20/04/2012 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening and welcome to Friday's Look North. On the

programme tonight - Sheffield United's star striker gets five

years in jail. A jury convicts Ched Evans of raping a teenager who was

too drunk to consent to sex. We'll have all the reaction from

court and from Bramall Lane. Also tonight, snookered - the former

world champion Mark Williams comes under fire for a scathing message

about the Sheffield Crucible on Twitter. And Carry On Barbara.

Bradford hands out a lifetime achievement award for the actress

who shows no sign of stopping. unsettled weekend to come, a

scattering of showers as well. The latest details coming up shortly.

First tonight - the Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans has

been sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of

raping a 19 year old woman who was too drunk to consent to sex. The

striker, who's a Welsh international, carried out the

attack at a hotel following a night out in Rhyl, north Wales. His co-

defendant, Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, was found not

guilty of the same charge. Spencer Stokes reports from Caernarfon

Crown Court. A Sheffield United star whose career has been brought

tumbling down after what happened in a North Wales Hotel nearly a

year ago. When the 23 year old Ched Evans arrived in court he hoped he

would play against Milton Keynes tomorrow, but then he received a

five-year prison sentence for rape. There were emotional scenes in

court when the Co accused was found not guilty of the same charge. The

courtroom had to be cleared because of the celebrations, but minutes

later when the court reconvened Ched Evans was charged. And found

guilty. It happened in real last year, the victim had been drinking

in this bar and then got in a taxi and a company to Clayton McDonald

to the Premier in. Later McDonald called Ched Evans and he arrived.

Later both men admitted they had sex with the woman and the

defendant was later charged. The judge said he was satisfied to did

not set out to commit rape but did commit the crime, she was extremely

intoxicated and disorientated and in no fit state to content --

consent to sex. She told police she had no memory of the incident. Ched

Evans claimed throughout the trial she was not very drunk. In a

statement today Ched Evans's lawyer said he is shocked and extremely

disappointed with the decision reached today by the jury to

convict him of the charge brought against him. He firmly maintains

his innocence in this matter and is being advised regarding an appeal

of the decision. In sentencing the striker to five years, the judge

told Ched Evans that there was no false or injury but possible long-

term psychological damage to the victim, whilst Clayton McDonald can

now resume his career with port while. Ched Evans is now beginning

a five-year prison sentence of which he must serve at least two-

and-a-half years. Our reporter trying to us now. Now let's get

some reaction from Sheffield. little reaction so far, a short

statement on the website, they noted the verdict and say they

recognise the seriousness of these events. They wish to respond in a

responsible way once they have taken sufficient time to consider

the matter fully. No indication of what will be for Ched Evans's

future, but a lot of shock and surprise for the way this case has

been resolved. Tell us more about the background to Ched Evans.

grew up in Wales, starting as a youth player at Chester City. His

career got off the ground when he was taken on by Manchester City in

2007. He had a spell at Norwich before he came here to Bramall Lane

and Sheffield United in 2009. He moved to this area and it is fair

to say his first two seasons playing for Sheffield United were

not so impressive. He was hit by injuries and did not make much of a

mark but the last few months have been totally different. He has

certainly been an important part of the performance by the club this

season. He certainly has. 35 goals he has scored this season,

averaging nearly eight goal per game. A vital part of Sheffield

United's push for promotion, a crucial part of them getting to

second place and looking for promotion to the championship. Fans

and the club alike are shocked that their star player will not play for

them until the end of the season and it looks like he will not play

for them for many years, if ever, in the future. Then later on, we

meet the inmate being let out of a prison to stop him reoffending.

Two people are being questioned by Police tonight after the death of a

teenager in York. It's thought she may have taken drugs. She's been

named as sixteen year old Poppy Rodgers. Police say a 21-year-old

man is also in a serious condition in York Hospital - he's also being

linked with the death. Phil Bodmer has more. A lone police security

officer stands behind a cordon as the investigation continues into

the death of a 16 year-old girl late last night. Police were called

to this house at around a quarter past midnight after a report of a

critically ill teenager. She was rushed to York hospital but died in

the early hours of this morning despite the best efforts of medical

staff who tried to resuscitate her. She was a student and this

afternoon the college she studied at said they were sad to hear of

her death and that their thoughts are with her family and friends.

