:00:00. > :00:00.That's all from the BBC News at Six - so it's goodbye from me -
:00:00. > :00:18.Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline tonight:
:00:19. > :00:20.A woman has admitted killing her 91-year-old neighbour
:00:21. > :00:22.in 2014 after a fire spread from her Carryduff
:00:23. > :00:29.Home care providers saying they need more public money to cover
:00:30. > :00:39.National Living Wage costs, but unions are critical.
:00:40. > :00:41.The main member businesses are not on a sound footing in the first
:00:42. > :00:45.place? A retired army major tells a Belfast
:00:46. > :00:47.inquest he regrets the death of an 11-year-old boy hit
:00:48. > :00:51.by a rubber bullet in 1972. One year on from her son's death
:00:52. > :01:09.from so-called legal highs, a mother Such a bright future, just gone.
:01:10. > :01:15.Also on the programme: Look away now - a family home in south Belfast
:01:16. > :01:21.And Lough Erne may not be the venue, but next year's Irish Open looks set
:01:22. > :01:34.The clarity and ampicillin continues for one more day.
:01:35. > :01:36.A woman from Carryduff has admitted killing her pensioner neighbour
:01:37. > :01:43.The elderly man died in his house when fire spread from a garage
:01:44. > :01:56.91-year-old Samuel Carson was at sleep -- asleep at his home in
:01:57. > :02:02.September 20 14. In the early hours of fire began in the garage in the
:02:03. > :02:08.adjoining house. The fire spread to an oil tank on Mr Carson's property.
:02:09. > :02:12.Rescue services took him from the hows, but he died at the scene. He
:02:13. > :02:19.was described as a well loved member of the community. An animal lover
:02:20. > :02:23.who also kept horses. Initially police said it was not a
:02:24. > :02:29.suspicious incident, but two days later they were treating it as arson
:02:30. > :02:32.and arrested a woman, a neighbour, 58-year-old Karen Hansen.
:02:33. > :02:41.Today she pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Two more charges of
:02:42. > :02:43.arson in danger in life will be kept on the books.
:02:44. > :02:44.Psychiatric reports have been ordered, and she has been released
:02:45. > :02:48.on bail pending sentencing in May. The cost of providing care
:02:49. > :02:50.for the sick and elderly in their own homes is spiralling
:02:51. > :02:52.and is becoming That's according to the Independent
:02:53. > :02:58.health care providers who are paid by the health trusts
:02:59. > :03:00.to provide the service. One of the main reasons for rising
:03:01. > :03:03.costs is the recent introduction But according to the unions,
:03:04. > :03:07.the independent or private sector Our health correspondent
:03:08. > :03:16.Marie-Louise Connolly reports. Charlene is a full-time care
:03:17. > :03:21.assistant, which means she looks after the sick and elderly in their
:03:22. > :03:28.own homes. It is hard work, with some calls lasting just 15 minutes.
:03:29. > :03:32.You cannot make an assessment in 15 minutes. Never mind trying to clean
:03:33. > :03:39.him and getting him dressed. We always have to think of our
:03:40. > :03:43.client, and 15 minutes isn't enough. It all seems very pressurised, and
:03:44. > :03:53.that is often felt by the person receiving the care of.
:03:54. > :03:59.In case you don't get the toilet, it is a rushed job.
:04:00. > :04:04.Following in Charlene's footsteps, these new care assistants are being
:04:05. > :04:08.trained to work for the company. The service they will provide however is
:04:09. > :04:16.organised and paid for by the local health trust. They pay the company
:04:17. > :04:20.?12 per hour; from that, providers pay trained staff's wages and other
:04:21. > :04:25.costs. But since the introduction of the national living wage, they have
:04:26. > :04:31.to pay staff an additional 50p per hour.
