18/10/2013 BBC Oxford News

from the BBC News at Six. So it's goodbye from me,

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's programme:

An armed standoff with police with his twin daughters in the house `

Daniel Rodriguez pleads guilty to a string of offences, including

possessing a gun and threatening officers.

Also tonight: Jailed ` the woman who turned stealing into a business by

shoplifting 900 handbags and selling them on Ebay.

He was the voice of the BBC's football results who lost his voice

to cancer. After an operation to save his life, how James Alexander

Gordon is learning to talk again. And later on: Bridging the

generations. How old and young are coming together to help keep the

lifeboats afloat. Good evening. A man has admitted a

string of offences after an armed standoff with police, involving his

two`year`old, twin daughters. The girls were released unharmed during

the 12`hour incident in Kidlington, near Oxford in July. Daniel

Rodriguez, who's 38, has admitted four firearms offences among the

charges. He's also pleaded separately to three charges of rape.

Jessica Cooper has more details. This was the scene at Morton Avenue

in Kidlington back in July. Armed officers called to the scene of a

property in this residential street. What unfolded was a 12 hour standoff

with police. Daniel Rodriguez was eventually tasered and arrested.

Today, appearing here at Oxford Crown Court, he's admitted four

firearms offences. Today in court, the 38`year`old, of

Morton Avenue, Kidlington, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm, and

an imitation firearm and two counts of using a firearm with intent to

cause harm or injury. But he pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and

having a prohibited weapon. Both of these charges will lie on file. In

fact, police said Rodriguez had not threatened to harm the two girls

inside the house during negotiations.

Police say the incident in July was distressing, and caused disruption

in the community, and have thanked officers involved that day for their

hard work. Rodriguez will be sentenced here at Oxford Crown Court

on five December. A 48`year`old mother of two from

Wiltshire has been jailed today for stealing more than 900 handbags

during a three year shoplifting crime spree across Britain. A

court's heard Jayne Rand, from Purton near Swindon, would walk into

stores, cut off the security tag of a designer handbag and leave with

the bag on her shoulder. Police who searched her country home found

she'd been selling hundreds of them on Ebay. Scott Ellis reports.

Jayne Rand admits stealing 905 designer handbags and purses over a

three year period. She was jailed today for 18 months. These are some

of the bags police seized, taken from shops in Barr Bristol

Manchester and Liverpool. Police found another 50 at her home in

Purton and found she'd made ?88,000 selling the handbags on line.

Neither her husband nor two children were aware of the crime spree.

Her neighbour's equally shocked. No reason at all to imagine that she

would need to do anything like that. How shocked are you that she stole

900? I can't imagine that he would get that far.

Rand was eventually caught by store detectives in south Wales. The judge

at Newport crown court said Rand had, "made a business of stealing."

"Planned, calculated and persistent. It's sad and unusual to see a woman

of 48 with previous good character up before the court for such a

protracted and serious dishonesty." The court heard Rand would on

occasion cut the security tag off the handbags. But usually didn't

have to. Tonight in Purton neighbours say

have deep sympathy and feel most sorry for Rand's family. Rand led a

double life. Telling police she needed the money to fund her

lifestyle. The court heard she bitterly regrets everything that

she's done. And that she'd become almost immune to the feeling of

wrongdoing. Police in Oxford are trying to trace

a teenager who has gone on the run after being charged with raping a

schoolboy. Officers asked the judge to lift reporting restrictions so

his name and picture could be released. Ismail Dilsoz, who's 17,

is yet to stand trial. It's believed he may still be in Oxford.

A planned strike by firefighters across our region has been called

off. The fire brigades union had intended to walk out for five hours

tomorrow, in a dispute over pensions. The union held protests

last month over the issue. A final agreement has yet to be reached and

further negotiations will now take place People in Oxford are being

urged to open their eyes to the signs of exploitation.

Campaigners from Oxford Community against trafficking have been

highlighting the issue. They're urging people look out for anything

that could indicate that people are being exploited. It comes as the

Government announces plans to introduce a maximum life sentence

for human traffickers. Angela Walker reports. " Highlighting the plight

of trafficked women, in Oxford, the city shaken by the child sex

grooming ring uncovered earlier this year.

Seven men were jailed in June, two of them for life, on charges of

child rape, trafficking and prostitution. It is right up there

with drugs. With drugs you can sell them, but a person you can tell

multiple times daily. And in 2011, two men from the county

jailed. They were caught in a police sting after a tip`off from a man who

was sent a girl by an escort agency who he believed was only about 13

years old. Today's message ` be vigilant to the signs of human

trafficking. Foreign nationals who don't leave

properties without a garden. Young women who looked to be accompanied

by men all the time, groups of men coming and going, taking girls out

of cars. Anything strange. Today's demonstration comes as the

Government announces plan to introduce a maximum life sentence

for the worst cases of human trafficking ` but campaigners say

that's not enough. We have signed up, the UK, along

with other European countries to bring in commissioners for victims.

