25/09/2013 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Bryony MacKenzie. And I'm Rob Smith.

Tonight's top stories. She thought she was going to die — a victim of

domestic violence urges others to speak out before it's too late. I

just thought that he was doing all he could to hurt me and I thought he

was going to kill me. Not safe for staff or patients — evidence from

the manager at a Sussex care home where there were 19 unexplained

deaths. We've got the latest from the inquest in Horsham.

Also in tonight's programme: The fight to control Margate's historic

Dreamland theme park goes to the Court of Appeal.

Filling in the gaps — the council workers who painted short yellow

lines between parked cars. Still got the spikes — but using

them on snow. The discus thrower who could now have a shot at the winter

Olympics. Good evening. A woman who was

viciously attacked by her boyfriend during a night out, dragged by the

hair and repeatedly punched says she was convinced she was going to die.

As her attacker begins a six year jail sentence, Litisha Henry from

Chatham has spoken out to urge other victims of domestic abuse not to

suffer in silence. But tonight, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner

Ann Barnes has admitted it's taking too long to get offenders to court.

You may find some of the images in Simon Jones' report distressing.

A couple of hours after this picture was taken, Franklin White left

Letisha Henry looking like this. I don't remember how many times he

punched me but I remember repeatedly being punched. I fell to the ground

twice. He dragged me along by my hair and I physically couldn't get

up. I was in pain all over. I just thought he was doing all he could to

hurt me and I thought it was going to kill me. It was after leaving

this club that Franklin White set upon her wrongly accusing her of

seeing someone else. She was initially fearful of telling the

police the truth about what he had done until officers reassured her.

There are high profile campaigns to get victims to come forward but

Kent's police commissioner says it could take months for cases to come

to court. They have taken a lot of courage to do this, so let's try and

fast—track them through the criminal justice system. There will always be

delays in the court process. We have to manage that process as best as we

can. We have a special worker looking at domestic violence to

ensure they safe. We keep our communication with the victim all

the way through to the end and beyond. Letisha Henry is in no doubt

about what she feels her attacker. Hopeful, the pain that he has caused

me and my family. Hatred is, I hate him. Do you feel people should speak

out? Definitely. Speak out and the police will help you. Her message is

victims should not feel alone. The manager of a Sussex care home where

there were a string of unexplained deaths says elderly residents were

not safe because there insufficient staff. An inquest is

investigating 19 deaths at the Orchid View care home in Copthorne,

near Crawley. This afternoon, former manager Meera

Reed, from Tunbridge Wells, denied tampering with evidence or giving an

order that documents should be shredded. Our Home Affairs

Correspondent Colin Campbell joins us from Horsham, where the inquest

is taking place. Was Meera Reed an experienced manager Colin? Meera

Reed have been a qualified nurse but had never been in charge of a care

home for the elderly until she was made a manager of Orchid View in

Copthorne in Crawley. He was a brand—new care home and she was

given the job of getting it up and running but also employing other

staff. During her evidence today culture claimed she was given very

little guidance and culture claimed she was given very

training from senior managers. Meera Reed said she had no training in

setting up a care home for the elderly but was put in charge of

Orchid View in 2009. She says she lacks the support from her

employers. She was asked by the coroner if the ratio of staff to

residence Southern Cross had in his budget was too low?

The inquest is examining the unexplained deaths of 19 residence

at home. Jean halfpenny's family believe she was —— Edi because she

was given the wrong medicine whilst staying there. They say that she

ordered the shredding of documents belonging to Jean Halfpenny after

she died. She was asked if hand written medical notes were written

to cover up an overdose given to her. They placed their mother into a

care home because they thought that was the best place for her and she

would be care for —— cared for properly. As it happens, it seems

she wasn't cared for at the standard they were expecting. Meera Reed said

she was unable to investigate the death because she was too busy.

Meera Reed says the company forbid her from hiring staff at times of

staff shortages. She had to beg people to come to work at the care

home. The inquest is expected to last two to three weeks and will

resume on Friday. last two to three weeks and will

In a moment the former Bishop of Rochester appeals for Pakistan to do

more to protect Christians after 80 die in a terrorist bombing.

