:00:05. > :00:12.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Bryony MacKenzie. And I'm Rob Smith.
:00:12. > :00:15.Tonight's top stories. She thought she was going to die — a victim of
:00:15. > :00:24.domestic violence urges others to speak out before it's too late. I
:00:24. > :00:26.just thought that he was doing all he could to hurt me and I thought he
:00:26. > :00:30.was going to kill me. Not safe for staff or patients — evidence from
:00:30. > :00:33.the manager at a Sussex care home where there were 19 unexplained
:00:33. > :00:37.deaths. We've got the latest from the inquest in Horsham.
:00:37. > :00:40.Also in tonight's programme: The fight to control Margate's historic
:00:40. > :00:44.Dreamland theme park goes to the Court of Appeal.
:00:44. > :00:49.Filling in the gaps — the council workers who painted short yellow
:00:49. > :00:57.lines between parked cars. Still got the spikes — but using
:00:57. > :00:59.them on snow. The discus thrower who could now have a shot at the winter
:00:59. > :01:11.Olympics. Good evening. A woman who was
:01:11. > :01:14.viciously attacked by her boyfriend during a night out, dragged by the
:01:14. > :01:18.hair and repeatedly punched says she was convinced she was going to die.
:01:18. > :01:22.As her attacker begins a six year jail sentence, Litisha Henry from
:01:22. > :01:28.Chatham has spoken out to urge other victims of domestic abuse not to
:01:28. > :01:31.suffer in silence. But tonight, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner
:01:31. > :01:37.Ann Barnes has admitted it's taking too long to get offenders to court.
:01:37. > :01:45.You may find some of the images in Simon Jones' report distressing.
:01:45. > :01:51.A couple of hours after this picture was taken, Franklin White left
:01:51. > :01:55.Letisha Henry looking like this. I don't remember how many times he
:01:55. > :02:02.punched me but I remember repeatedly being punched. I fell to the ground
:02:02. > :02:09.twice. He dragged me along by my hair and I physically couldn't get
:02:09. > :02:14.up. I was in pain all over. I just thought he was doing all he could to
:02:14. > :02:20.hurt me and I thought it was going to kill me. It was after leaving
:02:20. > :02:24.this club that Franklin White set upon her wrongly accusing her of
:02:24. > :02:28.seeing someone else. She was initially fearful of telling the
:02:28. > :02:34.police the truth about what he had done until officers reassured her.
:02:34. > :02:40.There are high profile campaigns to get victims to come forward but
:02:40. > :02:46.Kent's police commissioner says it could take months for cases to come
:02:46. > :02:50.to court. They have taken a lot of courage to do this, so let's try and
:02:50. > :02:57.fast—track them through the criminal justice system. There will always be
:02:57. > :03:01.delays in the court process. We have to manage that process as best as we
:03:01. > :03:07.can. We have a special worker looking at domestic violence to
:03:07. > :03:12.ensure they safe. We keep our communication with the victim all
:03:12. > :03:18.the way through to the end and beyond. Letisha Henry is in no doubt
:03:18. > :03:26.about what she feels her attacker. Hopeful, the pain that he has caused
:03:26. > :03:33.me and my family. Hatred is, I hate him. Do you feel people should speak
:03:34. > :03:44.out? Definitely. Speak out and the police will help you. Her message is
:03:45. > :03:48.victims should not feel alone. The manager of a Sussex care home where
:03:49. > :03:50.there were a string of unexplained deaths says elderly residents were
:03:50. > :03:54.not safe because there insufficient staff. An inquest is
:03:54. > :03:56.investigating 19 deaths at the Orchid View care home in Copthorne,
:03:57. > :03:59.near Crawley. This afternoon, former manager Meera
:03:59. > :04:02.Reed, from Tunbridge Wells, denied tampering with evidence or giving an
:04:02. > :04:05.order that documents should be shredded. Our Home Affairs
:04:05. > :04:10.Correspondent Colin Campbell joins us from Horsham, where the inquest
:04:10. > :04:20.is taking place. Was Meera Reed an experienced manager Colin? Meera
:04:20. > :04:24.Reed have been a qualified nurse but had never been in charge of a care
:04:24. > :04:29.home for the elderly until she was made a manager of Orchid View in
:04:29. > :04:33.Copthorne in Crawley. He was a brand—new care home and she was
:04:33. > :04:36.given the job of getting it up and running but also employing other
:04:36. > :04:38.staff. During her evidence today culture claimed she was given very
:04:38. > :04:44.little guidance and culture claimed she was given very
:04:44. > :04:48.training from senior managers. Meera Reed said she had no training in
:04:48. > :04:54.setting up a care home for the elderly but was put in charge of
:04:54. > :05:00.Orchid View in 2009. She says she lacks the support from her
:05:00. > :05:05.employers. She was asked by the coroner if the ratio of staff to
:05:05. > :05:18.residence Southern Cross had in his budget was too low?
