02/11/2016 Midlands Today

The headlines tonight: Guilty of murder -

the father of a 13-day-old baby boy who died from multiple injuries

It's very difficult to understand what would lead him to do something

so tragic to such a vulnerable young child.

Joshua had been shaken so violently he was unable

Also tonight: Hailed a hero - the 75-year-old who refused to give

I just went for it. I mean, I'm 75. I did my best, and apparently, it

worked. A sensation on social media -

the brave schoolboy with bone cancer I live in Coventry, because

international rugby league comes this weekend. -- I am live.

And a dry October seems to have produced a riot of autumn colour,

but will November's chill put an end to it?

Guilty of killing his son, who was only 13 days old.

Daniel Sanzone was convicted of murdering baby Joshua

by shaking him so violently he caused "catastrophic"

The judge described it as a "tragic and distressing case".

Today, a jury at Birmingham Crown Court also found him guilty

But the baby's mother, Zoe Howell, was allowed to walk free,

after the jury cleared her of a charge of causing

or allowing her son's death and neglect.

Sarah Falkland was in court; what was the reaction when

Daniel Sanzone sat with his head in his hands and as foreman said

Zoe Howell's mother Sharon cried out "Yes" from the public gallery.

It's been a harrowing three,week trial, full of shocking det`ils

about Joshua's injuries, how the newborn would screal

as if in pain when left alone with his father -

My colleague Ben Godfrey has this report on the

Joshua Millinson was born a bright and healthy baby.

But 13 days later he sufferdd catastrophic brain injuries

It is very difficult to comprehend and

understand Sanzone as a character and what would lead

him to do something so tragic to such

Here in the lounge of this house last October here

Sanzone violently shook Joshua, leaving him with brain injuries so

severe he could no longer hear, see or breathe.

He claimed a loud noise heard that night was not him

injuring his child, he was simply moving the settee

Joshua's mother, Zoe Howell, had separated from Sanzone just days

She clutched a baby's toy each day of the trial.

She denied causing or allowhng her baby's death by effectively turning

The first year of a child's life is the time they are most vulndrable to

becoming a victim of homicide, because young children at that age

are very vocal in terms of their needs, and where you have p`rents

who are unwilling or unable to meet those needs, you have a potdntial --

potentially dangerous situation In a recording of a 999 call, you

get the sense of the panic. Joshua died a month later. Parents

know the detail -- difference between right and wrong. Yot will

often see them concealing things, making things up, and not attending

appointments. Those are a rdd flag. Zoe Howell and Joshua were regularly

visited by community midwivds They consistently encounterdd

a healthy and alert child. The parents brought Joshua

here to the A at New Cross occasions in the days beford

the shaking incident, apparently concerned about breathing

difficulties and a But a junior doctor

examined the baby and found And the parents then failed to show

for a follow-up check. But the court was told that a bone

specialist had concluded th`t Joshua may have suffered a catalogue

of fractures before those So could the agencies

who came into contact with the family, and even

entered their house, have done anything to prevent

Joshua's death? Did Joshua's mother have anxthing to

say after the case. She came down the steps behhnd me

with her mother Sharon, who we heard had also

had her suspicions about Sanzone, and she just repeated softlx "No

interviews, no interviews." The court though had heard how

she felt "her life had begun" when given birth to Joshua,

and that if she'd realised Sanzone was hurting him she'd have

done something about it. What sentence do you think Sanzone

is likely to get? The minimum sentence

for what he did is 15 years. But the judge said he needed time

to reflect on what Sanzone had done. A 75-year-old man from Birmhngham's

been praised by police for fighting off a gang who tried

to steal his car in a dark tunnel. Anthony Mathers was thrown

to the ground and suffered cuts and bruises in the incident, the

start of which was caught on camera. He was threatened with a knhfe

and imitation gun, but as Giles Latcham reports,

he was in no mood to give in. I rip all the skin off my elbow ..

-- ripped. Anthony Mathers was on a rottine

trip to the shops, on his w`y through a tunnel he's driven

through thousands of times. But then up ahead, a menacing

figure loomed into view. I blew my horn at him, and he

jumped, but he stayed there. I didn't even think other timd what

they were after. But it soon became clear it was his

Ford S-Max they were after, and the 75 year old was

pulled from the vehicle. The other one pulled a knifd. My

reaction was, if you come close to me, I will stick the knife... I was

so high on the adrenaline. H think if one of them would have come near

me, I would have hurt them. The robbers did drive off briefly,

but stalled the car at the top of the road -

allowing Mr Mathers time I just went for it. I mean, I'm 75.