The fight to control Margate's historic Dreamland theme park has

been taken to the Court of Appeal today. The derelict site has been

awarded to Thanet District Council under a compulsory purchase order

scheme, but the previous landowners want that decision to be reversed.

They say the council will not be able to afford to re—open the site

as a heritage park, filled with vintage attractions.

This is Dreamland today. The looters have been hard at work but the only

other people making money out of the place seem to be the lawyers. The

battle is over who could make the best of it. Developers with plans

for rides and housing or the council which plans inherited theme park.

Dreamland closed ten years ago and was sold two years later. In 2008,

the listed scenic Railway was a target of an arsonist —— an arson

attack. Now the council has taken it over. Now all parties are back at

the Court of Appeal to see if that order should stand. It will be worth

it. It is a gaping hole in the middle of Margate seafront. It has

been that way for a decade now and something needs to be done. It has

been a long haul but it is worth it. The Dreamland trust would look at

the scheme. They say the plans don't add up and the money is just not

there. Same—macro the local authority is spending in a way they

don't understand and we don't think their plans are safe financially.

The key is at the end of the day, market has to be regenerated and

they need the schemes that can ensure. For more than 80 years,

Dreamland was at the part of Margate, the tourist destination.

The old pleasure park does need a regenerating. The council says the

only way to kick—start that work is taking it from the developers by

force. We have lost patience with them. The council cross—party has

taken the decision that we needed to take control of the situation and

that is what we have done. Whatever side wins the fight, it is hoped

Margate won't lose out. Sara joins us live from the Court of Appeal.

What happens if the previous owners win their case?

The site has been handed over to the council and handed over to the

Dreamland trust which will implement those plans. They say they have a

better chance of succeeding. If another company loses this bed, they

could get... The judges today have preserved their judgement so we

won't get the decision for several weeks to come.

Detectives investigating the discovery of one of Britain's

largest cannabis factories have released an image of a man they want

to question. 6,000 plants, with a street value of up to £4 million

were found last month inside a former county council building in

Dartford. Kent Police want to speak to a 37—year—old Italian known as

Stefan Nardi who may also use other names.

The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion has been charged with breaching a

police order and obstructing the highway during anti—fracking

demonstrations. Caroline Lucas arrested last month in the West

Sussex village of Balcombe. She'll appear before magistrates in

October. The national leader of the Fire

Brigades Union joined striking firefighters on a picket line in

Brighton this afternoon, during a walk—out over pensions. Firefighters

in Kent, Sussex and Surrey took part in industrial action from midday

until 4pm, claiming the Government's planned changes will put safety at

risk. But some MPs say it's the unions who are leaving the public in

danger. It is an emergency service and people's lives may depend on it.

It is unreasonable that there should be other back—up to replace them if

they decide to read —— withdraw their labour. They have had a

reasonable deal from this government. Piers Hopkirk joins us

live in Brighton. At 4pm this afternoon, the pickets

packed up, the firefighters returned to their stations here and across

Kent and Sussex and they returned to work but not so in Surrey. Their

firefighters were told not to come back to work until tomorrow and they

were docked a day's jefe going on strike. Their roles were taken over

by private contractors. —— they were docked a day's pay. Do you believe

you have public support today given that you weren't answering their

cause? Yes, we do. People were hooting their horns and people

wanted to talk and take leaflets and wanted to sign petitions. We had

good public support. Many people would say that you are being offered

a very generous pension deal, amongst the best in the public

sector. Are you being greedy given the state of public finances? That

is an unfair claim by government. Most of the firefighters are on the

skin that closed in 2006. The government knew the costs would

escalate scheme but six years later they made another grab it. They have

introduced a new scheme the 20 15th that is totally unworkable. They

have got their figures wrong and the retirement age wrong. They need to

go back to the drawing board and get back to talking to us. You called

this a shot across the bells have you the right to make a full

dispute? We have full dispute. The firefighters walked out and are

prepared to fight for their pension scheme.