:04:32. > :04:33.Some think this is insufficient. With inflation, increased
:04:34. > :04:40.regulation, increased costs, we haven't got enough money to cover
:04:41. > :04:44.those costs. You have to question why they are in
:04:45. > :04:47.the business of health care provision and particularly home care
:04:48. > :04:52.provision, why they think you should be able to make a profit out of the
:04:53. > :04:57.condition of vulnerable older people in particular, and what exactly they
:04:58. > :05:03.mean by the fact that there is going to be a modest pay rise for home
:05:04. > :05:06.care workers. Does that mean their businesses are not on a sound
:05:07. > :05:10.footing in the first place? According to the health trusts, they
:05:11. > :05:15.have recognised the additional costs and increase their funding to the
:05:16. > :05:17.independent sector by 5%. -- increased.
:05:18. > :05:20.A retired Lieutenant Colonel, who was in command of the unit
:05:21. > :05:22.which fired a rubber bullet which hit 11-year -old
:05:23. > :05:24.which fired a rubber bullet which hit 11-year-old
:05:25. > :05:26.Francis Rowntree in 1972, has expressed regret for his death.
:05:27. > :05:28.The family of the boy say it's not enough.
:05:29. > :05:39.Francis Rowntree was hit by a rubber bullet fired from a military vehicle
:05:40. > :05:45.on the 20th of April 1972. The inquest heard it was one of the
:05:46. > :05:50.darkest years of the Troubles, with 496 deaths. Rioting was commonplace.
:05:51. > :05:54.Counsel for the Rowntree family told the inquest the evidence indicated
:05:55. > :05:59.the 11-year-old was not writing, there was no rioting going on in the
:06:00. > :06:05.vicinity, and Francis died from being hit by a rubber bullet.
:06:06. > :06:09.Trevor Beach, who was in the front passenger seat, said it is extremely
:06:10. > :06:15.sad what happened, and clearly I regret it. I regret it has taken so
:06:16. > :06:22.long for the family to get the information.
:06:23. > :06:28.It is an expression of sorrow. You will be happy if he said sorry?
:06:29. > :06:32.That would make me sorry. -- that would make me happy.
:06:33. > :06:37.Trevor Veitch told the inquest he was convinced they were under threat
:06:38. > :06:43.that day, but council queried this. But she told the inquest -- she
:06:44. > :06:47.asked, did you have no memory of this day.
:06:48. > :06:53.No memory, he said. Trevor Veitch said it is a horrible idea to think
:06:54. > :06:57.that records were doctored. -- ammunition.
:06:58. > :06:59.The inquest continues. You're watching BBC Newsline,
:07:00. > :07:10.still to come on the programme: The future is looking brighter for
:07:11. > :07:12.our squirrels after predictions that populations here could be devastated
:07:13. > :07:15.by a virus have not come true. The mother of a teenager who died
:07:16. > :07:17.after taking so-called legal highs says she's concerned proposed
:07:18. > :07:20.legislation to tackle the problem It's a year since Adele Wallace's
:07:21. > :07:28.son Adam was found Adele Wallace doing what no parent
:07:29. > :07:35.should ever have to - making floral tributes
:07:36. > :07:37.for her son's grave. It's a year since 17-year-old Adam
:07:38. > :07:39.died after taking so-called We now have to go to a cemetery to
:07:40. > :07:51.see our child or speak to him, then when you think of the loss itself
:07:52. > :07:55.because such a bright future is just Adam was the baby of the family,
:07:56. > :08:01.a character who always But his personality changed
:08:02. > :08:06.once drugs took hold. Adele remains haunted
:08:07. > :08:13.by his final few hours. I find that very distressing,
:08:14. > :08:19.upsetting, because you cannot help but think he died on somebody's
:08:20. > :08:28.bedroom floor, none of his family were there to help them,
:08:29. > :08:34.to think your child, even though some of us were there,
:08:35. > :08:48.I would say he was When they took me into the room and
:08:49. > :08:52.you could see him under the white cloth, I couldn't lift or hold him
:08:53. > :08:54.because I was not allowed. I just wanted to pick up my child and hold
:08:55. > :08:56.him. The last 12 months without Adam
:08:57. > :08:59.have been a struggle. Adele has focused on campaigning
:09:00. > :09:01.for more help for teenagers, but is worried proposed
:09:02. > :09:10.legislation isn't tough enough. I do have major concerns,
:09:11. > :09:12.because in the South it hasn't been working
:09:13. > :09:14.for prosecutions from 2010 until 2016,
:09:15. > :09:16.which speaks volumes because I believe there are more than four
:09:17. > :09:20.drug dealers down south paddling believe there are more than four
:09:21. > :09:31.drug dealers down south peddling Adele says she will continue to
:09:32. > :09:35.highlight the dangers of so-called "Legal highs", as she doesn't want
:09:36. > :09:39.any other mother to go through this agony.