:05:18. > :05:24.The inquest is examining the unexplained deaths of 19 residence
:05:24. > :05:30.at home. Jean halfpenny's family believe she was —— Edi because she
:05:30. > :05:42.was given the wrong medicine whilst staying there. They say that she
:05:42. > :05:47.ordered the shredding of documents belonging to Jean Halfpenny after
:05:47. > :05:53.she died. She was asked if hand written medical notes were written
:05:53. > :06:00.to cover up an overdose given to her. They placed their mother into a
:06:01. > :06:05.care home because they thought that was the best place for her and she
:06:05. > :06:11.would be care for —— cared for properly. As it happens, it seems
:06:11. > :06:16.she wasn't cared for at the standard they were expecting. Meera Reed said
:06:16. > :06:21.she was unable to investigate the death because she was too busy.
:06:21. > :06:26.Meera Reed says the company forbid her from hiring staff at times of
:06:26. > :06:30.staff shortages. She had to beg people to come to work at the care
:06:30. > :06:32.home. The inquest is expected to last two to three weeks and will
:06:33. > :06:36.resume on Friday. last two to three weeks and will
:06:36. > :06:39.In a moment the former Bishop of Rochester appeals for Pakistan to do
:06:39. > :06:47.more to protect Christians after 80 die in a terrorist bombing.
:06:47. > :06:52.The fight to control Margate's historic Dreamland theme park has
:06:52. > :06:55.been taken to the Court of Appeal today. The derelict site has been
:06:56. > :06:58.awarded to Thanet District Council under a compulsory purchase order
:06:59. > :07:04.scheme, but the previous landowners want that decision to be reversed.
:07:04. > :07:08.They say the council will not be able to afford to re—open the site
:07:08. > :07:18.as a heritage park, filled with vintage attractions.
:07:18. > :07:23.This is Dreamland today. The looters have been hard at work but the only
:07:23. > :07:26.other people making money out of the place seem to be the lawyers. The
:07:26. > :07:32.battle is over who could make the best of it. Developers with plans
:07:32. > :07:37.for rides and housing or the council which plans inherited theme park.
:07:37. > :07:43.Dreamland closed ten years ago and was sold two years later. In 2008,
:07:43. > :07:49.the listed scenic Railway was a target of an arsonist —— an arson
:07:49. > :07:53.attack. Now the council has taken it over. Now all parties are back at
:07:53. > :08:01.the Court of Appeal to see if that order should stand. It will be worth
:08:01. > :08:04.it. It is a gaping hole in the middle of Margate seafront. It has
:08:04. > :08:10.been that way for a decade now and something needs to be done. It has
:08:10. > :08:17.been a long haul but it is worth it. The Dreamland trust would look at
:08:17. > :08:20.the scheme. They say the plans don't add up and the money is just not
:08:20. > :08:24.there. Same—macro the local authority is spending in a way they
:08:24. > :08:29.don't understand and we don't think their plans are safe financially.
:08:29. > :08:34.The key is at the end of the day, market has to be regenerated and
:08:34. > :08:38.they need the schemes that can ensure. For more than 80 years,
:08:38. > :08:45.Dreamland was at the part of Margate, the tourist destination.