The UK seems to be dragging their feet. It is an independent system to

look after victims of trafficking. We are launching a petition today to

call on. Oxford's Early Intervention Service

which supports troubled young people says it's picked up 15 girls in the

last week who were vulnerable to exploitation. They'll now be

monitored to ensure their safety. OXCAT say it welcomes the government

proposals for maximum life sentences for people traffickers ` and that

it's time for everyone to open their eyes to the signs of abuse.

A wagon and freight can train that came off the tracks on Tuesday has

now been removed. Network rail said it has to remove a mile of track and

two miles of cable. It hopes to reopen the line tomorrow morning.

James Alexander Gordon was the voice of the BBC's football results on the

radio for 40 years until he retired in the summer. He made the decision

after having surgery to remove his larynx when he was diagnosed with

cancer. He was one of the patients treated after the Oxford University

Hospitals Trust decided to move all its head and neck services to the

Churchill in Headington. Victoria Cook reports.

More than 40 years in broadcasting, better diagnosis of throat cancer

ended it suddenly. He had two choices, his voice or his

life. With his wife Julia by his side, he decided to go for it. When

he came to the door of the ward and said goodbye to me, I thought, they

are the last words I will hear him say. As it happens, they weren't,

because he phoned me up that night. It is nurses like Heather at the

Churchill Hospital who have helped James 's recovery so far. The plans

are to put a speaking valve in so eventually he can cover up the hole

in his neck and creative voice. Until recently, head and neck cancer

treatments had been spread across Oxford. Now all the treatment is

done here. You can catch somebody down the corridor, to then talk to

them about alternative therapies instead of bringing them to another

clinic at another time. Cancer charities say the new unit in Oxford

makes it one of the best treatment facilities in the country. For James

Alexander Gordon the focus is now on recovery, but one question does

remain. Do you think you will read the football scores again?

That is all from me for the moment. I will now hand you over to Sally

Taylor. taking no action against another

person in Mr Mates' case. Still to come in this evening's South Today:

The weekend weather, and Tony Husband is under starters orders.