:09:40. > :09:45.When you think of the loss itself, such a bright future just gone. That
:09:46. > :09:49.upsets me so much. To the extent that you nearly don't want to go out
:09:50. > :09:52.the door because it is so hard on you emotionally. How do you fix a
:09:53. > :09:59.broken heart? How do you fix it? A property owner says
:10:00. > :10:02.Belfast City Council has been too 18 of the rodents have been caught
:10:03. > :10:07.in and around his rented house This report from David
:10:08. > :10:10.Maxwell contains some close-ups of dead rats -
:10:11. > :10:24.if that's not for you, Court in just a few days. And there
:10:25. > :10:29.is plenty more where this bucket came from.
:10:30. > :10:34.-- captured in just a few days. The rats have been plaguing tenants in
:10:35. > :10:39.our house in Edinburgh street. Attempts to control the numbers have
:10:40. > :10:45.proved futile. I've had the woman from this house
:10:46. > :10:48.on the phone to me late night in tears, there's three children in the
:10:49. > :10:54.house, and with rats running about. You don't want that in the house.
:10:55. > :10:57.The owner says the source of the programme -- problem is outside his
:10:58. > :11:01.property. He was told by the Council there is
:11:02. > :11:04.a waiting list, and it would take up to ten days to investigate.
:11:05. > :11:08.Local residents say the rabbits can be spotted in this alleyway in broad
:11:09. > :11:14.daylight. -- the rodents. Some believe they
:11:15. > :11:20.are coming up this broken pipe at the rear of the property.
:11:21. > :11:21.This afternoon Belfast City Council said pest control will call in the
:11:22. > :11:24.morning. The TUV leader Jim Allister
:11:25. > :11:26.launched his party's manifesto today promising to expose what he called
:11:27. > :11:29.the "squander of public The party is standing 15 candidates
:11:30. > :11:34.in next month's Assembly election The party's manifesto sets out
:11:35. > :11:41.the economic benefits for Northern Ireland
:11:42. > :11:45.if the UK votes to leave EU. It also outlines how party plans
:11:46. > :11:48.to deal with problems in the health The TUV leader said the current
:11:49. > :11:55.structures at Stormont were a "shambles", and insisted
:11:56. > :11:57.voluntary coalition with an opposition was the only way
:11:58. > :12:07.to make government work. We have been the voice of
:12:08. > :12:12.opposition. We have shone the bright light into the dark corners of
:12:13. > :12:19.Stormont, exposed the squander, exposed the failure and the abuse.
:12:20. > :12:25.If my hand strengthened in this election by getting many TUV MLAs to
:12:26. > :12:28.help, Stormont will never be the same again, I promise you that.
:12:29. > :12:30.Now the latest in our series of constituency profiles.
:12:31. > :12:32.South Down has a majority of nationalists.
:12:33. > :12:34.But its two most recognisable unionist figures have
:12:35. > :12:39.One lost his job as an Executive minister amid controversy.
:12:40. > :12:41.The other quit his party, formed another one
:12:42. > :12:43.which soon imploded, and is now independent.
:12:44. > :12:45.It all helps make for an unpredictable election in May,
:12:46. > :12:54.as our political correspondent Gareth Gordon reports.
:12:55. > :13:05.If you are searching for drama in these parts, you look at the scene
:13:06. > :13:09.are. But not so much the politics. -- scenery. Well South Down is a
:13:10. > :13:13.mainly nationalist constituency, much of the interest this time
:13:14. > :13:22.around concerns what will happen to the Unionist vote.
