:00:11. > :00:15.A judge who allowed a man who beat his wife to walk free
:00:16. > :00:17.from court has been lambasted by politicians and domestic
:00:18. > :00:23.Judge Richard Mansell suspended Mustafa Bashir's jail sentence,
:00:24. > :00:26.after hearing he'd lose the chance of playing professional cricket
:00:27. > :00:29.Our chief reporter Dave Guest is here with more.
:00:30. > :00:34.He hit his partner with a cricket back,
:00:35. > :00:38.attempted to strangle her and tried to force her to drink bleach.
:00:39. > :00:40.This is Richard Mansell QC, the Manchester
:00:41. > :00:50.judge who spared Bashir an immediate spell behind bars.
:00:51. > :00:54.sign a contract with Leicestershire Cricket
:00:55. > :00:56.club and going to prison would scupper that.
:00:57. > :00:57.So, Judge Mansell suspended the 18 month jail
:00:58. > :01:02.It now turns out the cricket contacted didn't exist.
:01:03. > :01:04.Leicestershire say they've never heard of Mustafa Bashir.
:01:05. > :01:05.But it was the judge's comments about
:01:06. > :01:07.Mustafa Bashir's former wife that have caused most outrage.
:01:08. > :01:09.He acknowledged she had suffered, but
:01:10. > :01:15.added, "I'm not convinced that the complainant was particularly
:01:16. > :01:18.Explaining that that was because she was intelligent, had
:01:19. > :01:21.The characteristics of the victim are
:01:22. > :01:24.A crime has been committed and it must be seen
:01:25. > :01:27.to be a crime that is abhorrent to society and that must be
:01:28. > :01:30.Greater Manchester's Police and Crime Commissioner says
:01:31. > :01:33.he doesn't normally criticise judges, but on this occasion, he
:01:34. > :01:39.I'm writing to the Attorney General, to
:01:40. > :01:42.the Justice Secretary to ask them to recognise, first of all,
:01:43. > :01:45.that there were flaws in what was played before
:01:46. > :01:47.the court, the question, the potentially bogus contract with
:01:48. > :01:50.Leicestershire County Cricket club, but also more generally to say,
:01:51. > :01:54.surely a sentence like this simply doesn't fit the modern world.
:01:55. > :01:58.Mustafa Bashir's former waif today told the BBC that she is
:01:59. > :02:01.disappointed in the comments which the judge made about my
:02:02. > :02:04.The Crown Prosecution Service said, "We are currently
:02:05. > :02:06.considering our options," as to whether they could challenge
:02:07. > :02:09.The definition of what makes a victim particularly vulnerable
:02:10. > :02:11.hasn't been dreamt up by the judge,
:02:12. > :02:13.it is contained in guidelines that all judges must follow.
:02:14. > :02:16.And coincidentally, the sentencing council is due to issue a new draft
:02:17. > :02:28.of guidelines for such cases later this week.
:02:29. > :02:30.A date has been announced for the by-election
:02:31. > :02:36.It comes after the death of Labour MP sir Gerald Kaufman,
:02:37. > :02:46.He had served the constituency since 1983 and had a 24,000 majority.
:02:47. > :02:48.Calderstones Hospital in the Ribble Valley,
:02:49. > :02:49.the last in England specialising in learning
:02:50. > :02:53.Patients will now be treated in smaller local units
:02:54. > :02:56.It's part of a wider plan to reform services in the north-west.
:02:57. > :02:59.Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the site,
:03:00. > :03:04.said they were disappointed with the decision.
:03:05. > :03:07.The MP for Chester is urging the Government to do more to secure
:03:08. > :03:09.the release of six men, who were jailed in India
:03:10. > :03:13.Paul Towers from Bootle and Ray Tindall from Chester
:03:14. > :03:15.were among a group of former British soldiers arrested while working
:03:16. > :03:18.on an anti-piracy ship and jailed in January for five years.
:03:19. > :03:26.The men have appealed against their sentences.