:08:45. > :08:50.The old pleasure park does need a regenerating. The council says the
:08:50. > :08:55.only way to kick—start that work is taking it from the developers by
:08:55. > :09:04.force. We have lost patience with them. The council cross—party has
:09:04. > :09:09.taken the decision that we needed to take control of the situation and
:09:09. > :09:14.that is what we have done. Whatever side wins the fight, it is hoped
:09:14. > :09:18.Margate won't lose out. Sara joins us live from the Court of Appeal.
:09:18. > :09:24.What happens if the previous owners win their case?
:09:24. > :09:28.The site has been handed over to the council and handed over to the
:09:28. > :09:38.Dreamland trust which will implement those plans. They say they have a
:09:38. > :09:49.better chance of succeeding. If another company loses this bed, they
:09:49. > :09:52.could get... The judges today have preserved their judgement so we
:09:52. > :09:54.won't get the decision for several weeks to come.
:09:54. > :09:56.Detectives investigating the discovery of one of Britain's
:09:56. > :10:00.largest cannabis factories have released an image of a man they want
:10:00. > :10:04.to question. 6,000 plants, with a street value of up to £4 million
:10:04. > :10:10.were found last month inside a former county council building in
:10:10. > :10:13.Dartford. Kent Police want to speak to a 37—year—old Italian known as
:10:13. > :10:18.Stefan Nardi who may also use other names.
:10:18. > :10:21.The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion has been charged with breaching a
:10:21. > :10:22.police order and obstructing the highway during anti—fracking
:10:22. > :10:30.demonstrations. Caroline Lucas arrested last month in the West
:10:30. > :10:32.Sussex village of Balcombe. She'll appear before magistrates in
:10:33. > :10:35.October. The national leader of the Fire
:10:35. > :10:38.Brigades Union joined striking firefighters on a picket line in
:10:38. > :10:41.Brighton this afternoon, during a walk—out over pensions. Firefighters
:10:41. > :10:44.in Kent, Sussex and Surrey took part in industrial action from midday
:10:44. > :10:50.until 4pm, claiming the Government's planned changes will put safety at
:10:50. > :10:59.risk. But some MPs say it's the unions who are leaving the public in
:10:59. > :11:04.danger. It is an emergency service and people's lives may depend on it.
:11:04. > :11:09.It is unreasonable that there should be other back—up to replace them if
:11:09. > :11:11.they decide to read —— withdraw their labour. They have had a
:11:11. > :11:14.reasonable deal from this government. Piers Hopkirk joins us
:11:14. > :11:25.live in Brighton. At 4pm this afternoon, the pickets
:11:25. > :11:29.packed up, the firefighters returned to their stations here and across
:11:29. > :11:34.Kent and Sussex and they returned to work but not so in Surrey. Their
:11:34. > :11:39.firefighters were told not to come back to work until tomorrow and they
:11:39. > :11:47.were docked a day's jefe going on strike. Their roles were taken over
:11:47. > :11:54.by private contractors. —— they were docked a day's pay. Do you believe
:11:54. > :12:00.you have public support today given that you weren't answering their
:12:01. > :12:04.cause? Yes, we do. People were hooting their horns and people
:12:04. > :12:09.wanted to talk and take leaflets and wanted to sign petitions. We had
:12:09. > :12:16.good public support. Many people would say that you are being offered
:12:16. > :12:18.a very generous pension deal, amongst the best in the public
:12:18. > :12:25.sector. Are you being greedy given the state of public finances? That
:12:25. > :12:29.is an unfair claim by government. Most of the firefighters are on the
:12:29. > :12:33.skin that closed in 2006. The government knew the costs would
:12:33. > :12:39.escalate scheme but six years later they made another grab it. They have
:12:39. > :12:43.introduced a new scheme the 20 15th that is totally unworkable. They
:12:43. > :12:46.have got their figures wrong and the retirement age wrong. They need to
:12:46. > :12:57.go back to the drawing board and get back to talking to us. You called
:12:57. > :13:02.this a shot across the bells have you the right to make a full
:13:02. > :13:05.dispute? We have full dispute. The firefighters walked out and are
:13:05. > :13:12.prepared to fight for their pension scheme.