:13:23. > :13:29.Good afternoon. Big day coming up on May the 5th...
:13:30. > :13:33.It is a big day for John Wells, after a year of despair the former
:13:34. > :13:37.Health Minister sees the Assembly election as his shot at the --
:13:38. > :13:41.redemption. John Wells is fighting back and Jim
:13:42. > :13:46.Wells is determined to confound those who sought to destroy him. I
:13:47. > :13:49.am determined to go on and do the best I can for the people South
:13:50. > :13:53.Down. Last year of the General Election he
:13:54. > :14:01.got another shot. The finished almost 500 votes behind this man.
:14:02. > :14:05.-- he finished. In his hometown, Harold McKee thinks he knows what
:14:06. > :14:09.people want from the local candidate. Even if it means taking a
:14:10. > :14:15.different line from the majority of his Ulster Unionist Party on one of
:14:16. > :14:21.the major issues of the day. I will exercise my free vote in the
:14:22. > :14:25.EU. Here we have a fishing industry which has suffered greatly from the
:14:26. > :14:30.EU issues. But I have to be seen to look after my people, I will not
:14:31. > :14:36.turn my back on them. You say you will support coming out?
:14:37. > :14:42.I will support coming out, yes. Facing an uphill struggle is the
:14:43. > :14:47.last man to win the seat for the Ulster Unionists, John McAllister
:14:48. > :14:53.then left to form an ill-fated -- ill-fated party.
:14:54. > :14:58.But he believes he can defy the odds by standing on his record.
:14:59. > :15:02.You need a Government that has agreed programme and is held to
:15:03. > :15:07.account by an opposition. I want to be part of that opposition, holding
:15:08. > :15:10.Northern Ireland's Government to account, and I think people respect
:15:11. > :15:15.that I will be a strong, independent voice that can deliver.
:15:16. > :15:18.He is not the only former Ulster Unionist in the field. This
:15:19. > :15:26.well-known local councillor has a profile well his native town. From
:15:27. > :15:30.his time as a member of Ukip. One thing I have noticed in past
:15:31. > :15:35.Assembly elections, sometimes people would say, we know you are a good
:15:36. > :15:42.worker but we have to vote DUP to keep Sinn Fein out. That project
:15:43. > :15:46.fear of which the DUP have excelled with in the past, that is not
:15:47. > :15:52.effective this time round. Last time the SDLP had a 2000 vote
:15:53. > :15:56.lead over Sinn Fein. This Downpatrick councillor believes
:15:57. > :16:01.the SDLP has benefited from having a new leader.
:16:02. > :16:05.It is not that old approach in Northern Ireland politics, it is not
:16:06. > :16:09.about nationalists and unionists, it is about delivering an service for
:16:10. > :16:15.local people in local communities. We are not interested in job titles
:16:16. > :16:19.and topping polls, we want to get into the Assembly to service local
:16:20. > :16:22.people and help them on the issues they need.
:16:23. > :16:26.But the Sinn Fein candidate believes history is about to be rewritten.
:16:27. > :16:29.It is only a matter of time before we dominate all the elections in
:16:30. > :16:35.South Down. We set out to take three seats, we
:16:36. > :16:39.set out to do as well as we can. If we overtake the SDLP that would be a
:16:40. > :16:46.benefit, but if becoming the biggest party means helping our electorate,
:16:47. > :16:49.then so much the better. We will know in May, but as one race
:16:50. > :16:51.ends, another will just be starting. There's a list of all
:16:52. > :16:53.the candidates in South Belfast And the first of the BBC
:16:54. > :16:57.Northern Ireland election debates is on tomorrow night,
:16:58. > :16:59.when a specially extended The View is in Mid Ulster
:17:00. > :17:02.with the five largest parties A couple of weeks ago
:17:03. > :17:16.it was all looking a bit grim for this little fella
:17:17. > :17:18.and his friends. An outbreak of a devastating
:17:19. > :17:20.squirrel disease in Tollymore Forest led to predictions that
:17:21. > :17:22.the population there Well, several weeks on,
:17:23. > :17:25.our agriculture and environment correspondent Conor Macauley went
:17:26. > :17:28.to find out exactly how our native reds are coping with the threat
:17:29. > :17:38.of this killer virus. A peanut in his mouth, this little
:17:39. > :17:43.red does what all squirrels do. He tucks grab away for a day when the
:17:44. > :17:50.food supply is less plentiful. -- he tucks food away. This is one
:17:51. > :17:58.of around 80 resident reds in Tollymore Forest.
