:00:00. > :00:11.A prescription drug being abused by teenagers here should be
:00:12. > :00:14.re-classified according to health officials.
:00:15. > :00:16.It is illegal to have class C drugs without a prescription
:00:17. > :00:20.and it is illegal to supply or sell them to others.
:00:21. > :00:22.Kelly Bonner has been speaking to two teenagers
:00:23. > :00:29.Pregabalin, also known by the brand name Lyrica or the street
:00:30. > :00:33.drug to hit the streets of Northern Ireland.
:00:34. > :00:35.Doctors prescribe it to combat epilepsy and also
:00:36. > :00:41.But there's a more worrying background.
:00:42. > :00:44.In recent months, its been linked to a number of deaths including
:00:45. > :00:47.those of Aarron Strong and Aaron Fox.
:00:48. > :00:50.It was one of a cocktail of drugs both teenagers had taken.
:00:51. > :00:52.Last year Lyrica was prescribed more in Northern Ireland than anywhere
:00:53. > :00:59.But users are not just getting the drug through prescriptions.
:01:00. > :01:01.They're buying it on street corners and online.
:01:02. > :01:05.And it's very easy to buy, it took me just ten minutes to find
:01:06. > :01:07.someone who would deliver the drug to my home.
:01:08. > :01:15.We're calling him Joe, but that's not his real name.
:01:16. > :01:17.He's an addict and he says Lyrica is easy to buy.
:01:18. > :01:19.Walking down the street you can get them.
:01:20. > :01:41.It is on every corner of every street.
:01:42. > :01:44.He says the drug has affected every aspect of his life.
:01:45. > :01:57.It's affected my relationships with all my family.
:01:58. > :02:02.My family all things the worst of me.
:02:03. > :02:09.They'll put me down thinking I am a scumbag because I take drugs.
:02:10. > :02:19.We are calling this teenager Paul, again it's not his real name.
:02:20. > :02:30.The first time I tried it, it was a nice hit.
:02:31. > :02:33.It makes you feel invincible and on top of the world.
:02:34. > :02:37.Then you can see things starting to go
:02:38. > :03:05.It's not just Lyrica, it is the other stuff.
:03:06. > :03:07.But on Lyrica I see people running around like zombies.
:03:08. > :03:11.If they are not out like zombies they are sitting at home
:03:12. > :03:12.thinking about suicide and other stuff.
:03:13. > :03:15.It is understood Lyrica has been coming into Northern Ireland
:03:16. > :03:17.in fairly constant levels for a number of years.
:03:18. > :03:19.And every week packages are intercepted by the
:03:20. > :03:21.National Crime Agency and the UK Border Agency
:03:22. > :03:24.They have been ordered by customers across Northern Ireland.
:03:25. > :03:28.Earlier I spoke to Joe Brogan, who's head of Pharmacy at the Health
:03:29. > :03:30.and Social Care Board and I asked him about
:03:31. > :03:34.I do know 100 people also die each year
:03:35. > :03:37.To put that in context, that is more people
:03:38. > :03:44.than the die on the roads in Northern Ireland.
:03:45. > :03:51.That 100 people will be using drugs such as Pregabalin.
:03:52. > :03:54.They also use other drugs such as morphine.
:03:55. > :03:56.The key messages that 100 people die because
:03:57. > :04:13.Would you like to see people using it less?
:04:14. > :04:16.What about people stealing drugs are getting relatives to get
:04:17. > :04:19.GPs prescribe it when it is clinically
:04:20. > :04:24.It is there to help epilepsy or nerve pain.
:04:25. > :04:27.The difficulty because with pain there is not a chemical test to
:04:28. > :04:31.Listing to symptoms and try to respond positively to that.
:04:32. > :04:44.I do believe there may be a possible way
:04:45. > :04:46.to reduce the overall volume, but you need other things to
:04:47. > :04:48.support individuals who are genuinely needing it.
:04:49. > :04:50.A 28-year-old north Belfast man has been found guilty
:04:51. > :04:53.of murdering his friend who he beat to death with a claw hammer.
:04:54. > :04:56.Louis Maguire had tried to blame another man he'd been drinking with,
:04:57. > :04:59.but a jury at Belfast Crown Court today unanimously convicted him.
:05:00. > :05:01.35-year-old Eamonn Ferguson was found beaten
:05:02. > :05:05.He had been struck multiple times with a claw hammer.
