31/01/2014 BBC Oxford News


31/01/2014

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Good evening. A 75`year`old woman has pleaded

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guilty to the murder of her husband, claiming it was an act of mercy.

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Sheila Sampford from Milton Keynes appeared via video link from prison.

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The court heard how she told police that her 83`year`old terminally ill

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husband's death, was part of a suicide pact. Jessica Cooper

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reports. Sheila Sampford appeard in court via

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in court via videolink from prison. When asked how she pleaded to the

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charge of murdering her husband she said guilty. It was on the 5th of

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July last year that police were called to a house in Spoonley Wood,

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Bancroft Park and found John Sampford who'd been strangled to

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death. Neighbours have described them as a lovely, genuine couple we

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ho'd been married for 50 years. Saying John was Sheila's rock and

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he'd been receiving treatment for leukaemia. The court heard today

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that Sheila Sampford told police the death was part of a suicide pact.

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The prosecution said the issue to consider was if she believed the

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killing was an act of mercy. The defence told the court, "The only

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matter is whether he asked her to do what she then did to him." Sheila

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Sampford is due back in court next month, when the judge will decide if

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he should impose an automatic life sentence. The sentence she's given

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will depend of whether the judge believes she carried out a mercy

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killing. Jessica Cooper, BBC South Today.

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It's the wettest January on record, according to Oxford University, and

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there's going to be more rain overnight.

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Weather experts at Green Templeton College have been measuring rainfall

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every day since 1767. There's now been more than 138 millimetres this

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month. The last time it was that wet was in 1852. The Environment Agency

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has issued a number of flood warnings and says our region is

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particularly at risk because the ground is so saturated already.

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Campaigners in Wiltshire are calling on the government to try and stop

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solar farm developments. Seven different projects are planned for

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500 acres of land around Seend. But critics say they will spoil the

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view. A debate in Parliament has been told, there are enough

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safeguards. Paul Barltrop has more. Coming soon to a field near you.

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Solar power is booming as Britain shifts to cleaner energy. This solar

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farm near Melksham is one of the first in Wiltshire. Close by,

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another is planned, 20 times larger. In what it is one Briton's biggest

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solar farms, what has Royal locals is that so many are planned for this

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area. Within a five mile radius there could be no less than seven.

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In the village they've mobilised. They're putting pressure on

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Wiltshire council which is deciding whether to grant planning

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permission. I and others in our group are very

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in favour of renewables, we are just scared and concerned that our area

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is going to be lighted by such overwhelming numbers of solar

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panels. The firm behind the biggest scheme have some local backing.

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It'll go on low`grade agricultural land; the community will receive

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$40,000 a year. It's claimed fears have been exaggerated.

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Within five miles of a particular point where are over 50,000 acres.

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It's roughly one present. Within that context, sites have been

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designed discreetly and so the ultimate visual impact is minimal.

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In Parliament one Wiltshire MP stressed the need to use brownfield

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sites. There was reassurance from a government minister that enough IS

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being done to protect prime countryside.

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That is the reason why we have issued further planning practice

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guidance on renewable and low carbon energy. So the energy revolution

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goes on. Soon solar farms may be as much a fixture of the countryside

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as, well, pylons. While the Prime Minister led a

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UK`France meeting at the Oxfordshire airbase Brize Norton earlier, this

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weekend marks a special anniversary for staff at RAF Benson. Tomorrow

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will be 75 years since the airbase first opened. It comes as a new

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generation of aircraft has been drafted in, as part of a

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multi`million pound upgrade. BBC South was the first TV crew aboard

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the new Puma mark two. Stuart Tinworth has been looking back at

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the airbase's history. Preparing for take off back in the

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1940s. It's loaded up with the necessary

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equipment. Throughout the second world war, aircraft at RAF Benson

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was used to gather photographic evidence. But over the last 75 years

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many other important tasks have happened here. As well transporting

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kings and queens, RAF Benson has been home to Puma helicopters for

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nearly 20 years. The last few months though have marked a new generation

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of aircraft ` a multi million pound upgrade from the Puma MK1 to the new

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MK2. This upgrade is part of a ?260 million programme, and it means that

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this helicopter can travel with 35 present more power. It can go

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faster, and thanks to increasing fuel efficiency it can also go

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further. And staff here believe it's a good investment. It has a

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worldwide deployable capability at short notice for rapid rebuild

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within four hours to have the aircraft flying and operating. These

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Pumas can carry up to 16 fully`equipped troops and have

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highly advanced digitised glass cockpits ` arguably more efficient

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than some Merlin helicopters. Investment in Puma has been a great

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boon in the future of the capability at RAF Benson is moving to the

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Navy. Seven of the RAF's fleet of the new pumas have so far been

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delivered to RAF Benson. The rest will be handed over next year.

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And now for a look at the weather, here's Alexis Green.

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One or two showers through the course of the night which will bring

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the risk of ice where temperatures fall away rapidly towards the

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freezing mark. The winds will increase through the morning

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tomorrow, and we are looking at dusty conditions tomorrow, feeling

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chilly out and about with showers rolling in from the south`west. They

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could be heavy. We could have sleet over higher ground. Temperatures

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will reach six or seven Celsius. The south`westerly wind will make it

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feel cold in the open. Showers tomorrow, fewer showers on Sunday.

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The winds lighter tomorrow. We look ahead to next week, the winds start

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to pick up, rain will spreading and last until Wednesday.

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That's all from me and the team tonight. We're back during BBC

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Breakfast tomorrow morning from six o'clock. For now, though,

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Good evening. Today's heavy and persistent rain is disappearing over

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the horizon. Sadly, the other problems are not. Problems to come

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tonight include snow over Scotland and Northern Ireland, and tomorrow,

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strong winds and high tides bringing the potential for flooding. This

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area of

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