10/10/2013 Look East - West

the programme tonight: Guilty of murder — the shop worker convicted

another teenage victim tells his story as police continue their

campaign against the culprits. Keeping the water supply running —

what climate change might mean for And it gold—medallist on the highs

given a job and a home but repaid his boss's kindness with robbery

and murder. Thilak Mohan—Raj had only been working at the shop in

Bedford for a matter of days when he was caught stealing from the

till. He then beat the 56—year—old owner to death. Today, a jury found

him guilty. Anna Todd was in court. She joins us this evening from

A behind me is the shop owned by it Vairamuthu Thiyagarajah before he

was killed in April. It is now run by one of his five children. This

was a man to whom family meant everything and never was this more

apparent than in the courtroom this afternoon as at least 20 members of

his family sat waiting patiently, A beloved father and grandfather.

Vairamuthu Thiyagarajah described as a towering figure who guided

Vairamuthu Thiyagarajah described family every step of the way. Today,

his former employee, 25—year—old Thilak Mohan—Raj was found guilty

of his murder. I had butterflies before the verdict was read out

of his murder. I had butterflies when it was given I couldn't hear

anything. It went blank. Then it was just happiness. Found strength

from somewhere. The court heard was just happiness. Found strength

Thilak Mohan—Raj worked at the shop for just a few days when he stole

When his employer found out, he launched his attack, hitting the

repeatedly with a heavy object. This footage shows the moment a

shop worker went to investigate after hearing the noise upstairs

and made the traumatic discovery. And the defendant runs out after

Thilak Mohan—Raj pleaded self— believe him. The family have acted

with the utmost dignity but it has been hard hearing how the details

of how their father died, which included expect medical evidence as

well which is disturbing to listen to. As the guilty verdict was read

out, the family cheered momentarily for many —— before many broke down

in tears. They described the last 10 days in court as been like in a

torture chamber. The fact he had given the defendant a job out of

the goodness of his heart and to be repaid like this was too much to

bear. As Thilak Mohan—Raj awaits sentence, tonight his victim's

family will quietly celebrate their The judge said very little after

the guilty verdict was read out except to say that he would face no

met —— no less than a life sentence. As Vairamuthu Thiyagarajah's for

family sat hugging each other and consoling each other, Thilak Mohan—

Raj cut a very lonely figure in consoling each other, Thilak Mohan—

dock. He will be sentenced tomorrow. There are calls tonight for more

CCTV to protect young people in Luton. A mother contacted Look East

after we reported on the number Luton. A mother contacted Look East

attacks on youths in the town. Her 14—year—old son was left terrified

after he was robbed twice in less than a month. The family have asked

not to be identified, but today than a month. The family have asked

spoke out and called for more to be This 14—year—old would rather be

with his friends, but he is now frightened to leave his home. He

was rocked not once, but twice in the space of three weeks. It is

really difficult going out and not being nervous, seeing strangers

really difficult going out and not other people. I have to keep having

this cancelling for post—traumatic stress disorder. Both crimes took

place here in this part in Luton. Last month he was with a group of

friends who had their phones stolen. Because there was no violence or

threat of it, the first crime is being treated as theft. But what

happened to the boy three weeks later it is being treated as the

more serious crime. We were sitting in the park again and these people

came up to us and started talking to us, asking if we were in any

came up to us and started talking the Ganz. We said, no. That is when

they started to hit me. —— any of the gangs. I ran but they put me on

the floor and started kicking me. Police have warned people to take

extra care in this park after a number of similar assaults. The

youngest victim was just 10. The teenager's mother once more CCTV in

happening in that particular part, I think they need to be more CCTV

around the edge of the park. For instances like this it would help

the police. If being a victim twice traumatised. The worst thing is

definitely the violence and being reminded all the time about it.

When people get too close I feel really nervous and scared. I want

to sort of colour in a ball and really nervous and scared. I want

away. What do you think of the people who did this to you? I hate

them. He says he won't be going people who did this to you? I hate

A Bedfordshire pensioner who died following a sexual assault in her

own home could have died at any point an inquest has heard today.

