticket me in the

face with her stiletto. She almost hit me there, and she managed to get

my face -- and I managed to get my face out of the way. Another girl

started hitting me over the head, trying to steal my sleeping bag, and

was shouting abuse, started throwing food at me. Not good. It was time to

go, and time to sleep. I was feeling shaken and exhausted, and I needed

to find somewhere to bed down. I am thinking that the Cathedral Quarter

is a good place, it is quiet, lots of alleyways. So, let's see what I

can find. I do not want to go into one of the recesses like that, that

is where I was earlier, and a car decided it would park where I was

lying, I almost got crushed to death, so I learned that is not a

good idea. The challenge was trying to find somewhere quiet and

sheltered from the rain. That is my mattress. Here, my quilt. Look at

that. Then, this is my pillow. This was only my experience of living

rough and it was only for a few days. But still, there is no doubt

being homeless in Belfast is at times frightening and dangerous. But

all timidly what will stay with me is the extraordinary kindness,

generosity and care of strangers. So, you were surprised

by the generosity of strangers? I think I expected the odd person

to hand me money and food. And I should say that all cash

donations will be given to charity. But I never expected anyone to go

so far as to offer me somewhere to I'm not saying that's what all

homeless people get, but it is a sign that the vast

majority of people here seem to be You've been told some quite worrying

statistics on the dangers The life expectancy for

a homeless person is 47 years old. The Welcome Organisation homeless

charity have told me that at least five people they've had

contact with have died We don't know what

their circumstances were or what the causes of those fatalities were,

and there are often other factors as well as sleeping rough that put

homeless people at risk. But it does go some way to showing

how dangerous it can be for a person And I'll be talking to homeless

people in my report tomorrow If you have any thoughts on this

investigation, the second part is tomorrow, check out our Facebook

page. Next, the latest from the

Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, and today the Sisters of

Nazareth congregation has admitted during evidence that there was abuse

at its homes in Londonderry. The Inquiry is now in its 36th day

of public hearings about what happened at St Joseph's home

in Termonbacca and Nazareth House The former Bishop of Derry,

Dr Edward Daly, Sister Brenda McCall became

the public face of the Sisters of Nazareth, giving evidence

at the Inquiry this morning. A congregation battered

and bruised by years And, on behalf of the nuns,

Sister McCall came today to admit that abuse happened, to apologise,

and to explain its impact. She has listened to much of the

evidence of former residents over the first 36 days of the enquiry,

and today, she said much of the evidence has been very shocking and

harrowing for us, she said, it is clear that at certain times and with

certain nuns, some things were not right.

And, when asked if a previous apology

for sexual and physical abuse should now be extended to include

emotional abuse and neglect, Sister McCall responded in three words.

Also giving evidence today, the former Bishop of Derry,

Now 81, he said he had never experienced

poverty like he witnessed in Derry in the 1960s, and added that he

always admired the work of the nuns in helping people in need.

Commenting on the abuse, he said, I think we are all responsible for not

knowing. He said he believes society in general and community leaders

took the work of the Sisters of Nazareth are granted.

Explaining that the nuns looked after 5,000

children, the former Bishop asked, what would have happened to those

He said he received only one complaint about the Sisters of

Nazareth, from a woman in Australia who went there as part of the child

migrant scheme in the middle of the last century, she had been separated

from her brother. He described the letter as long, long and

heartbreaking. The phase of the enquiry examining the homes will

finish later this month. A woman is in a critical condition

after an incident this morning. It is understood she is being treated

for burns injuries. A man who was also in the house in this bird is

being treated. It is believed his edition is not life-threatening. The

police are trying to establish what happened.

The curtain raiser to the Commonwealth Games,

the Queen?s Baton Relay comes to Northern Ireland.

The Coroner's Office is to ask the state pathologist to review

evidence relating to the ten people who were shot dead

The victims' families were in court today

when the coroner also instructed a Ministry of Defence lawyer to find

out if army weapons used in the shootings still exist, and if so,

The family of one of those killed, Joseph Murphy,

say he was buried with a soldier?s bullet still lodged in his body.

They're looking for his remains to be exhumed to

The families of six men, killed by either the police, soldiers or

loyalist paramilitaries, are to be awarded compensation for the

The landmark ruling was made in the High Court in Belfast today.

Louise Cullen reports. James McMenamin died when he was hit

by a PSNI Landrover on the Springfield Road. The death was

ruled accidental in an inquest earlier this year, but that was

almost nine years after he was killed.

We had a date, it fell through. It was a long process.

Mr. McMenamin's death was one of 6 in today's case, along with

Pearse Jordan,an IRA man shot by the RUC; Fergal McCusker, a Catholic

abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries; Neil McConville, the

first person to be shot by the PSNI; Michael Ryan, killed by the SAS 23

years ago and Steven Colwell, shot by a PSNI officer when he didn't

stop at a checkpoint eight years ago.

The six families claimed their human rights had been breached by the

failure to examine the circumstances surrounding each death as soon as

possible. Awarding each family ?7,500, Mr.

Justice Stephens said: "It is obvious that, if unlawful

delays occur in an investigation into the death of a close relative,

that this will cause feelings of frustration, distress and anxiety to

What this case clearly shows is that the state failed to uphold the human

rights of my client in not holding a prompt and quests and it has massive

man of -- ramifications. Today's pay-out to the Jordan

family, awarded against the PSNI, is the second of its kind. They were

previously awarded ten thousand pounds by the European courts in

2001. The other five awards were made against the Department of

Justice. The landmark ruling could pave the way for scores of other

claims, related to "legacy" cases. The head of Victim Support Northern

Ireland has lost her job Susan Reid denies the allegations

being made against her. Our investigations reporter

Kevin Magee has this story. Victim Support Northern Ireland

offers help to victims of crime. Susan Reid being interviewed here

was the face of the organisation for almost 10 years - frequently

speaking up for victims. If the people who have been harmed

by the crime can also be given information, be supported to

understand how the process works, that is going to ease their anxiety.