:05:06. > :05:07.His body was found in the living room
:05:08. > :05:13.On the night of the murder he'd been drinking there with Louis Maguire,
:05:14. > :05:15.who lived at the address, and another man, 33-year-old
:05:16. > :05:17.Christopher Power, of no fixed abode.
:05:18. > :05:19.They were arrested and charged with murder in the days after.
:05:20. > :05:21.During the trial, both men blamed the other
:05:22. > :05:27.Today, the jury accepted Christopher Power's account
:05:28. > :05:32.He was acquitted of murder, but convicted of assisting an offender.
:05:33. > :05:38.When the verdict was delivered, Maguire began shouting at the jury,
:05:39. > :05:43.accusing them of stitching him up like his father, referring
:05:44. > :05:45.to the fact that his father, also called Louis Maguire,
:05:46. > :05:50.Initially, the police were told an unknown intruder had
:05:51. > :05:54.attacked the victim up to 20 times with a hammer while the two accused
:05:55. > :05:59.However, Power told the court he had woken up from a drunken sleep
:06:00. > :06:02.and found Mr Ferguson lying in a pool of blood and Maguire
:06:03. > :06:08.Sentencing Maguire to life in prison, Mr Justice Deeny
:06:09. > :06:13.described the murder as brutal and savage.
:06:14. > :06:16.He told Maguire the attack took place while Mr Ferguson had been
:06:17. > :06:19.a guest in his house and in no position to defend himself.
:06:20. > :06:23.Christopher Power will be sentenced for his part next month.
:06:24. > :06:26.BBC Newsline, at the Crown Court in Belfast.
:06:27. > :06:29.A woman accused of murdering 40-year-old Owen Creaney
:06:30. > :06:32.in Craigavon two years ago has admitted in court that she
:06:33. > :06:37.Shauneen Boyle is on trial alongside Stephen Hughes.
:06:38. > :06:40.The pair are blaming each other for the murder which happened
:06:41. > :06:43.after all three had been drinking heavily.
:06:44. > :06:47.Owen Creaney was badly beaten and then his body was left in a bin.
:06:48. > :06:51.Shauneen Boyle who was giving evidence for a second day told
:06:52. > :06:53.the court she'd lied to police because she was petrified
:06:54. > :07:00.A former head of the animal welfare charity, the USPCA has appeared
:07:01. > :07:06.Stephen Philpott faces two charges of conspiracy to defraud and two
:07:07. > :07:10.further charges of possessing and concealing criminal property.
:07:11. > :07:15.It is alleged that over a nine year period, he conspired to create false
:07:16. > :07:18.employment in the USPCA, with the intention of making
:07:19. > :07:23.He was released on bail and will appear in court
:07:24. > :07:31.The deputy first minister Martin McGuinness has said he has no
:07:32. > :07:33.faith in the Secretary of State delivering for people
:07:34. > :07:40.James Brokenshire insists he is the right man for the job.
:07:41. > :07:41.Meanwhile, the former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has told
:07:42. > :07:43.business leaders in Londonderry their voices may not
:07:44. > :07:49.Our political correspondent Enda McClafferty reports.
:07:50. > :07:51.Bertie Ahern always considered himself a political bridge builder
:07:52. > :07:57.But now he's worried the political landscape he helped shape is under
:07:58. > :08:09.threat because of a link which is about to be broken.
:08:10. > :08:12.If we were to go back to what is a customs border
:08:13. > :08:14.that is controlling people, I think certainly wouldn't
:08:15. > :08:21.It would not be good for business or trade or tourism.
:08:22. > :08:24.Unfortunately, it could have a knock-on to those that don't like
:08:25. > :08:27.The former taoiseach was in Derry for a conference on the economic
:08:28. > :08:34.He told delegates, as someone who has spent 20 years
:08:35. > :08:36.negotiating in Brussells, it will be hard to get
:08:37. > :08:46.This is the man who will have the Prime Minister ear
:08:47. > :08:49.during the negotiations and though he isnt part of Theresa May's core
:08:50. > :08:51.Brexit team he feels his voice will be heard.