81—year—old Winifred Smith was attacked in Houghton Regis in March

this year, but was suffering from family was in court to hear the

coroner say she died of natural causes. Darren Emmerson has been

Police say they are considering what action to take after talking

to a woman who was filmed dodging a Cambridgeshire. The woman missed a

speeding train by seconds. It was described by Network Rail as one of

the worst near—misses they'd ever seen. The 26—year—old spoke to

British Transport Police officers last night. They'll now decide what

Researchers have just announced last night. They'll now decide what

significant step forward in the degenerative brain diseases such as

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. That research is being done in Leicester,

but here in Cambridge the charity announced half a million pounds

but here in Cambridge the charity new funding for projects designed

charity's Head of Research, Dr Simon Ridley joins me now. A lot of

funding goes into understanding Simon Ridley joins me now. A lot of

but more than half of this funding is going to screen potential new

drugs. That suggests we're a lot closer to helping people. That is

right. It is important that we have a spectrum of funding and we need

disease and have better diagnosis. We are also thinking about ways

disease and have better diagnosis. have new treatment. And this is

Researchers in Cambridge have built this high resolution microscope

which enables them to visualise this high resolution microscope

proteins that may cause Alzheimer's and dementia diseases ultimately.

prevent their toxicity. If we look at research done in Leicester, they

feel they have found a way to stop Wayne sales dying. Has significant

is that? —— brain cells. We need more research before we can be more

People think of dementia as one disease but is it —— it is like

Some of the funding will go towards diagnosing a rare form of dementia,

important to distinguish them. Early in the disease it can be

from a rare form and hopefully they will be successful with that. This

takes time. How difficult is it will be successful with that. This

decades sometimes? We are grateful to all the support we get from

asked donors and supporters and to all the support we get from

make it clear they are in it for the long—term although we all want

treatments today and tomorrow. It is important to explain it takes

people in Cambridgeshire have some form of dementia already. And that

is 800,000 people in the UK. A lot of people depend on new treatments

Young people with serious mental health problems in Northamptonshire

treatment locally. On World Mental Health day it was announced that a

new unit will be opened which will mean sufferers from the county and

Milton Keynes can stay closer to home while receiving intensive care.

It will also mean families can visit more easily, which experts

say is a key part of recovery. anxiety a unit like this away from

home can provide a safe haven. If psychosis or a compulsive disorder

they are often at risk of self harming or they could pose a danger

to others. Cancelling is important if they are to make a full recovery.

Until now, there has been no high Northamptonshire but next month

Until now, there has been no high facility opens. It means troubled

teenagers can be treated closer facility opens. It means troubled

their school and family —— this facility will open. They will have

less contact with the family but important aspects. Because of this

conflict —— hopefully the length of stay will be shorter. If this is a

success, specialist mental health services in the county could be

There were delays and cancellations Stansted airports today. A strike

by air traffic controllers meant flights to and over France were

badly affected. And a power cut also caused delays for passengers

at Stansted. Flights were held up Northampton's Grosvenor Centre is

to get a £3 million facelift, but whether it will be extended. The

plan was to redevelop the Grosvenor would follow demolition of the

Greyfriars bus station. That's due to start next March when the new

open to the public as an education centre.

Also coming up: Sir Henry Cecil's widow bids to win

the big race at Newmarket this weekend.

Olympic champion Greg Rutherford on injury, inspiration and his ambition

to make long jumping history. This region is the driest in the

whole country, which is why farmers have been meeting today to talk

about water. With pressure coming from industry and climate change,

there's a real worry that agriculture could get squeezed out.

Our region is home to 60% of the country's irrigated farmland. More

than 1,000 businesses make their living from the land. 30% of the

potatoes and 25% of the fruit and vegetables supplied to the

supermarkets are grown here in the East. And water is critical to that

whole industry. It's a lovely green colour, it's a

perfect height. And so hopefully it will find favour with customers. A

Mediterranean—style crop in the Norfolk countryside. But to grow, it

relies on these to irrigate it. The water here is pumped from deep

underground. But for other farmers, they have chosen to dig their own

reservoirs to store what falls from the sky. We've used it quite a bit

this year. We've sold quite a bit of water to neighbouring farmers and

use around six or seven million gallons. It's a huge benefit. It

gives us peace of mind knowing that we can grow whatever we want on the

farm and we've got water if we need it. At 180 million gallons, this is

small. But getting permission to build any reservoir can take years.