Neighbours at the scene told that they had not realised what had been

happening in the early hours. first thing I knew of it was when

my wife shouted to me and told me to come down because there was

police activity outside. It was all taped up. Now I have heard what has

happened, well, it is just a tragic loss. If it is drug-related, should

we have noticed more? It is tragic. The poor child's parents must be

distraught. This afternoon the police revealed a 21 the old man is

in a serious but stable condition in York hospital. He was taken

there by a friend and police are investigating'asked to be death of

poppy. A woman was arrested this afternoon and is being questioned

alongside a 23 year old man under question of supplying a controlled

drug. In six months time - Leeds Prison

becomes the first ever publicly run jail to move to a system of payment

by results. Essentially, that means that it gets bonuses for stopping

prisoners re-offending - or penalties if they fail. Nationally,

54% of prisoners on sentences of under a year commit another crime

once they're released. And not just once. Its estimated - on average -

they'll commit another fifteen offences. And it costs us all. An

estimated ten billion a year! And so, there's a lot riding on places

like Leeds being able to do something about it. As they get

ready, they gave Joe Inwood exclusive access to see the ways

they are already stopping people coming back inside. It is his third

time inside. Serving five years on drugs charges, Robert is the sort

of prisoner who is hardest to reach. But HMP Leeds thing they have a

solution, every day he is released and sent to work at a homeless

shelter. In it is brilliant, having been out of society for two and-a-

half years is daunting. Having the opportunity to come back into work

whilst in prison, before you are released, it did to back into the

work ethic. The the prison are hoping a way to stop him

reoffending. In six months Leeds will be judged and paid on the

number of prisoners they can stop reoffending. Leeds is a public

prison, they are not profits for it to lose. So they are bringing in a

partner, a new organisation tasked with reducing reoffending. Sharing

the rewards and the risks. Prisoners should not be locked up

with nothing to do, we should work with offenders to make sure when

they are released they will not commit any further crimes and will

not come back to prison. That work also takes place inside the prison.

This is the resettlement wing, there are a couple of hundred

people here at any time, they are from the local area and secondly

they are on short-term sentences. Historically nobody is harder to

reach. Where I first joined the role was very much discipline

orientated. Now we treat them more like human beings. We are trying to

change their thought processes. Trying to get them jobs so it cuts

down their chances of reoffending. Through programmes like this

graphics workshop they have even done jobs designing because for

South Yorkshire police. He it has given me loads of skills, so I am

less likely to reoffend. You don't have to commit crime to make ends

meet. You can do it by working. really want this to be the last

time in prison, I really do. That at the crypt, things for Robert are

looking up. The future is looking up, I have opportunities and I

would like to go into support work. For all of us. Robert says prison

has finally changed his life for the better, but that makes him the

exception and not be rule. It is something HMP Leeds will be hoping

to change. Now let's talk to Andrew Neilson

from the Howard League for Penal Police in York have charged a care

What is your take on the work being done? Should they be paid for doing

what prisons are supposed to do, stopping people reoffending?

know that these opportunities are important in terms of stopping

reoffending. The context is that the vast majority of prisoners in

England and Wales are not accessing regular positive activity was in

prison. They spend most of their time staring at four walls. That is

not helping. That is why we have such high reoffending rates.

its is a bit of a test case, if it works, it could be rolled out

nationwide. -- Leeds. Is something being done to give the prisoners

something for the future here? Payment by results is the mechanism

the government hope will persuade people to do more. That is the

concept behind this project. De has it? A I think everybody agrees in

principle that paying people by results in principle is a good

thing but practically it can be difficult. There are concerns. Are

we in sent advising people to cherry-pick the prisoners they are

looking at. Other looking for easy pickings rather than the hardest to

reach? Those way you might not hit your targets? There is that concern.

There are other concerns around charities, can they engage properly

if the payment is at the end of the process? Charities do not have

their lot of money or large cash reserves. How can they engage with

this? There are hoops which are there, there are issues which the

Bath 54-year-old woman has been charged with beating and assaulting

and 81-year-old woman in a care home.

A protest march has taken place in Sheffield today over plans to close

factories which employed disabled people. Four Remploy factories

across a region will close. Site in Chesterfield, Worksop, Leeds and

Pontefract will also aspire end of the year. The future of workers in

Sheffield and Huddersfield is still being considered.

UKIP says it is putting up more than 80 candidates for next month's

elections in the Yorkshire. That is more than it has fielded before.

UKIP holds one of the region's seats in the European Parliament

that has never had a local councillor elected in Yorkshire.

Elections take place on of May 3rd. We are putting a full team out in

Sheffield. All over the region. We're very excited about this. We

are really going for broke this time. We think we will do well.

it is the sex of the marathon challenge by Jane Tomlinson's

family. Mike and Rebecca Tomlinson set off from Newark this morning on

the next leg of their trip to London. Be studied in Paris at the

weekend. They travelled through France, Belgium, and Yorkshire.

However Mike Johnson is suffering with flu and has been lagging

behind the rest of the team. Jane did it one day after chemotherapy.