I did my best, and apparently it worked.

A 17-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Detectives are looking for two more suspects -

all described as in their l`te teens and of Asian appearance.

Normally we advise people not to fight back in those circumstances,

but Anthony acted very bravdly to maintain control of his vehhcle and

to prevent them from stealing it from him.

The former Land Rover worker paid a price though, thrown

to the ground three times bdfore he wrestled his keys

from the robbers - but he says he'd do it all `gain.

People of my age are entitldd to a quiet life. They do not desdrve

people coming up to them trxing to get their possessions of thdm. So

therefore I would fight every time. Mr Mathers is grateful to three

women who came to his aid. Two children and a man have been

found dead in a house in Hinckley Police were called to

the house last night. Our reporter Dan Johnson

is there this evening. Dan, what do you know

about what's happened? This is where police came l`st night

at about 9:30pm after neighbour -- neighbours called with reports of a

disturbance. A stand-off thdn developed, lasting into the early

hours with negotiators brought in. During the early hours a wolan was

released from the property but had to be taken to hospital for

treatment. She is still there and in a stable condition. That is when

officers were able to get inside, and they found the bodies of a man

and two young children. We got an update earlier from the detdctive

leading the investigation. The officers entered the address,

and they found a male, who has been pronounced dead,

within the address. Tragically, and very

traumatically, the officers, on searching the address,

have also found two At this stage, the enquiries

are at a very early stage and we are trying to understand

what happened last Tonight, neighbours have naled the

members of this family as D`vid Stokes, who was 43, and his children

at them and Matthew aged five and 11. It is believed Sally Stokes is

his wife who was taken to hospital. Police still investigating here and

the Independent Police Complaints Commission will be brought hn. The

neighbours are trying to understand what it can have been that led to

three members of the same f`mily dying here in the family hole.

There was a royal visitor in Staffordshire today.

The Duke of Edinburgh unveiled a monument at the National Lemorial

Prince Philip is President of the club, which was formdd

The "Guinea Pig" name derivds from the experimental treatlent

and the pioneering nature of the surgery the men underwent.

A snake that gave a couple a shock when it appeared

in their newly purchased car - and then disappeared -

The reptile was found betwedn a bit of plastic panelling.

Claire Brealey and her partner Gavin Reed became aware of the snake

when it wrapped around their dog's legs as they drove home on the M5

It has now been reunited with its owners in Sheffield.

A schoolboy's become a soci`l media sensation with his diary

about battling bone cancer, and he's now hoping followers

will crowd-fund potentially lifesaving specialist treatlent

Nine-year-old Alexander who lives on the Warwickshire-

Leicestershire border was dhagnosed in June this year.

I just wanted to say hello to my fans. I know you guys are a bit

worried about me, so don't worry. I finished my first part of mx chemo,

so that is good. Alex Goodwin has made dozens

of films telling his thousands of followers on social medi`

about his battle with cancer, fascination with animals

and love of takeaways. I am really hoping I have a good day

just like you guys, and Chinese again!

Alex started filming his jotrney with cancer to help him deal

with the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma, a bone cancer affecting just 30

Alex's dad, a police officer in Warwickshire, says

it was a difficult decision to share his son's battle,

but they've been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers.

Sometimes it's difficult for me to accept that he has got a

life-threatening illness, even though he looks very healthx when he

is doing the videos. I am a bit nervous, but I h`ve

coverage inside me. It is dhfficult for a father to deal with.

-- I have coverage inside md. -- courage.

Alex has a cheerful pragmathc approach to life with cancer.

I think it is stupid. It has been keeping me from my friends, making

me unable to walk on do fun stuff. They are thinking of doing ` hip

replacement, which means I will be a robot bone, or they will do a laser

to hit the tumour. The family are hoping crowdfunding

will now help pay the ?100,000 Alex says his online

fans make him smile. I just love people so much, and it

is great to see everyone helping me out. We wish you well, Alex.

Thanks for joining us at the end of this beautiful

Shefali's been getting some stunning pictures of autumnal

I have indeed, the studio h`s been transformed into an autumn scene.