:08:52. > :08:54.I am able to attend meetings of that committee where there are Northern
:08:55. > :08:58.Ireland related issues and I am confident that I am able to
:08:59. > :09:00.represent Northern Ireland's views and perspective into the Brexit
:09:01. > :09:06.Absolutely remain at the heart of discussions across
:09:07. > :09:09.Whitehall in ensuring that the voice of Northern Ireland is heard loud
:09:10. > :09:13.But The Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who also addressed
:09:14. > :09:15.the conference in Derry has no faith in the secretary
:09:16. > :09:21.I don't trust this British Government to negotiate on our
:09:22. > :09:24.I don't believe this British Government has the best
:09:25. > :09:26.interests of the people of Northern Ireland at
:09:27. > :09:33.This was the same players who brought us
:09:34. > :09:38.These are the people who have infighting within the Tory party.
:09:39. > :09:41.They have brought us to a point where we are now dealing with
:09:42. > :09:50.This is the line which is going to dominate the Brexit negotiations,
:09:51. > :09:54.Its almost invisible right now and the question is will the border
:09:55. > :09:57.be as hard to see once the brexit negotiations are completed by march
:09:58. > :10:00.That's the big question which is long way
:10:01. > :10:04.Enda McClafferty, BBC Newsline on the Derry Donegal border.
:10:05. > :10:07.The Alliance MLA David Ford has submitted a private member's bill
:10:08. > :10:09.to reform the law around the termination of pregnancy in
:10:10. > :10:17.If passed, it would enable women to have a legal termination
:10:18. > :10:24.The President of Colombia is due to travel to Northern Ireland next
:10:25. > :10:27.month as part of a State Visit to the UK.
:10:28. > :10:29.President Santos won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his work
:10:30. > :10:31.on negotiating an agreement with the Marxist FARC
:10:32. > :10:36.However earlier this month the deal was narrowly rejected
:10:37. > :10:38.by the Colombian people in a referendum.
:10:39. > :10:41.His decision to include Belfast in his itinerary
:10:42. > :10:45.will be seen as a recognition of the role played by politicians
:10:46. > :10:48.and activists from Northern Ireland in assisting the talks
:10:49. > :10:53.between the Colombian Government and the rebels.
:10:54. > :10:56.The body of Munster Rugby's head coach Anthony Foley has arrived back
:10:57. > :10:59.in Ireland just hours after his team confirmed this Saturday's match will
:11:00. > :11:03.Mr Foley's funeral will take place the day before.
:11:04. > :11:05.A postmortem examination in France revealed the 42-year-old died
:11:06. > :11:08.of a build up of fluid in the lungs caused by a heart condition.
:11:09. > :11:25.His team spoke about their loss earlier today.
:11:26. > :11:53.That is what writers. He makes is committed to make a proper
:11:54. > :11:54.performance. That is the way we're trying to handle that. That is what
:11:55. > :11:55.drives us Now, here's Angie w drives
:11:56. > :12:02.us ith the weather. is going to say that way tonight.
:12:03. > :12:07.Publication shower we are looking dry weather and clearest for many.
:12:08. > :12:15.Five or six in the towns. Rural areas will be freezing. Ground
:12:16. > :12:19.frost. There will be mist and fog patches. They find they follows
:12:20. > :12:22.tomorrow. A lot of dry weather and a fair amount of sunshine as well.
:12:23. > :12:29.First thing if you have got the mist and fog it may start out quite dry.
:12:30. > :12:33.Once the sun gets up a little it will soon burn. It will be a fine
:12:34. > :12:38.day for many parts of Britain and Ireland, just the odd shower. Also
:12:39. > :12:42.central and eastern parts of England will have showers. Most the more be
:12:43. > :12:46.fairly light. There will be brighter glimpses. The brisk north wind will
:12:47. > :12:50.be coming off the North Sea. That will make it feel quite chilly.
:12:51. > :12:54.Taking early on the coasts. In Northern Ireland in the afternoon we
:12:55. > :12:58.will have the light winds. The light drizzle shower if you're unlucky. It
:12:59. > :13:02.is mainly dry. Plenty of sunshine around. Lots of blue sky and highs
:13:03. > :13:06.of 12 degrees with light winds. It will be feeling very pleasant in the
:13:07. > :13:10.sunshine. A bit of a change as we head into Friday. The cloud gathers.
:13:11. > :13:16.Still brightening putter Southeast, the fairly cloudy for many. Patchy
:13:17. > :13:20.rain getting in for many. It dries up again in the evening. A bit of a
:13:21. > :13:22.breeze picking up on Sunday. Our next BBC Newsline
:13:23. > :13:26.is at 6:25 in the morning You can also keep updated
:13:27. > :13:30.with News Online.