:13:12. > :13:23.As you see there, the search goes on for a resolution. The entrepreneur
:13:23. > :13:26.Lord Sugar has lost his fight to recover legal costs from a former
:13:26. > :13:29.winner of his hit TV show, the Apprentice. Stella English from
:13:29. > :13:30.Whitstable took the businessman to an industrial tribunal
:13:30. > :14:07.Some of the lines long. The local council says
:14:07. > :14:14.contractors will return within a fortnight to fill in the gaps.
:14:14. > :14:19.Puzzled and perplexed by the yellow lines that appeared in the middle of
:14:19. > :14:26.the night. Residents wondered why the council would paint lines that
:14:26. > :14:33.are just 52 inches long. They were here at night. There were cars
:14:33. > :14:39.parked in the place. They have gone over drains which is ludicrous. I
:14:39. > :14:44.don't know what else to say. I have never seen anything by —— so
:14:44. > :14:51.shocking. How do they compare with others. Two years ago in Brighton,
:14:51. > :14:56.lines measuring 36 inches were painted. They were the smallest
:14:56. > :15:04.double yellow lines measuring 31 inches. The shortage —— the shorters
:15:04. > :15:07.are from nine years ago. No one was available for comment today but they
:15:07. > :15:12.did say they carried out this work on behalf of Kent county council.
:15:12. > :15:17.They said they are unable to request motorists not to park in an area
:15:17. > :15:22.when work is due to stop parents picking up their children whether
:15:22. > :15:28.yellow lines have been painted things working around vehicles is a
:15:28. > :15:33.stupid policy. It is pathetic. They could have done it with a single
:15:33. > :15:40.line. Horrendous. They should put signs up to stop people from parking
:15:40. > :15:44.there. It is ridiculous. Either do the whole lot or none. Swale Borough
:15:44. > :15:48.Council says it will be back within two weeks to finish the job which
:15:48. > :15:51.begs the questions from residents, wouldn't it have been easier and
:15:52. > :16:00.cheaper to do the job properly in the first place. ——?
:16:00. > :16:04.This is our top story tonight: A woman who was viciously attacked by
:16:04. > :16:07.her boyfriend during a night out says she was convinced she was going
:16:07. > :16:10.to die. As her attacker begins a six—year jail sentence, Litisha
:16:10. > :16:14.Henry from Chatham has spoken out to urge other victims of domestic abuse
:16:14. > :16:18.not to suffer in silence. Also in tonight's programme:
:16:18. > :16:21.Painstaking restoration — one of the biggest collection of Victorian
:16:21. > :16:26.glasshouses in the country gets a make over in Kent.
:16:26. > :16:31.A change of discipline, a change of season and a change of Olympics. The
:16:31. > :16:35.discus thrower now looking for a medal in bobsleigh.
:16:35. > :16:37.If you have a story you think we should be covering on South East
:16:37. > :16:56.Today, we'd like to hear from you. The former Bishop of Rochester, Dr
:16:56. > :16:59.Michael Nazir—Ali, has urged the Pakistani government to do more to
:16:59. > :17:05.protect the country's Christian minority. It follows a terrorist
:17:05. > :17:10.attack at a church there on Sunday that killed at least 80 worshippers.
:17:10. > :17:13.Tonight, Christians at an East Sussex charity with close ties to
:17:13. > :17:16.the church in Peshawar say their thoughts and prayers are with the
:17:16. > :17:26.victims and their families. Ian Palmer has tonight's Special Report.
:17:26. > :17:31.Murdered for being a Christian in Pakistan. Last Sunday to suicide
:17:31. > :17:35.bombers detonated their devices outside the Anglican Church in
:17:35. > :17:46.Peshawwar leaving pounds without children, children without parents
:17:46. > :17:54.and entire families wiped out. This man works for the Christian charity
:17:54. > :17:58.here. Charity workers say the 60—year—old is very lucky to have
:17:58. > :18:04.escaped with his life. He said he heard a blast and he was putting on
:18:04. > :18:12.his shirt. The blast knocked him off as feat. There were two blasts and
:18:12. > :18:17.he said when he came out, I quote, he said he couldn't speak. He said
:18:17. > :18:24.there were bodies everywhere, women, children, body parts, half of my
:18:24. > :18:28.congregation is gone. The atrocity in Pakistan is the latest bloody
:18:28. > :18:33.attack against Christians in recent times. Christians in Syria had to
:18:33. > :18:39.take refuge from mortar attacks a few weeks ago. Christians in Egypt
:18:39. > :18:43.were also targeted by extremists. In Nigeria, declaring your Christian
:18:43. > :18:49.faith can mysteriously damage your welfare. The former Bishop of
:18:49. > :18:51.Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir—Ali says Christians and other minorities
:18:51. > :18:59.should be protected like Muslims were in the Balkans in the 1990s.