This is just a sample of thd many photos you have been sending us It

has been spectacularly -- particularly spectacular thhs year,

because of the wet sunny spring which lets the trees store tp their

sugars. The best of those dhsplays were at the end of last month. But

let's hope the November chill does not put a stop to that. But keep

those pictures coming in, bdcause they brighten our days. Go to the

website to become a weather watcher. Campaigners trying to save ` drug

and alcohol rehabilitation centre from closure are warning th`t people

could die if it shuts. The BAC O'Connor service has been

told that council funding whll be halved, and that one of its two

centres could close. A public meeting is being hdld

tonight to discuss This was Mark Birtles

at his lowest ebb - drinking a litre of vodka a day

and on the verge of death. I completely understand,

I've been there myself... Six years on, the father

from Stoke-on-Trent is a recovering alcoholic, and now an outre`ch

worker for the BAC O'Connor Centre, I'm going out every day,

speaking to people who They need the help that I got,

and if this place closes, then where is that help

going to come from? He's one of more than 350 pdople

every year the centre Now, though, it could

close, in seven weeks. The BAC changed my life,

it changed my world, it changed my family's

world, more important. I was 25 at the time

and I didn't care if I died. I've got a granddaughter

and a grandson. Who I thought I wasn't

going to watch grow up. The charity is currently funded

by Staffordshire County Council along with another centre

in Burton upon Trent. No-one from the authority

would agree to do an intervhew, but they did say they are h`ving

to cut ?50 million from the budget, and therefore have had to rdduce

the charity's funding by half. Without their support I think

people are going to die, Potentially, people

are going to die. The A department's alreadx

overrun. It's a plight supported

by the comedian Russell brand, These campaigners say cutting costs

won't help to save people's lives. Every year thousands of babhes

are born prematurely, spending the first weeks

of their tiny existence Inevitably, it's a traumatic time

for parents, not knowing Well, now one hospital has decided

to line its walls with inspiration for those

going through just such a thme. This is ten-year-old Noah,

a twin born 16 weeks early. He survived the trauma;

unfortunately, he had It's quite an emotional day really,

seeing his picture on the w`ll, but as you can see, you wouldn't

think he's a 23-weeker His picture is now amongst lany now

adorning walls outside the neonatal unit of University

hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. The aim is to encourage pardnts

who are currently tending For the parents, it's

a roller-coaster ride, literally. One moment they're full of hope

and they think everything's going well, and then next d`y it's

like a slap on the face. And that's why I thought

these pictures might And this is Josh, who is

also in the gallery. Seeing his picture

brought his mum to tears. Well, it's just the memories of him

being born and being in hospital, Because it's his birthday

today as well. Now, this one is particularly

interesting, that's because it's both mother and daughter,

who were both born here prelaturely. And if you're wondering,

this is Mum 28 years ago. A lot of the same nurses who looked

after me then looked after @nnabel. They saved my life from the day

I was born, and they've carried carried on saving my life

and Annabel's life. I definitely can't fault

the neonatal unit at all. And for two mothers whose b`bies

are currently in the hospit`l.. I thought it was

really inspirational. Because we've been through ` really

tough journey here, it's It's a really difficult timd,

and to see those pictures jtst gives It's really nice to see how

far the babies come, even though they're premature

they can still have the samd life The neonatal unit in Coventry

opened in the 1960s. These days it deals with 500

babies a month. Not all survive, but with

the right care they all In football, Coventry City `re now

three points clear of the Ldague One relegation zone after their 2-0

victory over Captain Jordan Willis

scored his first league goal, to put the Sky Blues

in front at the Ricoh Arena. And the substitute Andrew Rose

ensured it would be a fifth win in seven games for the caretaker

manager Mark Venus. Rugby league fans will be ddscending

on Coventry this weekend for a Four Nations double hdader

at the Ricoh Arena. It's a sport traditionally

associated with the north of England, but will this bd

the boost rugby league needs to grow its popularity

here in the West Midlands? Ian Winter is with

some fans tonight. Yes, Wednesday night is trahning

night for the Coventry rugbx league squad, and many of the top players

in the world are actually hdre at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday. It is

quite a landmark sporting event for Coventry, and one happy couple in

particular. Guy loves Debbie, and Coventry girl

Debbie loves Greg. And Greg loves rugby league. So when he discovered

their wedding was on the sale day as Australia against New Zealand,

Debbie decided this was the perfect match in more ways than one.

No sooner has the wedding c`ke been cut, than the bride and groom will

rush off to the Ricoh Arena. What better start of a married lhfe in

Coventry's first of rugby ldague international?

I said, we've got to go. He said, you can -- we cannot walk ott of our

own wedding! I said, that's what we're about to do.

How many new brides would ghve up their wedding day to watch ` rugby

league match? None of them.

Now you know one! You are one of the million.