What we'd really like to see is a situation where almost every farm

has a reservoir, an on—farm reservoir, to capture water. A high

proportion of irrigated crops come from this region. We feed into the

supermarkets here significant amounts and therefore, it's

important for all of us that we have the water to be able to continue to

do this and that we are not forced to import food. Globally, weather

can seem more extreme. While it's difficult to predict it, local

patterns are emerging. The summers in general will become drier and

harder to manage but you will get your rainfall in short, sharp

bursts. The winters will have to offset that lack of rainfall in the

summer by becoming a bit wetter. I think it is all going to hinge on

how we manage the water when it falls. Here, 75 tonnes of onions are

on their way to the supermarket, having enough water insured the best

crop. During that hot, dry spell in July when the onions were trying to

grow really well, they needed adequate irrigation and water to

help them do that. To achieve this size! Any shortage of water has

potential to cause a shortage of the crop that you're trying to irrigate

and shortages normally mean higher prices. With rainfall becoming more

unpredictable, farmers will need to come up with new ways to guarantee

crops like these. Lovely stack of onions. Enough to

make a grown man cry! Sir Henry Cecil's widow has been

talking about her bid to win the big race at Newmarket this weekend — the

Cesarewitch. After the death of Sir Henry in

June, Lady Cecil decided to continue training at the famous Warren Place

stables. And on Saturday, her hopes are resting on a horse called Tiger

Cliff. If you think it training racehorses

is a glamorous business then you should have been an Newmarket Heath

at 7am this morning. It was cold and wet and Jane Cecil was well wrapped

up. Her big hope for Saturday at BetFred Cesarewitch is Tiger Cliff.

Ridden by Tom Queally, he won a race in August and starts as a favourite

this weekend. What would it mean to win at Newmarket? Well, what can I

say... Henry has won it once. So it will be great if... I can imagine we

will settle for winning it once, too. Henry actually won the

Cesarewitch ay back in 1971, an early success in a glittering

career, shared latterly with his third wife, Jane. Now, she has taken

over the license and although she is very shy, racing fans want to hear

what she has to say. How are you enjoying your new role? Oh, it's

lovely, isn't it?! Well, I hate... This is the bit I really don't like.

It's hard work but when you've got good people around you, you know,

it's enjoyable. Sir Mark Prescott knows just how hard the racing game

can be. He saddles Pallasator in the Cesarewitch, a race he has never won

in more than 40 years of trying. He has this advice for Jane Cecil. She

needs lots of luck. She's got a tremendous team of staff there, her

husband's legacy is there. Racing is unforgiving, of course. Results are

needed but she's made a fantastic start. Jane Cecil has already had

some important wins and there is no doubt Henry would be incredibly

proud. Victory on Saturday, at the home of flat racing, would be

another very significant moment. Olympic Champion Greg Rutherford has

been passing on his skills to school children in Milton Keynes, today. He

even tried his hand at basketball. Greg Rutherford has struggled with

injuries and form since winning gold at the London Olympics. In a moment,

we'll hear from him but first, this report from James Burridge.

If your dream is to be an Olympic champion then it helps to learn from

one. Greg Rutherford's gold medal moment is the tale he is happy

telling. His achievement has inspired hundreds at his local club,

as well as these children from a local primary school. He has

inspired me and taught me that anyone can do anything they like, if

they tried. He just stands me rough and helps us. He was off. Well, he

was OK but I think he should stick to long jump! 2013 has been a rude

contrast to the glory of 2012. He lost his sponsor, split with his

coach, suffered a serious injury, endured a public spat over his

selection, before crashing out in the heats. I think five weeks on,

you should not be running, let alone jumping. I know how to compete at

big competitions. When I am fit and well I stand a good chance and sadly

I think I felt better than I was. I was not good enough and those are

the hard facts. Unlike others in the athletics world, Greg's golden

moment has not provided the financial legacy he was hoping for.

His training has taken a back—seat so that he can earn money through

various media commitments. He has not lost his love of the long jump

yet. The Commonwealth Games are less than one year away.

Well, I spoke to Greg while he was at that event in Milton Keynes, this

afternoon, and he told me how important he thought it was to

inspire young people to take up sport.