Sally, thousands have turned out for the launch night of this year's

Rallye Sunseeker. It is the final round of the British Rally

championship, and we will look forward to this and have the west of

the weekend sport. They already own part of Thames

Water, a big chunk of Weetabix and could soon have a stake in our

nuclear power stations. China is showing a growing enthusiasm for

buying British companies. In June, Chinese investment group Dalian

Wanda bought sun`seeker, the Poole based luxury boat builder, for ?320

million. In our week`long look at the impact of China on the South,

our business correspondent Alastair Fee examines what it's meant for the

company. It's a world`famous brand and a

Dorset success story. Sun`seeker built its first boat in Poole in

1968. Now, more than 50 years on, the company that began as a family

business has been bought out by the Chinese. There's not many bad

stories about foreign investment in the UK, particularly in

manufacturing, and we have every reason to believe we could be as

successful in our space, equally as Jaguar Land Rover are. Its new owner

is Dalian Wanda, an entertainment and property investment company. It

now has a 92% stake, leaving just 8% in the hands of sun`seeker's

management. TRANSLATION: The deal is in line with Dalian Wanda's business

model. We have yacht clubs in southern, central, and northern

parts of China, and this is a high`end manufacturing business,

supported by our government. China's rapid economic growth has

driven up the demand for luxury goods, so to cater for that increase

in multimillionaires, firms have been keen to buy established foreign

brands, and this is exactly what they're looking for. It's also what

the government wants, and a message the Business Secretary, Vince Cable,

was keen to repeat at a conference in Eastleigh today. When a company

like sun`seeker, which was for a while in some financial difficulty,

get a good long`term investment, that's good. They are expanding, and

they are great exporting company, and the Chinese are investing in

that. Plans to close its New Forest yard were today put down to

consolidating production in Poole, and not a consequence of the Chinese

deal. How the news goes down in the yard will play out over the coming

months. Workers here have been told they have nothing to fear following

this deal. British`made boats are valued the world over, the Chinese

know that, so there are no plans to build anywhere other than here in

Poole. If it maintains jobs there, and increases production, then it's

a good investment and good for the community. We still make good Nissan

cars and Toyotas, and I hope that the Chinese investment will produce

good yachts. Sun`seeker says the day`to`day running of the business

will stay the same. The investment is it that expected to scale up

operations, lead to more boats, and in time, hundreds more jobs in

Poole. Three men have been convicted of

conspiring to commit a series of robberies across the South. These

include three bank robberies in Hampshire during which ?240,000 was

stolen. Police said Stewart Last, from Windsor and Richard Loveridge

and Andrew Smith from Slough are also responsible for robbing shops,

including this raid on the Carphone Warehouse in Berkshire in 2011. Last

and Loveridge were also found guilty of conspiracy to burgle, although

Smith was cleared of this charge. A fourth defendant, Lee Fitzgerald,

was acquitted of all charges. They were prolific in their nature,

ruthless in the way they carried out the acts, often using violence and

weapons. They were very aware of police procedures. By convicting

these criminals, the prevention of crimes they would have committed is

measurable. Martial arts is a contact sport

that's not for the faint`hearted. Three years ago, Rachel Phillips

sustained a knee injury while sparring with her instructor. She

was unable to walk for months. The Basingstoke business woman has just

received a six`figure sum as part of an insurance claim for the injury.

Ed Sherry reports. Running an online baby business is

more than sitting at a computer. But for Rachel, the physical effects of

her injury were just the start. The effect on the family, then seeing

them on goal from someone who was gregarious to someone who was laid

up in bed for the best part of the year, and then the fallout of that,

hasn't been great, and I know it has affected my children. They have had

to grow up fast. It happened after a beginners karate class here in

Basingstoke, when she was invited to spar with her instructor in tae kwon

do, which she had been learning for 15 months. The instructor swept her

leg, and she fell heavily. The knee was so swollen I couldn't bend it. I

couldn't do anything with it, and this consultant said I needed an MRI

scan. He said to me the injuries are consistent with someone who has been

any car crash. The instructor did not want to appear on camera, but

was visibly upset when I spoke to him. He described it as a freak

accident, and nothing had happened like it in 30 years. I haven't dealt

with another martial arts case, no. I have dealt with a lot of other

sports, but not something like this. Rachel says she now wants to focus

on building the family business and put the last three years behind her.

There was a pledge today that every effort will be made to take over

Eco`Island, the failed green energy company on the Isle of Wight.

Members of Future Solent ` a green project aimed at creating a low

carbon economy in the South ` say they will do everything possible to

make the island energy self`sufficient. They intend to

deliver all the aims of Eco Island's director David Green, who was found

dead shortly after the company collapsed.

Eco`Island is as important today as it was then, and we have determined

as a group and with our supporting businesses, to take the project and

if possible, delivered in the way that he would have wanted. So

Eco`Island will live on? Yes, if it's in our power, Eco`Island will

be delivered. You may remember that last night, Alexis saw what it would

be like to take part in Rallye Sunseeker. The event starts tonight

in poole`mac, Antonia is there for us life. What's behind you, it looks

like an incredible atmosphere. It is great. There are thousands of people

here. It has been a very good week for motorsports fans in this area.

If you are around here this weekend, you're going to see some top`class

rally driving. This is the 40th time they have staged a rally on here,

and we will have a parade which starts longer the mag shortly. All

of the cars will be involved in this. Here is one of drivers what is

the challenge of the Rallye Sunseeker? I suppose it is just

different. Every stage is different, and there are really fast stages,

but it is different on every point. It will be difficult but enjoyable.

Good luck. Let's have a word with Tom. Tom, a special event, and

you're hoping to do well. Yes, it's a great it atmosphere, and I'm

looking forward to tomorrow. We have the championship to fight for, so

we're looking forward to it. Good luck. It starts at 8:30am tomorrow

morning. They will finish around 430 PM or 5pm tomorrow. The Premier

league returns tomorrow, and Southampton heads to Manchester

United. It seems a good time to have a shack with this seems legend from

their legendary time. I've been catching up with David Armstrong.

As a player, it was not just the bald head that stood out. David

Armstrong had a scoring ability that made him one of England's top

players. He was part of a Southampton side which finished

second in the year. The players entertained everyone, and for me,

that's what football is all about. Going out there and putting in a

hard shift, and if you do that and work hard, you're going to be in

contention. His book tells the story of a player that started out on

Middlesbrough. Clubs such as Nottingham Forest and Manchester

United were interested in buying him, but he shows Southampton.

Cleaning his boots in those days was a legend of the future. When I

came, I was only 16 when I first met him, and he didn't have any here

then, and I thought, how was he playing, he must be about 55!

Obviously, he was in that old. But it was a great experience to train

alongside guys like him. As for the 2013 vintage, he is looking on with

awareness. I'm sure they're going to give everyone a run for their money.

They have had a great pre`season, and they are really, really doing

particularly well. Tomorrow, they go to Manchester United in transition.

