10/08/2011 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today. Tonight's top stories.

He felt like he was the one on trial. The father of two small

children murdered by their mother says the court favours the criminal.

It is wrong and biased in favour of the criminal. It is unfair.

How Twitter helped police keep Kent and Sussex calm while other parts

of the country burned during the riots.

Why a Kent council is pushing for severe restrictions on the live

animal export trade. Cashing in on the Open. How East

Kent has seen a rise in golfing holidays since Sandwich.

And using guerrilla tactics to promote Planet of the Apes. The

Brighton graffiti artist and his can-do attitude.

Good evening. The father of two small children, who were murdered

by their mother and left in a holdall in the boot of a car, has

attacked the way he was treated in court, saying it made him feel like

he was the one on trial. Paul Donnison said he believes the

system is wrong, biased and unfair. He was speaking after a jury found

Fiona Donnison guilty of murdering three-year-old Harry and two-year-

old Elise. Fiona Donnison was jailed for a

minimum of 32 years for murdering her children. Yesterday at Lewes

Crown Court, her former partner criticised the criminal justice

system saying he felt as if he was on trial. It is the system. It is

wrong and biased in favour of the criminal and is clearly unfair. The

judge had to remind the jury I was not on trial. In addition, I had no

voice to speak for my children. It is clear that the murderer was

treated at all times with what I would describe as kid gloves.

cross-examination he was accused of having an affair, losing his temper

and grabbing one of his children. A charity argues that in some cases

the line of questioning can be inappropriate. Witnesses to come

forward are not aware they will be cross examined. We believe the

Crown Prosecution Service and the judges should be robust in the

Challenge and of these in appropriate cross-questioning us.

It is not the first time a family has been angered. In the case of

this school girl, her father claimed he had been treated like a

defendant. My family has had to pay too high a price for this

conviction. The agony we have had as a family has been compounded by

the effects of this trial. response to criticism, the Criminal

Bar Association said the nature of trials is fundamental to justice.

They say a strength of the system is the defence lawyers do their job

and give the defendant the best defence possible. I want to make

people aware of what my family went through, to see a change in the

system to allow relatives to at least have the right to have a

voice that is listened to. concerns raised by Paul Donnison

shiner light on a system that should ensure justice is done. For

some, the means to get the truth can be hard to bear.

Kent Police have thanked people in the county after last night passed

without any significant disorder or damage, despite disturbances in the

north and midlands. While things were calmer in London

overnight after the riots earlier this week, rumours of potential

trouble in the South East proved to be wrong. There was just one arrest

in Kent after a 14-year-old boy threw a rock at a police car in

Ashford. We are supporting the Metropolitan

Police with officers going there. We have a lot of officers ready and

on standby so that if there are any incidence of disorder, we will

respond to it with zero tolerance and with dynamic response.

In Sussex, two men were arrested on suspicion of public order offences.

It is alleged they tried to organise disorder in Hastings on

Facebook. Police were monitoring the social media site and also

using Twitter to investigate rumours of planned trouble and

communicate with people to quash any disturbances. The riots have

highlighted the way police are now using technology in their everyday

work and to reassure the public when rumours abound of people

taking to the streets. After several nights of rioting in

London, social media sites were themselves ablaze with rumours

about what would happen next. This officer is the head person using

Twitter for Hastings police. This is the first major incident where

he has used it to rapidly communicate with the public. People

got behind us last night. They realised this was misinformation

coming out across social networks. And that our officers on the ground

telling me what was happening in reality, that places were not on

fire and there was no rioting in Hastings. They started to pass that

on Twitter and said to follow Hastings police to find out what

was happening. It seemed to Hwan. Soon, people were thanking there

police for the information -- is seen to work. They have 9000

followers in Sussex Police. Many officers use this on the beat.

we can do is that we can use this as part of our method of policing

demonstrations. We can give accurate information to groups and

individuals to understand what is happening and provide that.

idea is to engage with as many people as soon as possible. Because

of the people who use it, it is a good way of seeing what they are up

to. It would seem a good way to organise riots to use Facebook so

the police should use the same medium to quell them. A it is a way

of getting messages across to the people. Twitter launched in 2006

and has over 200 million followers worldwide. They can communicate

with, and they can listen, and they can engage with. People can tell

them what is going on. It is a good process of dialogue. This officer

says he can work like a community officer with this even when he is

in the office. Our reporter joins us from Hastings.