As you see there, the search goes on for a resolution. The entrepreneur

Lord Sugar has lost his fight to recover legal costs from a former

winner of his hit TV show, the Apprentice. Stella English from

Whitstable took the businessman to an industrial tribunal

Some of the lines long. The local council says

contractors will return within a fortnight to fill in the gaps.

Puzzled and perplexed by the yellow lines that appeared in the middle of

the night. Residents wondered why the council would paint lines that

are just 52 inches long. They were here at night. There were cars

parked in the place. They have gone over drains which is ludicrous. I

don't know what else to say. I have never seen anything by —— so

shocking. How do they compare with others. Two years ago in Brighton,

lines measuring 36 inches were painted. They were the smallest

double yellow lines measuring 31 inches. The shortage —— the shorters

are from nine years ago. No one was available for comment today but they

did say they carried out this work on behalf of Kent county council.

They said they are unable to request motorists not to park in an area

when work is due to stop parents picking up their children whether

yellow lines have been painted things working around vehicles is a

stupid policy. It is pathetic. They could have done it with a single

line. Horrendous. They should put signs up to stop people from parking

there. It is ridiculous. Either do the whole lot or none. Swale Borough

Council says it will be back within two weeks to finish the job which

begs the questions from residents, wouldn't it have been easier and

cheaper to do the job properly in the first place. ——?

This is our top story tonight: A woman who was viciously attacked by

her boyfriend during a night out says she was convinced she was going

to die. As her attacker begins a six—year jail sentence, Litisha

Henry from Chatham has spoken out to urge other victims of domestic abuse

not to suffer in silence. Also in tonight's programme:

Painstaking restoration — one of the biggest collection of Victorian

glasshouses in the country gets a make over in Kent.

A change of discipline, a change of season and a change of Olympics. The

discus thrower now looking for a medal in bobsleigh.

If you have a story you think we should be covering on South East

Today, we'd like to hear from you. The former Bishop of Rochester, Dr

Michael Nazir—Ali, has urged the Pakistani government to do more to

protect the country's Christian minority. It follows a terrorist

attack at a church there on Sunday that killed at least 80 worshippers.

Tonight, Christians at an East Sussex charity with close ties to

the church in Peshawar say their thoughts and prayers are with the

victims and their families. Ian Palmer has tonight's Special Report.

Murdered for being a Christian in Pakistan. Last Sunday to suicide

bombers detonated their devices outside the Anglican Church in

Peshawwar leaving pounds without children, children without parents

and entire families wiped out. This man works for the Christian charity

here. Charity workers say the 60—year—old is very lucky to have

escaped with his life. He said he heard a blast and he was putting on

his shirt. The blast knocked him off as feat. There were two blasts and

he said when he came out, I quote, he said he couldn't speak. He said

there were bodies everywhere, women, children, body parts, half of my

congregation is gone. The atrocity in Pakistan is the latest bloody

attack against Christians in recent times. Christians in Syria had to

take refuge from mortar attacks a few weeks ago. Christians in Egypt

were also targeted by extremists. In Nigeria, declaring your Christian

faith can mysteriously damage your welfare. The former Bishop of

Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir—Ali says Christians and other minorities

should be protected like Muslims were in the Balkans in the 1990s.

The question now is will there be some international protection for

Christian and other minorities in the Middle East? I think there is a

very strong case for this now. It is great that they were protected in

the north of Iraq, but who is going to protect the Christians? Today the

Archbishop of Canterbury has also added his voice. He says those

killed in the blast in Pakistan should be treated as martyrs. The

rhetoric, a reminder to those expressing one's faith can carve at

a heavy price. —— can come at a heavy price.

If you think of a commercial greenhouse these days, then gigantic

industrial sheds spring to mind, all science and technology, where plants

are drip fed nutrients and the last thing you need is a spade. But there

is a place in Kent keeping an older tradition alive — that of the

Victorian Glasshouse — where they do grow plants in actual soil. Claudia

Sermbezis has been to the Walled Nursery at Hawkhurst, where they're

working hard to keep the old buildings in use.