:18:59. > :19:02.The question now is will there be some international protection for
:19:03. > :19:06.Christian and other minorities in the Middle East? I think there is a
:19:06. > :19:14.very strong case for this now. It is great that they were protected in
:19:14. > :19:18.the north of Iraq, but who is going to protect the Christians? Today the
:19:18. > :19:21.Archbishop of Canterbury has also added his voice. He says those
:19:21. > :19:27.killed in the blast in Pakistan should be treated as martyrs. The
:19:27. > :19:33.rhetoric, a reminder to those expressing one's faith can carve at
:19:33. > :19:41.a heavy price. —— can come at a heavy price.
:19:41. > :19:46.If you think of a commercial greenhouse these days, then gigantic
:19:46. > :19:49.industrial sheds spring to mind, all science and technology, where plants
:19:49. > :19:58.are drip fed nutrients and the last thing you need is a spade. But there
:19:58. > :20:01.is a place in Kent keeping an older tradition alive — that of the
:20:01. > :20:06.Victorian Glasshouse — where they do grow plants in actual soil. Claudia
:20:06. > :20:09.Sermbezis has been to the Walled Nursery at Hawkhurst, where they're
:20:09. > :20:21.working hard to keep the old buildings in use.
:20:21. > :20:34.These 13 glasshouses once grew exotic fruits. Melons, peaches,
:20:34. > :20:37.grapes, fruits the Victorian owners could boast about. The lady of the
:20:37. > :20:42.house would come into the Coronation house. This is where they grew cut
:20:42. > :20:46.flowers for the house. It was quite the norm for the Lady of the house
:20:46. > :20:50.to come in and tell them she was wearing a rose coloured dress. The
:20:50. > :20:58.woman would have to find flowers to match the lady's dress. Charles
:20:58. > :21:02.Guenther bought the estate in 1804 and he had a keen eye on food and
:21:02. > :21:18.created one of the best—known brands. —— 1904. Charles Guenther
:21:18. > :21:22.employed nine men. Surplus food and flowers went to the local hospital.
:21:22. > :21:29.Today this is the most important glasshouse. This starts planned ——
:21:29. > :21:32.start off here from seeds or plant. It gives you an insight into
:21:32. > :21:40.culture and the importance of horticulture for the Victorians and
:21:40. > :21:47.into the present day. They are unique. If we don't save these, no
:21:47. > :21:52.one else is going to. Free and open to the public, for the glasshouses
:21:52. > :21:57.to survive, they need to earn their keep. They are very fragile and you
:21:57. > :22:02.can't ignore them. You constantly need to be prior —— repairing them.
:22:02. > :22:05.It's glasshouse earns their keeper because we felt them up with plants
:22:05. > :22:13.which we grow here and the revenue from that goes back into the
:22:13. > :22:17.glasshouses. The Davis family are working hard for them to be
:22:17. > :22:20.remembered and admired, not to be left to rot.
:22:20. > :22:23.18 months ago Tonbridge athlete Dave Coleman was dreaming of a place at
:22:23. > :22:26.the London Olympics throwing the discus.
