:00:14. > :00:18.A former suspect in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence
:00:19. > :00:22.is starting a prison sentence, for his part in a drugs ring that
:00:23. > :00:24.supplied huge amounts of cannabis to the North-East.
:00:25. > :00:26.Neil Acourt, also known as Neil Stuart, was sentenced
:00:27. > :00:31.Four other men, including two from Tyneside, were also jailed.
:00:32. > :00:37.Neil Acourt was arrested in connection with the murder
:00:38. > :00:42.of Stephen Lawrence at a bus stop in London in 1993.
:00:43. > :00:46.He was described as the man at the top of the scheme which saw
:00:47. > :00:48.van-loads of cannabis delivered to South Shields over
:00:49. > :00:52.He was jailed for six years and three months for conspiracy
:00:53. > :01:03.Four other men, including Paul Beavers from Backworth,
:01:04. > :01:06.Tyne and Wear, and Daniel Thompson, from South Shields,
:01:07. > :01:08.were given sentences of up to four years and nine months.
:01:09. > :01:11.The judge, Recorder Paul Clements, told the men there are people
:01:12. > :01:13.who can have a dramatically adverse reaction to smoking cannabis,
:01:14. > :01:16.and at the very least it preys upon inadequate people
:01:17. > :01:22.Acourt tried to portray himself in court as a minor player,
:01:23. > :01:26.but was described as being at a very high level in the plot,
:01:27. > :01:31.The scheme was busted when one of the defendants was stopped
:01:32. > :01:35.here in South Shields with 100 kilos of cannabis in the back of his van.
:01:36. > :01:39.Acourt's lawyer said he genuinely regrets his role
:01:40. > :01:41.in the ?4 million conspiracy, but the judge
:01:42. > :01:44.said the men had ensured that their efforts would have kept
:01:45. > :01:53.the people of Newcastle area in spliffs for many a long day.
:01:54. > :01:56.A health group is facing questions amid claims it was told to
:01:57. > :01:58.under-report the scale of its deficit.
:01:59. > :02:01.The Health Service Journal claims Northumberland Clinical
:02:02. > :02:05.Commissioning Group was told by NHS England to state its deficit
:02:06. > :02:07.as ?5 million instead of ?41 million.
:02:08. > :02:10.The Royal College of Nursing has demanded answers.
:02:11. > :02:12.A spokesman for the group said it's working with NHS
:02:13. > :02:19.It says part of the deficit relates to historical issues.
:02:20. > :02:23.Nissan's unveiled a new ?37 million press at its Sunderland plant.
:02:24. > :02:27.It'll be used to make two-and-a-half million body panels a year.
:02:28. > :02:30.It comes as the car maker celebrates the nine millionth vehicle to come
:02:31. > :02:36.Visitors to Durham are being presented with some unique -
:02:37. > :02:42.It's part of the Fire and Ice display which is back in the city
:02:43. > :02:48.A trail of ice carvings illuminated with fire beacons has been placed
:02:49. > :02:50.on streets and around the market square, depicting
:02:51. > :03:06.This is the second year that we have had Fire and Ice. They have treated
:03:07. > :03:11.some fabulous carvings this year. There are around ten sculptures on
:03:12. > :03:14.the theme of myths and legends. the theme of myths and legends.
:03:15. > :03:33.People can have a go themselves. Five year old Bradley Lowery,
:03:34. > :03:45.who is suffering from neuroblastoma, was to lead the teams out at today's
:03:46. > :03:48.game between Everton and Sunderland. Bradley, from Blackhall
:03:49. > :03:50.in County Durham, was this week revealed to have another tumour,
:03:51. > :03:53.this time at the base of his back. Well, sadly Bradley couldn't
:03:54. > :03:55.inspire the Black Cats. They lost 2-0 at Everton and are two
:03:56. > :03:58.points adrift at the bottom Also a bad day for Middlesbrough
:03:59. > :04:04.who lost 1-0 to relegation rivals A first half goal from former
:04:05. > :04:07.Sunderland player Patrick Van Boro do stay outside
:04:08. > :04:10.of the relegation places though. Drama in the Football League
:04:11. > :04:13.as Newcastle came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bristol
:04:14. > :04:15.City. to Portsmouth and Hartlepool's
:04:16. > :04:20.problems deepened with a 2-1 And in Scotland, it ended
:04:21. > :04:25.Berwick nil, Elgin 1. Here is the weather.
:04:26. > :04:29.We will see outbreaks of rain overnight but they will start to
:04:30. > :04:37.ease and by the early hours of tomorrow morning we were looking at
:04:38. > :04:42.a largely dry picture. Quite cloudy. Quite a breezy start to the day
:04:43. > :04:46.tomorrow. Dry and bright for parts of the north-east and parts of north
:04:47. > :04:47.Yorkshire but in Cambria we will see some rain. Highs tomorrow of 11
:04:48. > :04:49.Celsius. There's all the region's
:04:50. > :04:51.political news, the Copeland by-election,
:04:52. > :05:17.on Sunday Politics - Good evening. Starting with a quick
:05:18. > :05:22.look at the satellite sequence from earlier. We started under a big
:05:23. > :05:27.blanket of cloud but Scotland and Northern Ireland brightened up as
:05:28. > :05:30.the day went off. Underneath the cloud in England and Wales, quite a
:05:31. > :05:35.bit of rain at the moment, drifting southwards and East. It will
:05:36. > :05:39.continue to do so. In the small hours the rain will become patchy,
:05:40. > :05:44.and most will give way to the continent. There will be some
:05:45. > :05:49.breaks, particularly to the East of Scotland, where there could be a
:05:50. > :05:52.touch of frost. Next batch of rain into the western side of Scotland
:05:53. > :05:56.first thing, moving east with a little snow over higher ground.
:05:57. > :05:57.Another pulse of rain