It is a change of manager, and they haven't started the season

brilliantly, sold this is as good a chance as we will ever have to get

an result at Old Trafford. A result tomorrow certainly is not full stop

David Armstrong. Good luck with his book, which is

out now. It is the cars, I mentioned. Let's take a look at some

of them. These are going to be racing around the heathland and, of

course, around the key as well tomorrow. Reading our seventh in the

championship, hosting Doncaster, and it will be hoping for a result. They

are going well following relegation. In League Two, Portsmouth have

already sold more than 15,000 tickets for their game with

manager`less Bury at Fratton Park. Pompey are 15th in the table.

Swindon play tonight. And a reminder, that every game is live on

BBC local radio, every goal is available on The Football League

Show after Match Of The Day tomorrow night, and we have the best of the

action on Monday. Sussex Cricket Club have continued

to shore up their squad for next season. Seamer James Anyon has

followed Matt Machan in becoming the latest player to sign a new deal at

Hove. Anyon has agreed a two year contract after taking 50 first class

wickets in 2013. Well, just before seven, all these cars are going to

make their way up to the startling, and around here tonight, and it

should be quite a spectacle. This event gets bigger every year, and

we'll show you some of the action over the weekend and on Monday

night. We look forward to it, I can see you

doing this and a couple of years time!

Now, one of them is aged just nine, and the other is 90. But despite the

age difference, Ben Wayne and Marion Mason have something in common `

they've both been raising money for lifeboats in Dorset. Ben was

inspired by the bravery of the volunteers who crew the Mudeford

Lifeboat. Marion decided to make a donation in memory of her

grandfather ` a Swanage lifeboat coxswain who drowned during a rescue

attempt back in 1895. Steve Humphrey reports.

This afternoon, the granddaughter of a 19th`century lifeboat Coxon 's

took great pride in presenting a cheque to the present`day crew. As

her 90th bird stomach birthday approached, Marion told people she

wanted donations for the lifeboat instead of presents. `` 90th

birthday approached. It's a drop in the ocean, perhaps, but all those

little drops count. Marion's grandfather was trained during a

rescue mission in 1895, when the Swanage crew went to help people

aboard a sailing trip near old Harry rocks. The whole crew were

tremendously brave. To go out in such a raging sea. They just had

orders instead of engines. The donation has come at a good time,

because the people have two raised ?200,000 towards the new lifeboat

station, which will host one of the new lifeboat, due to arrive here in

2015. It is a big number, for the whole project. It is over 5 million.

Marion has been raising money for the lifeboats at the age of 90, and

Ben has been doing it at the age of just nine. He has been decorating

pebbles in exchange for donations. The proceeds have been donated to

the Mudeford lifeboat, and the current total is very impressive.

?360. It is a really good job. They are risking their own lives to

rescue someone else. Then and marry might be 81 years apart in terms of

age, but when it comes to fundraising, they have a joint

passion. Onto the weather, Alexis is here. It is really mild at the

moment. Yes, two or three degrees above the seasonal average. Today

has been a pretty breezy day all in all. We were some rain through the

course of tonight, fairly light initially, but that will turn quite

heavy by dawn. You can see the rest of the brain for northern and

western areas, but a few showers will drift up later on. They will be

some heavy bursts, and mild temperatures. Lows of 12 and 15

Celsius. A damp start to the day for some, but in the afternoon, there is

a risk of some heavy rain, even some thunder. It is because of this

feature done in the south`east, which could drift further north.

Following that, sunshine and blustery 's showers without high of

potentially 18 degrees, and the winds will strengthen from the

south, so it will feel blustery out in the open. Tomorrow night, we will

see some showers, and some drier periods as well, and the showers

will last into the early hours of Sunday morning, with temperatures

only fallen to around 12 to 15 Celsius. The winds coming into the

South and the South West on Sunday will be fairly strong. You can see

the Isa burst tightening, `` isobars tightening, and not everyone will

see the showers. There will be some dry periods as well. Let's take a

look to the weekend. It will be fairly warm for the time of year,

warmer than any sunny spells that you do have today. Sunshine is more

likely on Sunday, but will be some bright spells on Saturday. The

weekend and next week, you can see, not looking too pretty, but will

there will be some dry periods. Tomorrow, a lot of rain at times,

even the odd rumble of thunder, but the winds will increase in speed

from the South South West, and blustery showers on Sunday. Next

week, however, some heavy rain on Monday. Passengers were delayed at

Winchester by a swan. It has wandered onto the tracks. It got

onto the track shortly after 8am, holding up a train to Bournemouth,

but after a short stand`off, it was rescued by a worker. It was then

passed on to the RSPCA and the chain eventually got on its way around

about half an hour late. You have to be brave to do that, don't you? Yes,

it's just as she bit wasn't Swanage Railway! We have more and 820 eight

o'clock and 1025. We will be back tomorrow.