0:00:00 > 0:00:00earnings growth. Philip Hammond says he hopes to prove the earnings
0:00:00 > 0:00:01forecasts wrong.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Good afternoon.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16The inquest into the Buncrana pier tragedy has been hearing
0:00:16 > 0:00:19from an RNLI diver and more about the frantic rescue efforts
0:00:19 > 0:00:22that were made within minutes of the car going into the water.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Five members of the same family drowned when their car slid
0:00:24 > 0:00:26off the pier last year.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Yesterday the hearing was told that the driver, Sean McGrotty,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34was more than three times over the Republic's drink driving limit.
0:00:34 > 0:00:41Our North West reporter, Keiron Tourish, is in Buncrana for us.
0:00:41 > 0:00:47Tell us more about this morning's evidence.Yes, indeed. As you say,
0:00:47 > 0:00:52this is the second day of the inquest into the tragic events which
0:00:52 > 0:00:57happened on the 20th of March last year at Buncrana. We heard evidence
0:00:57 > 0:01:02this morning from the RNLI member who was an experienced diver. He
0:01:02 > 0:01:07said the alarm was raised at seven point 13 pm. . The RNLI responded
0:01:07 > 0:01:14within seven minutes and recovered Ruth Daniels, who was 57, from the
0:01:14 > 0:01:19water. She was given CPR at the pier. John Ross said the car had
0:01:19 > 0:01:24been submerged when he died down in three metres of water. He could not
0:01:24 > 0:01:28get any doors open. He said the driver window was broken but intact
0:01:28 > 0:01:33and facing inwards. He said he could see nobody in the front two seats
0:01:33 > 0:01:40and said visibility was at arm's length.Who else arrived at the
0:01:40 > 0:01:45slipway to try and help?We got more dramatic evidence as the morning
0:01:45 > 0:01:53went on. Seamus Callanan said he received a call to the station at
0:01:53 > 0:01:58quarter past seven an evening that a car had gone the pier at Buncrana
0:01:58 > 0:02:02with people on board. He was on the scene within one minute. He saw a
0:02:02 > 0:02:06young baby being cared for and was told four or five others were
0:02:06 > 0:02:10missing. He said the baby was taken to hospital by ambulance. He said
0:02:10 > 0:02:15CPR was being performed on Ruth Daniels. He added the pier was very
0:02:15 > 0:02:21slippery with thick algae. He cleared the pier and sealed it off.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Callahan said four people were later taken from the water and they all
0:02:24 > 0:02:29died. He placed blankets over them and a local priest said prayers over
0:02:29 > 0:02:35each of the bodies. Seamus Callanan recovered a number of personal items
0:02:35 > 0:02:39from the car when it was towed from the water. He said they included a
0:02:39 > 0:02:44baby bag and he noticed a number of empty baby bottles. He said it was
0:02:44 > 0:02:48obvious to him that the baby was very well looked after.For now,
0:02:48 > 0:02:55thank you. More about that from half past six this evening.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01A woman whose uncle was once accused of being a serial killer has told
0:03:01 > 0:03:03BBC Newsline that he sexually assaulted her as a child.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Debbie Ross has waived her right to be anonymous
0:03:05 > 0:03:07to talk about the abuse.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Leslie Ross from Dromore in County Down was on trial
0:03:09 > 0:03:15earlier this month for the offences.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16He took ill and he died.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Here's our Investigations Correspondent Kevin Magee.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Debbie Ross said one of the reasons she emigrated was to forget her
0:03:25 > 0:03:28uncle, who abused has a child. He was accused of killing three former
0:03:28 > 0:03:33girlfriends. He was eventually cleared of all the murder charges.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37But he had been facing 44 sex abuse charges when he passed away this
0:03:37 > 0:03:41month. This means his niece's allegations cannot be tested in
0:03:41 > 0:03:48court.Absolute monster. To have done what he did to me, I was also
0:03:48 > 0:03:53very afraid of him.A research scientist has waived the right to
0:03:53 > 0:03:57anonymity to talk to the BBC. She hopes she can inspire other victims
0:03:57 > 0:04:00to speak out.
0:04:01 > 0:04:11And there will be a full report on that on this evening's programme.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16The 78-year-old mother of a man who was shot dead by loyalists
0:04:16 > 0:04:18has appealed to the Secretary of State to make
0:04:18 > 0:04:21sure her son doesn't become a forgotten victim.