These 13 glasshouses once grew exotic fruits. Melons, peaches,

grapes, fruits the Victorian owners could boast about. The lady of the

house would come into the Coronation house. This is where they grew cut

flowers for the house. It was quite the norm for the Lady of the house

to come in and tell them she was wearing a rose coloured dress. The

woman would have to find flowers to match the lady's dress. Charles

Guenther bought the estate in 1804 and he had a keen eye on food and

created one of the best—known brands. —— 1904. Charles Guenther

employed nine men. Surplus food and flowers went to the local hospital.

Today this is the most important glasshouse. This starts planned ——

start off here from seeds or plant. It gives you an insight into

culture and the importance of horticulture for the Victorians and

into the present day. They are unique. If we don't save these, no

one else is going to. Free and open to the public, for the glasshouses

to survive, they need to earn their keep. They are very fragile and you

can't ignore them. You constantly need to be prior —— repairing them.

It's glasshouse earns their keeper because we felt them up with plants

which we grow here and the revenue from that goes back into the

glasshouses. The Davis family are working hard for them to be

remembered and admired, not to be left to rot.

18 months ago Tonbridge athlete Dave Coleman was dreaming of a place at

the London Olympics throwing the discus.

The 27—year—old narrowly missed out but in a dramatic twist of fortune,

he's now in with a great chance of making the Bobsleigh team for the

Winter Olympics in Russia. Lifting huge weights is nothing new

for Dave Coleman. He spent most of the last decade building up his

strength to further discuss. Now his aim is to propel a sled down a

slope. He jumped at the opportunity to give the bobsleigh ago. I am

terrified. There is nothing you can do or say or anything that will

prepare you for the GeForce, the speed, the timings, breathing, all

sorts. It is quite an addictive thing. You want to do more and more

and go quicker. This time last year, he was teaching at a school and now

he will try to impress in the upcoming World Cup season.

Same—macro we always ask how he is getting on. You always think it is

somebody else but we have seen them on TV and it is somebody that we

know. Dave isn't the only athlete making a successful conversion to

the bobsleigh. Craig Pickering, the crawly sprinter, has always made

this —— has also made the switch. —— P Crawley sprinter. It is a weird

situation to be in. He is a rival competing for the same spot. He ——

it is a mentally tough thing to be doing. A few more sessions here and

then it is off to the snow and ice. He is a strong lad.

Now for a look at the weather. We have some heavy rain on the way.

Today, there was a little bit of brightness and the temperatures are

still above average for this time of the year. We have these

southeasterly breezes with us. There is the chance that you could see the

odd isolated shower. Most of us could be staying dry. It is a dull

story out there. There will be some outbreaks of rain but many of us

stay dry overnight. Temperatures staying in double figures. Another

mild nights. Tomorrow, it is rather overcast. We have high pulling

away. It is not bringing you much in terms of rain but there is more

cloud around. We might start to see some breaks in the cloud that there

is still plenty of it around and temperatures are feeling fresher.

Tomorrow, highs of 18 Celsius. That is around average for the time of

year. As we go through tomorrow evening, we have some clearer skies

for a time. There is quite a bit of cloud cover. Overnight temperatures

dropping to 30 and Celsius. Some places will see temperatures are

around 50 Celsius. There is a weather front pushing up from the

south—west. —— temperatures are around 15 Celsius. It will feel

fresher with some sunshine around. Temperatures are around average for

the weekend. Let's recap tonight's top stories.

The Labour leader Ed Miliband is standing firm on his promise to

freeze gas and electricity prices for 20 months if he winds the next

election, insisting it's not an attack on business. —— if he wins

the next election. A woman who was viciously attacked

by her boyfriend during a night out says she was convinced she was going

to die. Litisha Henry from Chatham has spoken out to urge other victims

of domestic abuse not to suffer in silence. Simon Jones is in chat

tonight. How has the force responded tonight? The police are sympathetic.

Ann Barnes says drink—driving cases can be dealt with by the courts in

under a week and she feels domestic violence cases are allowed to drag

on and occasionally the victims decide not to go forward. Her case

took around six months and she was happy with how she was dealt with

and the piece argues in her case on their own YouTube channel to

persuade others to come forward. I will be back at 1025. Goodbye. ——

10:25pm.