:17:59. > :18:03.Three weeks ago a killer virus was confirmed in this forest, that wipes
:18:04. > :18:08.out rates. It almost happened in 2011. Then, 80% of the population
:18:09. > :18:12.died from squirrel pox. This time though, only a couple of days have
:18:13. > :18:15.been confirmed. And that is giving environmentalists
:18:16. > :18:23.some hope. This year, we have not seen the same
:18:24. > :18:26.effect as in 2011, so we are hoping it is maybe something that will burn
:18:27. > :18:30.itself out quickly. On one hand this is the worst
:18:31. > :18:34.possible time of the year to have an outbreak of squirrel pox. That is
:18:35. > :18:39.because it is the breeding season, when there is the maximum contact
:18:40. > :18:43.between reds, leading to potential transfer of the disease. On the
:18:44. > :18:47.other hand, the virus does not seem to like the damp weather, and that
:18:48. > :18:52.may in part contribute to the relatively low number of confirmed
:18:53. > :18:55.deaths we have had so far. Reds catch the disease from
:18:56. > :19:00.non-native grey squirrels, which carry it but do not succumb.
:19:01. > :19:05.It is thought ticks and fleas, sent secretions, bites and scratches in
:19:06. > :19:08.fights over food can all cause transfer.
:19:09. > :19:14.Greys are cold here to protect the native reds, and that is a big part
:19:15. > :19:18.of the battle against this disease. I think the simple way is humane
:19:19. > :19:24.control of grey squirrels. They are not supposed to be here. It is a
:19:25. > :19:26.problem that has been caused by humans, and they are going to be the
:19:27. > :19:31.answer to the problem. Last year it took ten weeks for the
:19:32. > :19:35.pox to die out. One of the main problems is lethargy, and there is
:19:36. > :19:37.not much sign of that amongst the trees of Tollymore Forest.
:19:38. > :19:41.Now sport - and the Irish Open may not be heading to Lough Erne next
:19:42. > :19:43.year, but will it still be held in Northern Ireland?
:19:44. > :19:45.Gavin Andrews is here with the sport.
:19:46. > :19:47.European Tour officials remained tight-lipped today at a media day
:19:48. > :19:52.for THIS year's tournament, at the K Club in County Kildare.
:19:53. > :19:54.But BBC Newsline understands that the destination of next year's
:19:55. > :19:56.Irish Open WILL be in Northern Ireland,
:19:57. > :20:15.The club is getting ready to host the Irish open next month. European
:20:16. > :20:19.tour officials were here today, but unwilling to add anything to their
:20:20. > :20:24.statement later this week about pulling out of Lough Erne next year.
:20:25. > :20:28.But I understand the tour is determined to return to Northern
:20:29. > :20:32.Ireland in 2017. I also understand the preferred venue is Port Stewart.