:03:27. > :03:28.Businesses in New Ferry say they've been devastated
:03:29. > :03:31.Tonight, they're meeting council leaders to discuss the support
:03:32. > :03:35.There are now plans to set up an emergency advice centre
:03:36. > :03:45.for both residents and local firms - as Lindsey Prosser reports.
:03:46. > :03:51.The clearing up operation is starting in earnest but this job
:03:52. > :03:54.could take months and that is no comfort to Kerry Gladwell and Gary.
:03:55. > :03:57.We want and make sure that residents can contact the authority
:03:58. > :04:10.They are asking their local Councillor to help.
:04:11. > :04:12.They fled their home in the clothes they are still wearing
:04:13. > :04:14.and they haven't been allowed back in since.
:04:15. > :04:17.Apparently we can't go back into our house for at least two
:04:18. > :04:20.We can't get any clothes we can't get anything.
:04:21. > :04:24.All our valuables and even our bank cards, we can't go and get that.
:04:25. > :04:28.As the cordoned off area is reduced, the damage to other
:04:29. > :04:35.George is getting his shop ready to open.
:04:36. > :04:39.Tonight, business owners will meet the council team and George believes
:04:40. > :04:42.there needs to be considerable support for local firms.
:04:43. > :04:50.It is going to take a lot of quick involvement by government.
:04:51. > :04:52.We need a lot of investment into the area.
:04:53. > :04:54.We need proper planning for the area.
:04:55. > :04:56.Tomorrow, the council will open an emergency advice centre to help
:04:57. > :05:02.a community which it believes is still in shock.
:05:03. > :05:05.We can offer them advice on anything from the rehousing that they may
:05:06. > :05:08.need to look at, if they need access to money, resources, clothing.
:05:09. > :05:10.Anything, we will be able to help them with.
:05:11. > :05:12.When the police investigation finishes, the council team will look
:05:13. > :05:28.at which buildings need to be demolished.
:05:29. > :05:42.Positive is how the meeting was described to me. Around 125 people
:05:43. > :05:47.were there, more than they were expecting. Traders who wanted to
:05:48. > :05:50.members of the community. Residents members of the community. Residents
:05:51. > :05:52.as well. It is fair to say there were people there who are physically
:05:53. > :05:57.tired from what has been happening tired from what has been happening
:05:58. > :06:00.over the past few days, but also a number of people afraid of what the
:06:01. > :06:12.immediate future might be. They were reassured and told that although in
:06:13. > :06:15.the initial recovery phase, the council is there for the long haul
:06:16. > :06:17.and clearly there will be a loss of support available. Of course,
:06:18. > :06:19.thoughts will turn to the properties, when they can go in.
:06:20. > :06:22.Structural engineers have to be certainly property is safe before
:06:23. > :06:26.that can happen and they will be waiting for Merseyside Police to
:06:27. > :06:27.finish their enquiries. Thank you very much.
:06:28. > :06:31.Lancashire County Council has apologised for a delay, which left
:06:32. > :06:33.a 80-year-old man confined to his house for almost five months.
:06:34. > :06:36.Ernie Moore was promised a step lift to his home after his leg
:06:37. > :06:40.Lancashire County Council is now working with the health
:06:41. > :06:41.occupational therapy team and Burney Borough Council,
:06:42. > :06:44.who are funding the fitting, to try and get the work done
:06:45. > :06:50.Since I started communicating with these departments, in September,
:06:51. > :06:52.October last year, the left-hand hasn't
:06:53. > :07:00.known what the right hand is
:07:01. > :07:06.A new service from Manchester Airport has
:07:07. > :07:09.ManFran is the first direct flight to San Francisco,
:07:10. > :07:11.from anywhere in the UK outside London.
:07:12. > :07:12.Its inaugural flight left just before midday,
:07:13. > :07:14.with bosses from some of the region's leading
:07:15. > :07:17.It's hoped the new service will open up lucrative
:07:18. > :07:29.Awaiting clearance to take off - this new scheduled service
:07:30. > :07:31.between MAN and SAN had attracted a nickname before
:07:32. > :07:37.We want to translate the vision into tangible
:07:38. > :07:40.It would lead to economic value for the
:07:41. > :08:08.It has much in common with Manchester.