That puts it into context. I have just got to finish it. Not

finishing is not an option. He will keep going. Absolutely. There are

claims that thousands of people in Yorkshire will lose their

disability benefits following the latest government-backed

legislation. Campaigners have told the Sunday Politics programme that

new rules will discriminate against people who have been forced to give

up work due to ill-health. How many people does this affect? It is

estimated that 30,000 people in our regional no longer be able to claim

allowances. The response of the Government is that Incapacity

Benefit cost the country a fortune. The bill is more than �135 billion

over the past 10 years. The say we cannot go on like this. The changes

affect people like this mother of three. She was injured in a car

accident a few years ago and broke her neck. She was reassessed for

the benefit and was told that she was not entitled to it. There are

many more people like her. What is angering many people is the fact

that the new rules say that if you have worked, have paid into the

system, you can only claim the allowance for one year. But if you

have never worked, you can claim it indefinitely. That is likely to

cause a heated debate on the Sunday Politics programme at 2pm on Sunday

afternoon. Still to come.

All the weekend weather, plus carry on, are Iraq. Join me in a few

minutes when I shall talk about my career.

She looks fantastic. She does.

Can you do a Kenneth Williams impression?

All, Meechan! Tomorrow is a red-letter day for

snooker fans. It is the 35th time the world championship has been

held at the Crucible Theatre. But Mark Williams faces a dressing-

down for using the social network Twitter to say he hates the venue

and hopes the competition moves to China. Our reporter is at the

Crucible now. Here we are at the spiritual home

of snooker. 35 years of history will be remembered tomorrow when

the tournament gets under way. At For the benefit of his followers he

then clarified that by saying it is not Sheffield he is against, it is

the Crucible itself. Mark Williams the Crucible itself. Mark Williams

has been the champion in it the year 20021003. He has already been

in trouble for using offensive language on social networking site.

I am joined now by our former champion. Peter Ebdon, at you

lifted the trophy 10 years ago. What you think of the venue?

We know what is a fantastic venue. If they can get back we will do our

very best. He later said that he did not been

Sheffield. He just read the Crucible. In a way that made it

worse. It did.

We were trying cleared up for you. In cricket, the mass to the

Yorkshire and Essex finally got under way.

Phil Jaques speed 126. In reply the visitors are struggling.

We can bring back the story about Mark Williams now.

We have put another shilling and the meter.

Peter, you enjoyed playing at the Crucible? Yes, it is a fantastic

atmosphere. When you are a youngster you dream of coming to

the Crucible. It was a highlight of my career. I would love to do it

again. Fingers crossed for you. When you play? I have got a tough

game on Monday and Tuesday against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Is your heart

you might be you step out here? Absolutely. It has to be. My

preparation has gone well. I have been feeding for almost by Matt.

Cleanly? Yes, it has been a massive help. It has made the world of

difference being at the end. I had difference being at the end. I had

vegan for life now. Mark Williams Fauna from world snooker.

Fauna from world snooker. I understand that the governing

body will be making an investigation. Thank you.

Her laugh was one of their assets. She had a few more as well. Barbara

Windsor is one of the treasures of stage and screen. Tonight she is

being on words. Who can forget that Carry On films?

Still an institution. Her role in EastEnders was

brilliant. She is really talented. You better this afternoon. Matron!

Awards pop up for Barbara Windsor all time.

She has also won awards for her stage shows.

Who will ever forget EastEnders? will have that child taken away

from you? You are not fit to be a father! They would never happy on

EastEnders. They used to say, know. Then I had a little club in the

East End. I did buy at and I sang. The casting director it was there.

I was enjoying myself. She thought I was vulnerable. She went back to

EastEnders. Were they up Carry On films are the

ones that you look back on what the most affection? Absolutely. Those

people were fantastic. They were similar. They all came from theatre.

There was never any bad feeling. It never materialised match. It was

great to work with these wonderful people. You had to know your lines.

One take, two takes. No more than two lactate. If it went to three

takes there were meetings. On stage, on screen, on television. Can we

have a laugh? Oh gosh! I had to learn it not to laugh on EastEnders.

And there will as well! You have been doing you're said James laugh!

been doing you're said James laugh! I'd do that when I hear the weather

forecast. This is Sheffield having Keep the pictures coming in.

Sunny spells and scattered showers tomorrow. There will also be

showers. Another system comes in from the south-west early next week.

More rain to come. There have been some lively showers around. Some

places have managed to avoid them all together and stay dry with some

sunshine. It is a mixed picture this evening. Scattered, locally

heavy showers. The odd crack of thunder. Some showers may persist

all through the night especially There will be a few showers from

the word go tomorrow. Elsewhere there will be some bright sunshine.

Showers will break out through that afternoon. There will be some

thunder once more. A light westerly breeze. Highs of 12 Celsius.

Sunday looks very similar. One and settled there again. There will be

some sunshine around. Some of the showers will be heavy. A risk of

thunder. Another weather system pushes and from the South West.

Monday may get off to a dry start. Rain will spread in from the West

later on Monday. At front still with us on Tuesday. Quite a lot of

rain fall to come, especially early next week.