How can the police know what is a hoax and what is not?

From police intelligence, they knew it was two or three people trying

to whip up a frenzy of panic in the town. This is the problem with

social network sites. They are easy to spread nonsense quickly. Tonight,

50 policemen and women from Sussex will be going to London to support

the Metropolitan Police. They are trained in public order. There will

be a police presence in Hastings as usual. Annual leave has not been

councils but a uniform officers have had rest days cancelled.

In a moment, the sea horse. The dramatic moment a horse swam half a

mile offshore and had to be rescued by the lifeboat.

A Kent council has stepped into the row over live animal exports,

calling on the government to push for a Europe-wide limit on

livestock journey times. The trade restarted at the Port of Ramsgate

earlier this year. Now, Thanet Council is calling for a maximum

journey time of eight hours. That would would effectively make the

shipments uneconomical. The National Farmers' Union says

exporting live animals is essential to enable farmers to earn a living.

Early-morning protests at the port. Although the council runs it, it

cannot ban live exports. Now, it is trying a different approach.

there was an eight hour maximum journey time, it would not

practically enable the trade to continue. I think that the life

shipment of animals is horrible. It looks like a cruel trade. It ought

to be stopped. I think this will be to be stopped. I think this will be

able to do that. In a letter to the government, the council says that

current restrictions make it difficult to guarantee the welfare

of animals in long periods of transfer. It asks them to take the

transfer. It asks them to take the new look at what constitutes

new look at what constitutes appropriate treatment.

Campaigners say that animals Campaigners say that animals

passing through Kent can face huge journeys with exhaustion and stress.

Some of these animals are only maybe two weeks old. They are taken

from their mothers and sent from the North of England to Spain. Just

to be reared for veal, presumably. The minimum time would probably be

two whole days. There is in the South East to support live exports

say that abattoirs in France are often closer than once in England

and animals are well looked after. The Transport limits are set by

Europe. You have to change European regulation. In Europe, animals have

to travel greater distances to be moved for feeding. The Department

for food and rural affairs said the UK would prefer animals to be

slaughtered as close as possible to where it is produced. They cannot

ban Live exports because of European trade rules. The

commission is preparing a report on animal transport.

A motorcyclist has been seriously injured in a collision on the A28

at Great Chart near Ashford. Police were called to the crash just

before 7am. The driver of the 4x4 vehicle involved in the crash was

not injured. A 22-year-old man riding the bike was taken to the

William Harvey Hospital at Ashford and is in a critical condition.

A lifeboat was launched off the Kent coast yesterday to rescue a

struggling horse. 999 calls reported a horse in difficulties in

the sea off Sandwich Bay. The horse, called Shallimah, was approximately

half a mile offshore by the time they reached it. Our reporter is in

Walmer. How did it end up so far shore?

The horse and rider were along the coast. A wave came in. The rider

fell off and the horse started swimming frantically out to sea.

Onlookers saw it and the lifeboat was launched. One of the onlookers

it is the chairman of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. You

came up with an ingenious way to locate this incident. I was

concerned about the man he tried to go after the horse. We had been

flying a kite and we use that to mark the position where the horse

was so that lifeboat would know where to look for it. They did the

hard work. We will go over to those who did the hard work. It must be

difficult to get the horse under control and take it back to the

coast. Yes. A horse is a flight animal. It's instinct was to swim

away from us as we arrived. We tried to shepherd it back into

shore and allow it to swim on its own. There was decided we looked

inviting and decided to come and say hello. At that point, we had to

make a decision as to how to get hold of a horse and bring her in

safely. Why he is surprised that the boss raised the alarm?