He resigned to highlight their concerns. I had to be confident that

what was being said was accurate. Over a period of time, I quietly

investigated what was being said and witnessed a number of staff in

distress. I felt that it was important that these matters were

raised with the board of trustees. important that these matters were

"That investigation was carried out by an outside body and gathered

evidence from just not just current staff at but from past employees as

well. Following on from this a separate disciplinary process was

set up that led to the chief executive's contract of employment

being terminated. The board of VSNI says it wants to point out the

issues dealt with were not financial in nature."

Rather its believed they centered around allegations of unreasonable

and unfair demands being asked of employees in their day-to day work

which in some cases caused undue stress.

"Susan Reid released a statement through her solicitor denying all

allegations against her. The statement said the her dismissal was

unfair in multiple respects, confirmed she'd lodged legal

proceedings claiming unfair dismissal and said she'll be seeking

substantial damages from Victim Support. "

So with the prospect of an industrial tribunal looming all the

details of the case could end up being aired in public. Kevin Magee,

BBC Newsline. Next to the election on Thursday

for the European parliament Those councillors will sit in

'shadow' form until next April when Probably the most important

of those will be responsibility for the bulk of planning decisions

in their neighbourhoods. There were controversies

in the 1960s when councils had responsibility

for distributing housing, so will these new representatives

have the necessary skills to handle Our Political Editor Mark Devenport

reports. We want to test the scale of this

and see how it looks. Staff at this planning centre place model options

for a new leisure centre in west Belfast. The creative director sees

the shift in planning powers to councils as a potentially positive

development. I think it is a huge opportunity for the future of

Northern Ireland. It has been coming for some time. What it offers is

great opportunities for local councils to develop their own

plans. It is this moment where people are choosing who they vote

for within the next couple of weeks. They want to choose politicians that

have the ability and understanding of urban regeneration and planning

issues, because it is those politicians and councillors who will

be able to make the biggest difference. Until now, our

councillors have been able to voice their opinion on planning

applications, but the decision-making power has been with

the planning service. From next year, the politicians will be able

to approve or reject all but the biggest developments. While

optimists hope the new councils will rise to the challenge, environmental

campaigners say the new councillors must be subject to a strict code of

conduct in order to ensure they do not get too close to developers.

Because there is a tradition of close relationships between

politicians and planners, it is easy to see that continuing where we last

a fairer system, a permissive system, which says look after your

community, we will look after hours and we will not engage in proper

democratic planning. That is a real danger and that is why we need the

nuts and bolts of good transparency in place. With new councillors set

to wield powers which will have financial consequences for

developers and those objecting to their plans, environmental

campaigners say it is time that the public hears should know who donates

to the political parties and have the same right to that information

And there'll be live coverage of the results as they come in

That's at nine 9 o'clock on Friday night over on BBC2.

The Queen's Baton Relay is in Northern Ireland

for a four-day visit ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

It's the traditional curtain raiser for the games which begin

Our reporter Chris Page has been following the baton's progress

Yes, the Batten has been on an incredible journey. It has just left

this at bowling club. They are sending several bowlers to the

Commonwealth Games. It has been a great day on the road. After a

journey of 100 and the thousand miles in more than 60 countries, but

baton arrived. Here is Dame Mary Peters. The baton has been on the

move since October, taking in Pacific Islands, African nations and

Australia. Accompanied by the first and Deputy First Minister is, Dame

Mary Peters started the relay at the front of Parliament buildings. The

first bearers were children from three primary schools. It was their

job to carry it down the hill, with encouragement from the mascot of The

games. Later in the morning, the Batten -- the baton went to the home

of Northern Ireland swimming in banker. For competitors heading to

Glasgow, the arrival of the baton made it all feel very real. I train

here every day and I train really hard. The baton is nearly in

Glasgow. 60 days to the games. If there was plenty of water inside,

there was even more on the next age of the journey, the baton went by

lifeboat across Belfast Lough. It was welcome to Carrickfergus by Sea

cadets. During its tour of Northern Ireland, the baton will visit all

six counties. It is a special week for sports people, the bowlers and

Ballymena where inspired by the visits of the baton. Tomorrow it

will go to some of the best-known tourist spots and we will be

following it every step of the way. C what the weather has in store.

For this evening, many of us are enjoying fine weather, but we will

have a scattering of showers coming in from the south-east and like last

night, some of those will become quite heavy with the odd rumble of

thunder. The good news is, most of those will clear away, drier

conditions following behind, so tomorrow, it will be better,

brighter and drier. Not try all day, the odd scattered showers, mainly

for western areas -- dry. Good spells of sunshine, showers coming

up, mainly for central and western areas. The showers could push

further east. There will be good spells of sunshine and it will not

feel too bad with light winds. For the second part of the day, very

little will change, the wet weather mainly concentrated towards the west

and North Coast. Further east, largely dry and bright. Overnight

and into Thursday, some showers, they will die away, a cooler night,

the winds will start to change direction on Thursday, it will feel

cooler, but to begin with, for polling day, it should be largely

dry until the afternoon, one we are expecting more in the way of

unsettled weather to come in from the south-east. Some of the rain on

Thursday could be heavy, but it will not be raining all day. With the

northerly winds, it will feel blustery, especially on the North

Coast. A look ahead to Friday and the weekend, we will have low

pressure in control, some wet weather at times, plenty of dry

weather as well. Follow us on Twitter. Not too cold. Our late

summary is at 10:25pm. You can keep in contact via Facebook and Twitter.

Goodbye.