I think we have been having a bit of issue with this country are kids are

not as active and engaged in sport. Just activity in general. I grew up

about one mile from here. I go past the same places where I grew up and

I was out there every single day playing around, climbing trees and

now it is barren. There is nobody out there engaging in it and

something like this is really helping, I feel, to get these kids

engaged with them, outside and enjoying it. After winning gold, you

have been doing lots of things like this. On a personal, sporting level,

it has been quite an up and down your four years. It has not gone

anywhere near to plan, as last did. It was the greatest year of my

sporting career and life to date. This year, due to a massive injury,

things just have not gone well for me. That has been a real problem. I

think most of the year I was searching for the right training and

environment in order to succeed again and I did not find it. Then

again, in Paris, picking up the hamstring rupture completely ruined

this year for me. I was desperately trying to get right for the World

Championships. I gave it everything to go there and had fantastic

support to make sure I could make it there but sadly, it just was not

enough time. With Tyneside, would you have done things differently?

Maybe not gone to the World Championships. —— with Tyneside.

Speaker McNaught regrets. Ultimately, I was never going to

find out unless I put myself in there. —— with hindsight. No

regrets. I was able to jump beforehand, in training. To be

perfectly honest. As much as I did not perform well, I think now I look

back and I probably performed better than most other people would have

done in the same circumstance. That is not good enough. I went in to win

but ultimately, my body was in the position to not let me do that. Now,

it is the focus on getting my body right again and getting everything

focused incorrectly in the right scenario so that I can excel again

and do well. It is an odd thing to ask but in a way, was the gold—medal

a hindrance? It is such a pinnacle in your career, where'd you go

there? Obviously, we go out there all the time to try and win

competitions. The way I view the Olympics was another competition and

possibly a chance for me to finally win something that really means a

lot to everybody in the sport. Now, what that gave me was the passion

and drive to go on and try and win major medals. I will be 29 when the

next one comes along but before that we have World Championships,

Commonwealth, other major competitions I want to win. I

focused when from not just —— my focus went from not just winning one

that multiple. I am getting up in the morning to train hard and

putting all the work to do that again. The way things are going,

that will happen and I can be more successful and solidify myself as

one of the best long jumpers in history. How are you right now?

I am feeling good. The hamstring is definitely in the latter stages of

healing. All being well and good, within a month or six weeks, that

will be completely gone. I will be back to my normal self and will be

getting myself ready for the indoors before the Commonwealth Games. That

will be a good test for me. Ultimately, I won a medal at the

last Commonwealth. I will be looking to win the title next.

It is great to talk to, as always. Thanks for coming on the programme.

Three thank for having me. He is a very likeable young man and

the kids love him also. A real inspiration.

We are elated to a listener to the radio. They are sending in ties for

you! Via. I quite like it. Very nice.

It has been very wet and windy across the region. We have a couple

of photos to show you. Some pretty strong winds across the region also.

Not just the winds, running through eastern areas but they have tracked

further westwards throughout the afternoon. The winds are still

fairly strong. Rainfall total, we have had quite a bit already across

some parts of Norfolk. Some places north of Norwich have had close to

20 monitors. The further south and west, not Azma rain. Of course, not

just the rain. —— not as much rain. 45 mph gusts in some places and 50

miles in some places. The winds will continue in some places and further

spells of rain will spread and as those winds turn north—easterly.

Maybe the odd rumble of thunder were the rain is thick. Not quite as cold

as last night thanks to that cloud. Still feeling colder in that wind.

This rain is coming courtesy of this weather front, sitting quite close

to us over the North Sea for much of tomorrow. I think quite a lot of

cloud around tomorrow. Little did a room in the morning but as we had

to, mid—morning onwards, that will turn heavier and more persistent

across parts of Essex and Suffolk particularly. The winds tomorrow

will still be quite strong and coming in from the north—east and

still close to 40 mph around the coast. Temperatures at best will be

15 degrees. This, feeling colder in the wind. That rain will continue on

and off throughout the evening. Most other places will end the day dry.

That we never clears but continues to most of Saturday, Asian backing

against the region. Some heavy bursts on Saturday afternoon and

evening. Finally clearing the north—west. —— actually backing back

in against the region. There is the potential for some further rain into

the early part of next week. Some further rain on Saturday, some

heavy. Hopefully a bit brighter on Sunday. The picture is improving and

the winds are easing so if you get some sunshine on Sunday, it will

start to feel a little warmer. It does turn breezy with more showers

into Monday. Also, through the weekend, some quite chilly nights,

particularly late in the weekend. Perhaps a touch of frost for some of

us also. Thank you very much.

That is, . Had a good evening. Good night.