Certainly. We do not know who will raise the alarm. It can be any

member of the public. We will answer to anything, whoever calls

in. The horse has been check to and is very well. We have heard that

Dover lifeboat has been launched because of problems in the Channel.

It is approaching a quarter to seven. This is our top story. The

father of two children murdered by their mother has attacked the way

he was treated in court. Paul Donnison has said it made him feel

as if he was on trial. Also... The return of Ashley

Jackson. Hopes of glory on the hockey pitch. And the connection

between the rise of Planet Of The Apes and a Brighton graffiti artist.

It was hoped last month's Open Championship at Sandwich would

provide a financial boost to the local economy. For some, it appears

to be working. Bookings for golf breaks in Kent have soared by more

than 90 per cent over the past two months compared with the same

period last year. On average golfers stay for three nights

during their break in the county. And they each spend around �300.

It was an emotional victory for Darren Clarke. And an unexpected

triumph for him and a success story for the club in Sandwich that

hosted the Open Championship. It inspired one man to book a golf

break in Kent for the first time. If you play football, you cannot

play at Old Trafford, and if you enjoy cricket, you cannot play at

Lord's, but if you play golf, you can play way your heroes play and

that is why I am here. Whatever the weather, hundreds of others are

choosing to play in Kent as a result of the victory of Darren

Clarke and the Open Championship. It could mean a boost to tourism.

Gulf has historically spend more money than other visitors. --

golfers. They keep playing in times of economic crisis. It is probably

one of the last things they would give up. Visit Kent and

representatives of the top clubs in the county match with Europe's

largest golf travel company who are promoting breaks where golfers can

experience a number of Kent golf courses. There are over 100 courses

in Kent with courses to meet every budget and all standard of golfers.

It was clear that a company offering a simple booking process

to the golfers. It is of benefit to others, such as restaurants.

region has not benefited as much as others, such as Scotland, and there

is no reason why we should not do so now. We have great courses on

the coast and inland. The eventual aim is to establish Kent as a top

European golfing destination. He has been called the David

Beckham of hockey and many people believe he could be one of the

stars of the London Olympics However, Ashley Jackson from

Chatham has missed the last nine months through injury. But he's now

back and hoping to help England defend their European Championship

title later this month. They both her blonde hair and wear

the No. 7 shirt and both have represented their country. In 2002,

David Beckham made a comeback after injury. Having missed much of the

last year, Ashley Jackson is determined to do the same. If he

were a footballer or cricketer, he would be a household name. Hockey

does not enjoy such a high profile. That could change. British hopes in

the Olympic Games seem to depend on Ashley Jackson. Something he hopes

to prove at the European championships over the next few

weeks. I am not going there to say I have not played for a while and

we will see how it goes and if I am rubbish I will use that as an

excuse. I will try to be the same as I was in 2009, and be better on

top of that, to deliver and score goals and corners and make sure we

are top of the table. The British team is more than just this one man.

If they are to win gold in London, Ashley Jackson is likely to play a

part in that success. Most tournaments we have been to we have

stepped up at the right time and performed under pressure. It is

great to have him for that. We look at the squad and have that in

abundance. Hockey needs a new hero. The Olympic Games could provide the

perfect opportunity. He is the kind of player everybody wants to

support because he put so much effort into it. He wants to win, in

the nicest way, without aggression. He is probably the player of the

century for us in this country. That is a lot to live up to. He

thrives on pressure and cannot wait to get playing again. Are you

impressed? Brighton are through to the second round of the Carling Cup

after victory last night. Their new captain was judged to have brought

down a player in the box. Ashley Barnes scored from the spot to give

Brighton their second home victory in a week.

Charlton Athletic have re-signed striker Jason Euell on a one-year

contract. The 34-year-old was Charlton's record signing when he

first joined the club ten years ago for almost �5 million and was

leading scorer for each of his first three seasons at the Valley.