:20:33. > :20:36.Two officials have already had discussions with the club and
:20:37. > :20:41.visited the course. Also here today was the former European Ryder Cup
:20:42. > :20:46.vice captain Des Smith. He told me the Irish open should continue to be
:20:47. > :20:52.staged in Northern Ireland. I know that's the plan, from the
:20:53. > :20:56.sponsors and the people running the tournament. They want to try and get
:20:57. > :21:03.up to Northern Ireland, back down here. So let them decide how it is
:21:04. > :21:06.going to work. If it is not Lough Erne, you will find it will be
:21:07. > :21:11.somewhere else. After -- as for next month's Irish
:21:12. > :21:14.open, golf fans will be able to see the new Masters champion Danny
:21:15. > :21:25.Willett. It's going to be awesome. Rory's
:21:26. > :21:31.doing a fantastic job in helping the European tour out and helping golf
:21:32. > :21:35.in Ireland. And I just think that with the strength of field they are
:21:36. > :21:38.going to get this year, and obviously the iconic venue it is at,
:21:39. > :21:43.I am really looking forward to playing my first European tour event
:21:44. > :21:47.back in Ireland. So, exciting that Danny Willett will
:21:48. > :21:49.be here to go head-to-head with Rory McIlroy, and the rest of our major
:21:50. > :21:51.stars. Six Irish boxers, three
:21:52. > :21:53.men and three women, went into today's quarterfinals
:21:54. > :21:55.of the European Olympic Among them is Belfast
:21:56. > :22:00.Flyweight Brendan Irvine In the women's divisions,
:22:01. > :22:08.Ceire Smith and Christine Desmond both bowed out -
:22:09. > :22:10.but there was better news for reigning Olympic
:22:11. > :22:13.champion Katie Taylor. She may have won gold
:22:14. > :22:16.in London four years ago, but still needs to reach the final
:22:17. > :22:18.in Turkey this week She is now one win away,
:22:19. > :22:23.after a comfortable victory against Denmark's Yvonne
:22:24. > :22:27.Rasmussen this afternoon. Portadown are to appeal the ?10,000
:22:28. > :22:29.fine and signing ban, after the club was found guilty
:22:30. > :22:32.of two offences in relation The IFA have banned the club
:22:33. > :22:38.from signing players on a new professional contract
:22:39. > :22:58.until 1st June 2017. Any chance of a dry day?
:22:59. > :23:03.Getting that way. We had a bit of missed earlier on, and that is
:23:04. > :23:09.because of the jet stream, that fast-moving area that drives our
:23:10. > :23:12.weather. It's been leaving us alone. We're waiting for this area of high
:23:13. > :23:19.pressure to exert its influence next week. As we go overnight tonight, we
:23:20. > :23:25.hold on the cloudy,. -- damp conditions. Tomorrow with get a
:23:26. > :23:28.little bit drier before turning colder on Friday. Overnight tonight
:23:29. > :23:33.then that veil of cloud spreads south, we will see a few showers
:23:34. > :23:38.popping up but the cloud cover will keep temperatures on the mild side.
:23:39. > :23:42.Overnight lows of five or six. Tomorrow starts off as most of the
:23:43. > :23:47.days this week have, on the cloudy site with a few showers. But it will
:23:48. > :23:51.brighten up later on. As we go through the day we keep that cloud
:23:52. > :23:54.cover over us through much of the day, but the showers will
:23:55. > :23:59.increasingly fizzle out as the ridge of high pressure begins to work its
:24:00. > :24:06.way in. Top temperatures under the cloud, ten or 11 degrees. But by the
:24:07. > :24:09.time we get to this sort of time tomorrow we will start to see the
:24:10. > :24:12.cloud beginning to peel back, and we will get some brighter skies. So it
:24:13. > :24:17.should actually be quite a pleasant day -- pleasant end to the day on
:24:18. > :24:21.Thursday. But it is on Friday that the big change begins to happen.
:24:22. > :24:25.This cold front is working its way south, and behind it we are in for
:24:26. > :24:30.so much cooler air. We will see rain through the middle part of Friday,
:24:31. > :24:34.but behind it we will get so much brighter skies. Quite breezy for a
:24:35. > :24:39.time, and much, much cooler temperatures. That will set the tone
:24:40. > :24:42.as we head into this weekend. Because while the air temperatures
:24:43. > :24:47.is going to be cool, we should expect to see some brighter skies,
:24:48. > :24:52.and there is plenty of warmth in the son at the moment. If you do catch
:24:53. > :24:55.some sunshine, it should feel rather pleasant.
:24:56. > :24:58.Our late summary is at half past ten.