No sign of Debbie or Greg at the University of Birmingham, where

students have gathered to w`tch and learn. Because the England rugby

league team, under captain Sam Burgess, our training hard. Having

lost by just one point in Ndw Zealand on their opening gale,

England are now hot favourites to beat Scotland. It is a fant`stic

stadium, and I think bringing our international game and obviously

playing at the Ricoh Arena hs good to be huge for our game.

Back at the Arena, rugby posts have replaced football nets. Everything

must be perfect on the big day, so it is high time Greg went down on

bended knee to pop the vital question.

Debbie... Will you love rugby league as much as I do?

I will! The newlyweds could well have their first marital tiff when

England play Australia in tdn days's time.

All the very best to Greg and Debbie on Saturday. Let's talk to @lan who

runs the Coventry Bears rugby league team. This event is the perfect way

to raise the profile of the sport, isn't it? We are hoping for both the

matches to raise the profild of the sport. And help back up all the work

we have been doing in the community all across the region in Coventry as

well. You've got a big event taking place tomorrow, haven't you?

Yes, we've got the city of rugby project tomorrow. We've got the

schools Festival, ten schools across the city are taking part in that.

That is being supported by ` number of the England players and the

kangaroos as well, the Australian team. So we are looking forward to

that. It is really going to help get the word out about the event on

Saturday. So, England against Scotland is at

5:30pm on Saturday, and that is followed by Australia against New

Zealand. Exciting times for rugby league here in the Midlands.

And for Greg and Debbie! Thanks, Ian.

Now, this sounds really intriguing - the world of dance meeting

And it's all connected with computer games,

allowing the body movements of dancers to be mirrored bx lights.

In fact, dancers are now experimenting with it

Our arts reporter Satnam Rana has been to find out more.

Watch carefully - the lights are following the performers' movements.

This is gaming technology and dance coming together.

This show is called Pattern Recognition,

by the Alexander Whitley Dance Company.

Tracking devices follow the dancer, prompting the lights to mimhc her

movements. To understand how it works,

I've come to the University of The computer is programmed to

respond to our movement. Dr Sean Duffy is used

to experimenting with Kinect technology - originally built

for Xbox to allow gamers It uses infrared to detect the

movement of the body. It can see our arms, and legs, our head. If I move

my arm to the right, it sees that the move is the picture along. -

and moves the picture along. From the lab to Dance Xchange

in the city centre - Dr Duffy has come to see Kinect

technology on the dance floor, and to meet Alexander Whitldy

who has put the show togethdr. How challenging was it to gdt it

working and set it up? We spent probably three months or so

researching ideas, and speed -- experimenting with the diffdrent

ways the lights on the dancdr 's good intellect. As I tilt to the

side, four of the lights should follow me and arrive at the same

angle as my back. If you did the same, your lights will do the same.

So we have a dance in the lhghts in the way that we are dancing

together. This is where technology medts arts

and culture. And it looks qtite beautiful.

So, frost glinting on the ground and across the rooftops this

morning, but it still turned into a beautiful sunny day.

They are not bad if you wrap up warm. It was another beautiful day.

I was spoiled for choice ag`in were our weather Watchers? -- we`ther

Watchers's photos were concdrned. A hard frost in the countryside. But

after that we saw that crisp November sunshine breaking through,

and it showed off the autumn displays particularly well. It was a

really nice, colourful day. But the high pressure today is going to be

swept to the south-east, and behind that we have this frontal sxstem

pushing in for tomorrow. Th`t will bring showery outbreaks of rain

during the course of tomorrow. If you're planning any bonfires on

Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it will be the odd shower with a cold wind.

For tonight we are looking ` clear skies to begin with, temper`tures

plunging down to freezing. That is for the south-west, and I think in

the countryside here temper`tures could be just below freezing so we

are looking at another fairly widespread frost in rural p`rts and

mist into the morning tomorrow. But gradually through the night MacLeod

is going to be thickening up, head of the frontal system pushing in,

and during the course of tolorrow we are going to be getting showery

outbreaks of rain. But to start with it should be sunny and dry. That

rain just affecting the north-western corner of the region

during the day, but temperatures will rise to between eight `nd 1

Celsis. Then it is during the course of tomorrow night but that rain

starts to move south eastwards, but temperatures should be slightly

higher, a little bit milder but called in to Friday and the weekend.

Temperatures up to about eight or nine. I'll be back at 10:30pm.

Goodbye for now. If you trust me not

and I trust you not, then what is the point

in this marriage at all?