It has been a good day for Matt Prior who picked up three catches

as India were dismissed for 224 on their opening day in the third Test

match in Birmingham. Villages across the South East are

being given the chance to bid for a share of lottery funding. �5

million is to be used to help transform rural areas. Village SOS

is being run in conjunction with a TV series that begins tonight on

BBC One. Tonight's programme highlights how

someone's business idea could rebuild their community. Village

life can seem idyllic. The economic life of a village can be less than

perfect with problems with housing, public transport and shops and pubs

closing. The loss of local amenities can rip a heart out of

village life. People in villages have brilliant ideas that could

make a difference to regenerate communities. One idea to take

advantage of lottery funding in the past was this cycle hire business

which was started and run by local volunteers. We have purchased

cycles and that is hour asset -- acid. Through volunteers we can

provide a service to the community and tourists. Our villages, with a

population of less than 3000, can apply for a share of the money and

get free advice. Through the campaign we want, with help and

advice and support and cash to equip them to turn the villages

around and regenerate communities for the better. That could include

anything from reopening a path to a business for tourists. -- that the

local pub. If you want to get it in touch and

find out more, go to the website. It is top of the US box office with

$54 million brought in so far. On Thursday, the Rise of Planet Of The

Apes will open in the UK. A graffiti artist and Brighton called

Aroe has been used to help promote the film.

People have been writing on walls for centuries. But these paintings

in Brighton have evolved a long way from ancient Greece or the Roman

Empire. This graffiti artist has works across the city. His latest

was to promote the new Blockbuster Planet Of The Apes film. I said can

I do him wearing a baseball cap. I did him with a ghetto-blaster. It

became obvious that I could whatever I wanted. I painted him in

a train station. The science fiction film is released tomorrow.

The one think that it does is it raises awareness. If you look for

messages in films, it will raise awareness about animal testing and

the way we treat animals. effects are vastly improved since

the rubber costumes of the original. These animals are created with

state-of-the-art technology which makes the film a in exciting

project for Aroe. They let me do whatever I want. It is strange, I

am being interviewed. I was paid It is one of five similar

commissions in the UK. And he went bananas to get it painted in eight

hours! It is a bit different. Caroline is

in Brighton. This is a different way to promote the film and

different from the original film. It is a different type of

advertising for movies. Normally, when you see an advertisement for a

film it is on a bus or a billboard. It is big and glossy. He does not

look like this. The commission was "evolution means revolution". That

is all he was told. This is what he came up with. It will be

interesting to see a film companies and advertising agencies follow

along with these guerrilla tactics in advertising. Sorry about that!

We can check the weather. You look We can check the weather. You look

very summery! It has been a lovely day. I am bringing cloud and rain.

Today is a special moment. Remember my moulds -- memorable days. Today

is moving like that. Today in 2003, we had the hottest ever UK

temperature. It was not anywhere else than other in the South East.

Just yesterday I said we have the best of the weather. It happened on

this day in 2003. It got up to 38 degrees near Faversham. Seven

locations officially made it above 100 degrees that day in 2003. We

did not manage that today. We got up to around 23. But it has been

dry, and we have had sunshine. It has been breezy. That will stay

with us for at least another 24 hours. Because it is a south-

westerly breeze, it will bring in mild air coming from the south-west.

It will also bring rain to borrow. It will not arrive until later on -

- tomorrow. The best of any sunshine will be at the start and

the end of the day. In the middle, there will be showers. Some of them

will be heavy. Not good news for David and Cara who are getting

married tomorrow afternoon. But you should see brighter weather later.

It will still be very breezy. The wind will eventually ease as we go

into Friday. If you are joining us for the Festival Friday at

Eastbourne, it looks to be a reasonable day. It will be breezy,

but it should be dry and there will but it should be dry and there will

be sunshine. You will need your shades!

We had an angry e-mail asking why we were not at Broadstairs folk

festivals. We were there last Friday, we started the whole thing

Friday, we started the whole thing off! Thank you, for that. We will