:22:26. > :22:30.The 27—year—old narrowly missed out but in a dramatic twist of fortune,
:22:30. > :22:32.he's now in with a great chance of making the Bobsleigh team for the
:22:32. > :22:44.Winter Olympics in Russia. Lifting huge weights is nothing new
:22:44. > :22:49.for Dave Coleman. He spent most of the last decade building up his
:22:49. > :22:53.strength to further discuss. Now his aim is to propel a sled down a
:22:53. > :22:59.slope. He jumped at the opportunity to give the bobsleigh ago. I am
:22:59. > :23:03.terrified. There is nothing you can do or say or anything that will
:23:03. > :23:09.prepare you for the GeForce, the speed, the timings, breathing, all
:23:09. > :23:17.sorts. It is quite an addictive thing. You want to do more and more
:23:17. > :23:22.and go quicker. This time last year, he was teaching at a school and now
:23:22. > :23:25.he will try to impress in the upcoming World Cup season.
:23:25. > :23:30.Same—macro we always ask how he is getting on. You always think it is
:23:30. > :23:39.somebody else but we have seen them on TV and it is somebody that we
:23:39. > :23:44.know. Dave isn't the only athlete making a successful conversion to
:23:44. > :23:49.the bobsleigh. Craig Pickering, the crawly sprinter, has always made
:23:49. > :24:01.this —— has also made the switch. —— P Crawley sprinter. It is a weird
:24:01. > :24:06.situation to be in. He is a rival competing for the same spot. He ——
:24:06. > :24:16.it is a mentally tough thing to be doing. A few more sessions here and
:24:16. > :24:24.then it is off to the snow and ice. He is a strong lad.
:24:25. > :24:42.Now for a look at the weather. We have some heavy rain on the way.
:24:42. > :24:45.Today, there was a little bit of brightness and the temperatures are
:24:45. > :24:54.still above average for this time of the year. We have these
:24:54. > :24:58.southeasterly breezes with us. There is the chance that you could see the
:24:58. > :25:04.odd isolated shower. Most of us could be staying dry. It is a dull
:25:04. > :25:08.story out there. There will be some outbreaks of rain but many of us
:25:08. > :25:17.stay dry overnight. Temperatures staying in double figures. Another
:25:17. > :25:26.mild nights. Tomorrow, it is rather overcast. We have high pulling
:25:26. > :25:30.away. It is not bringing you much in terms of rain but there is more
:25:30. > :25:34.cloud around. We might start to see some breaks in the cloud that there
:25:34. > :25:39.is still plenty of it around and temperatures are feeling fresher.
:25:39. > :25:46.Tomorrow, highs of 18 Celsius. That is around average for the time of
:25:46. > :25:51.year. As we go through tomorrow evening, we have some clearer skies
:25:51. > :25:56.for a time. There is quite a bit of cloud cover. Overnight temperatures
:25:56. > :26:05.dropping to 30 and Celsius. Some places will see temperatures are
:26:05. > :26:12.around 50 Celsius. There is a weather front pushing up from the
:26:12. > :26:22.south—west. —— temperatures are around 15 Celsius. It will feel
:26:22. > :26:23.fresher with some sunshine around. Temperatures are around average for
:26:23. > :26:33.the weekend. Let's recap tonight's top stories.
:26:33. > :26:36.The Labour leader Ed Miliband is standing firm on his promise to
:26:36. > :26:39.freeze gas and electricity prices for 20 months if he winds the next
:26:39. > :26:49.election, insisting it's not an attack on business. —— if he wins
:26:49. > :26:53.the next election. A woman who was viciously attacked
:26:53. > :26:56.by her boyfriend during a night out says she was convinced she was going
:26:56. > :27:00.to die. Litisha Henry from Chatham has spoken out to urge other victims
:27:00. > :27:09.of domestic abuse not to suffer in silence. Simon Jones is in chat
:27:09. > :27:15.tonight. How has the force responded tonight? The police are sympathetic.
:27:15. > :27:20.Ann Barnes says drink—driving cases can be dealt with by the courts in
:27:20. > :27:24.under a week and she feels domestic violence cases are allowed to drag
:27:24. > :27:29.on and occasionally the victims decide not to go forward. Her case
:27:29. > :27:33.took around six months and she was happy with how she was dealt with
:27:33. > :27:38.and the piece argues in her case on their own YouTube channel to
:27:38. > :27:43.persuade others to come forward. I will be back at 1025. Goodbye. ——
:27:43. > :27:44.10:25pm.