:08:09. > :08:10.Manchester has always reinvented culture and history.
:08:11. > :08:14.We played a part in the industrial revolution and it came from the 60s
:08:15. > :08:19.30 tech firms are represented on the flight.
:08:20. > :08:26.All of them hoping to grab a piece of the action in Silicon Valley.
:08:27. > :08:30.If we can come back with a clear plan on what we need to do, we can
:08:31. > :08:32.bring our next investment round in the US and it
:08:33. > :08:41.Manchester based ANS provides IT support for businesses globally.
:08:42. > :08:46.But it values person to person interaction.
:08:47. > :08:49.We are a simple flight and it will change everything and I would love
:08:50. > :08:58.Andrew's boss has beaten him to it and he's also trying to beat Brexit.
:08:59. > :09:08.It's all about connectivity. We want to trade with the EU, we always
:09:09. > :09:12.have, want to trade with the rest of the world as well.
:09:13. > :09:14.Manchester Airport is also wondering what will
:09:15. > :09:17.As with so much about Brexit, we simply
:09:18. > :09:25.There are 225 people on board and some are going to San
:09:26. > :09:37.San Francisco - the city by the bay, might not, at first sound
:09:38. > :09:40.like a natural partner, but it has much in
:09:41. > :09:44.And so Miss England as it's known takes to the air and she's expected
:09:45. > :09:46.to return with big deals for the North West's
:09:47. > :09:49.Football and in League One this evening,
:09:50. > :09:51.wimbledon beat ten man Rochdale by three goals to one,
:09:52. > :09:54.while Bury were emphatically beaten by Oxford United five one.
:09:55. > :09:57.Shay McCartan fired home his fourth goal in three games to keep
:09:58. > :09:59.Accrington's slim League Two play-off hopes alive,
:10:00. > :10:06.Well, I don't think we'll see too much sunshine as
:10:07. > :10:08.we head through the next couple of days.
:10:09. > :10:10.So, let's enjoy one of our weather watcher pictures.
:10:11. > :10:13.The mild air does stay with us, though.
:10:14. > :10:15.The temperatures are really good as we head through
:10:16. > :10:21.But I'm afraid we will see our fair share of
:10:22. > :10:23.wet weather front, after weather front, after weather front.
:10:24. > :10:25.Still, the wet weather has worked its way
:10:26. > :10:27.in the last couple of hours and through the night.
:10:28. > :10:31.Not everywhere will see too much of it, but it is in the
:10:32. > :10:34.The cloud cover is there and as I mentioned
:10:35. > :10:36.before, those mild temperatures are around.
:10:37. > :10:38.The temperatures do the talking between nine and 10 Celsius.
:10:39. > :10:41.It's going to feel pretty good when you get at first thing tomorrow
:10:42. > :10:46.You won't see it, I'm afraid, through the
:10:47. > :10:50.Its blanket cloud cover and the rain comes and goes.
:10:51. > :10:52.As you get to about ten o'clock, it starts to
:10:53. > :10:54.become a little bit more organised and it
:10:55. > :10:55.stays on all the way through
:10:56. > :10:58.But again, the temperatures are really quite good.
:10:59. > :11:00.We are talking about 13 and 14 Celsius.
:11:01. > :11:01.Now, your national picture is next, but the outlook for the
:11:02. > :11:04.times, but fairly mild for the time of year. This stay tuned for the
:11:05. > :11:09.national weather forecasts with John Hammond.
:11:10. > :11:13.Good evening. Your parents might have told you once that life 's not
:11:14. > :11:16.fair and they were right. He is the proof. Over the next few days some
:11:17. > :11:20.of us will enjoy some lovely sunshine, temperatures in the low
:11:21. > :11:24.20s. It will feel like early summer. For others, quite a lot of rain
:11:25. > :11:29.around and it will feel like late March. This is showers earlier on
:11:30. > :11:32.today and dampness this evening in the West Country and Wales. That is
:11:33. > :11:38.heading north eastwards. A different sort of night. A lot of cloud
:11:39. > :11:39.around, quite damp and misty in places. Cloud cover will