0:04:21 > 0:04:2835-year-old Brian Service was walking home in Ardoyne in
0:04:28 > 0:04:30North Belfast when he was attacked.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32No-one has been convicted of his murder.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34His mother Ann, is calling for proposed legacy institutions
0:04:34 > 0:04:37from the Stormont House Agreement from 2014 to be put in place
0:04:37 > 0:04:39while she's still alive.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44As I get older I am getting angrier. I am not mellowing. I owe it to my
0:04:44 > 0:04:50son. I owe it to my son to do whatever has to be done. If anybody
0:04:50 > 0:04:55asks me to do something I will do it. I will do it. He wasn't involved
0:04:55 > 0:05:03in anything. He was reared not to hate. They put it together in the
0:05:03 > 0:05:10streets. There was no hate in our family. I want to know when they are
0:05:10 > 0:05:14going to take up the case of my son and say this is what happened. It is
0:05:14 > 0:05:18not about punishment. It is not about punishment. It is about doing
0:05:18 > 0:05:29the right thing.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34Five cities cannot take part in the contest for the city of culture in
0:05:34 > 0:05:392023. The Department of culture media and sport was disappointed by
0:05:39 > 0:05:41the decision of the European commission concerning Londonderry
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and would appeal.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47A senior member of the Ulster Council of the GAA has said players
0:05:47 > 0:05:50who want to join the PSNI should be able to do so without any impact
0:05:50 > 0:05:52on membership of their local club.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53The Provincial secretary Brian McEvoy's remarks come
0:05:53 > 0:05:55after a newspaper interview with Peadar Heffron -
0:05:55 > 0:05:58a serving police officer and Gaelic footballer targeted in a dissident
0:05:58 > 0:06:03republican bomb attack in 2010.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06He has criticised the reaction at his club when he announced his
0:06:06 > 0:06:12decision to join the police.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18Given that there is a whole media coverage we have had following the
0:06:18 > 0:06:24very frank interview, I think this is time for us to come out and say
0:06:24 > 0:06:29publicly that any club member who wishes to join the PSNI should do so
0:06:29 > 0:06:32free in the knowledge it will not impact on their membership of the
0:06:32 > 0:06:34local club.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Rugby and Wasps' forward Marty Moore will join Ulster
0:06:36 > 0:06:43next summer on a two-year deal.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Meanwhile several of Ulster's young players
0:06:45 > 0:06:48will feature against Benetton in tomorrow night's
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Pro 14 game in Belfast.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53There's a debut for 19 year old Aaron Hall and Paul Marshall
0:06:53 > 0:06:56could become only the 5th Ulster player to notch up 200 appearances.
0:06:56 > 0:07:03He's on the replacements bench.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04He's on the replacements bench.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Now the weather. If you have not done it yet, may I suggest breaking
0:07:09 > 0:07:13out the big winter coat? There is a chilly feel to the weather in the
0:07:13 > 0:07:16next few days. The flow of the weather is all coming from the
0:07:16 > 0:07:22north-west. Through the end of this week. It is a cold direction and
0:07:22 > 0:07:26damp direction. Cold moist air is feeding this pattern of wintry
0:07:26 > 0:07:31showers we will see in the next few days. In the main sleet and snow on
0:07:31 > 0:07:34the hills but through the week we might see some snow falling to lower
0:07:34 > 0:07:39levels. If you do get out and about to enjoy any brighter spells between
0:07:39 > 0:07:44showers, wrap up because it will be pretty chilly. Because we have a day
0:07:44 > 0:07:47with clear skies overnight the temperature will really drop away
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and widespread frost tonight. It means Friday will be a very chilly
0:07:51 > 0:07:56start. It will be a day of sunshine and showers but I'm afraid they are
0:07:56 > 0:08:02going to be wintry again. As we go through the day, highs of three,
0:08:02 > 0:08:09four, maybe 5 degrees. Surely even for late November. Overnight a risk
0:08:09 > 0:08:13of frost in the weekend. That is pretty chilly for late November.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Coming out to the north-west, it is going to be cold and windy. We will
0:08:16 > 0:08:22see wintry showers. Saturday will maybe be slightly brighter, Sunday
0:08:22 > 0:08:26will be brighter than Saturday, but it is always going to be very chilly
0:08:26 > 0:08:30indeed. Whatever you are doing, make the as this weekend. Up warm.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33indeed. Whatever you are doing, make the as this weekend. Up warm.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Now a signed news summary.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39An RNLI diver has told the inquest into the Buncrana pier tragedy
0:08:39 > 0:08:41that the first body was recovered from the water minutes
0:08:41 > 0:08:44after the alarm was raised.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47He said his colleagues had been on a training exercise nearby
0:08:47 > 0:08:48prior to the incident.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Five members of the same family drowned when their car slid
0:08:51 > 0:09:01off the pier last year.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09The niece of a man who was once accused of being a serial killer has
0:09:09 > 0:09:12waived her right to anonymity to tell her own story of abuse.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Debbie Ross says she was sexually assaulted by Leslie Ross
0:09:14 > 0:09:16from Dromore Co Down as a child.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21The trial was halted earlier this month
0:09:21 > 0:09:25and he later died.
0:09:25 > 0:09:33The 78 year old mother of a man shot dead by loyalists
0:09:33 > 0:09:36in north Belfast in 1998 has appealed to the Secretary
0:09:36 > 0:09:39of State to make sure her son doesn't become a forgotten victim.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41She is calling for proposed legacy institutions
0:09:41 > 0:09:43from the Stormont House agreement to be put in place
0:09:43 > 0:09:47while she's alive.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49The British government has just confirmed that UK cities including
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Belfast and Londonderry can no longer apply to take part
0:09:52 > 0:09:58in the European City of Culture in 2023.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Stormont's Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was
0:10:00 > 0:10:02disappointed by the decision and would appeal.