17/03/2017 South East Today

Tonight's top stories. so it's goodbye from me

Battle of wills - brothers left ?200,000 out of pocket

after contesting their father's will leaving money

I was sorry it ever had to come to court. I tried mediation, but they

were not willing to partake in that. The man accused of murdering

Shana Grice tells the court he discovered her body, then went

to check his lottery ticket. Medway NHS Foundation Trust is now

taking our measures. CHEERING

It was the worst hospital in the country, but now

Running short - thousands of personal bests are being scrapped

because the Brighton half marathon wasn't long enough.

We're live in the city with the story.

And the sweetheart reaches her century -

preparations for Dame Vera Lynn's 100th birthday on Monday.

Two brothers, who have been ordered to pay ?200,000

in legal fees over a battle to block their step mother

from inheriting an extra ?25,000, have been branded "hopeless"

Richard and Jonathan Powell were angry that their father's final

will increased the amount to go to his second wife.

They claimed that an earlier document,

in which their step-mother would have received less money,

But now a judge has ruled against the brothers,

the legal bills wipe out their entire inheritance.

The attempt by Richard and Jonathan Halliwell to solve their stepmother

getting an extra ?25,000 under their father's will was hopeless, the

judge said. -- Powell. Now the judges, brothers have been ordered

to pay the entire ?200,000 legal bill, leaving them without a penny

of their inheritance. Back at home near Canterbury, Emma Wilson Powell

said she was sorry the settlement came to court. I am really sorry

about it. I'm sad it came to court. I just wish they hadn't taken that

course. Rigid and Jonathan Powell said a document which granted their

stepmother ?100,000 was their father's massive troop will, not the

final one created 18 months later, giving her an extra ?25,000. The

brothers claim their disabled dad David did not understand what he was

doing when you need it. The court, case went to court and the judge

ruled in favour of Mrs Williamson Powell. Today, the brothers were

ordered to pick up the entire ?200,000 legal bill. Certainly on

the face of it, they sought to establish that their father was not

capable when he made the well into thousand and eight and 2009. The

judge held otherwise. Elsa Williamson-Powell's husband died

after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Jihadis a lot of physical

disabilities but he did not lose mental capacity. -- he had a bottle.

Court is very difficult for this, it is very expensive and no one will

feel like they have came out a winner, regardless of results,

because it's very emotionally distressing for all sides and this

case is an example of that. This afternoon, I contacted the legal

team representing Jonathan and Richard Powell, but they have chosen

not to comment. The man accused of murdering

teenager Shana Grice told a jury today that he went into shock

at seeing her dead, which is why he didn't call 999,

but instead went to a newsagents Shana Grice was found dead

in her home in Portslade Pathologist reports showed she died

from an incision would to her neck. 27-year-old Michael Lane

admitted to the the court that he did go into Shana's house

on the morning of her death - but said that had

found her already dead. Michael Lane admitted

today he had gone to Shana Grice's home

on the morning of her murder but said

he panicked after discovering her He went home, had a shower

and then went to a newsagent Defence barrister

Simon Russell Flint said You had just in your

girlfriend dead on her bed. Michael Lane said,

because I did not want Mr Lane told the court

he was in a state of shock. Worried that he might be implicated,

he threw away some of the clothes he had been

wearing at the time, He said today, I didn't

know what to do and I didn't want to

get the blame for it. By this stage, it was really too

late to tell anyone. Mr Lane denied stalking

Shana but did admit putting an electronic

tracker on her car. Today, the court heard that police

had been contacted about Michael Lane's behaviour no fewer

than five times in the months In February 2016,

Michael Lane was warned after Shana told police

he was stalking her. In March, he was arrested

for an alleged assault on her. No further action was taken

by officers and Shana herself In July, Mr Lane was reported

to police three times. On one occasion, stealing

Shana's house key and For that, he was given

a formal police caution. Piers is outside Lewes

Crown Court for us now. Piers, Michael Lane also talked

about his mental health? Yes, he admitted he had suffered

from depression and said that in April last year, yet it is suicide,

taking an overdose of paracetamol following the death of his

grandfather. He said that in August last year, having split up with

Shana Grice, he contemplated suicide again, saying he went to a service

station to buy a can of petrol, but had a change of heart and decided

not to go ahead with it and threw it away. He denied that the petrol has

been used to set fire to Shana 's bedroom.

The rise in the number of drivers on drugs caught by police

It was branded the worst hospital in the country.

The Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham was placed in special

measures in 2013 because patients were dying needlessly.

Almost four years later and the hospital has finally come

The Care Quality Commission said significant improvements

in quality and safety had been made following an inspection last year -

although the Trust still requires improvements.

Our health correspondent, Mark Norman, was the only reporter

allowed into the hospital to hear staff being told the news.

After 41 months in special measures and four months waiting for this

report, hundreds of Medway Maritime staff fill the canteen late

Medway NHS Foundation Trust is now taken

I'm thrilled not just for me, not for

our staff, but actually more thrilled that our community can now

have confidence in the services that we provide.

There's an awful lot more to do, there's nothing in that

The hospital's rating has gone from inadequate to

The Care Quality Commission say they're making steady

progress, but the red on this chart shows the number of

inadequate ratings it had at its last inspection,

No red and, in fact, one outstanding.

What we see now is quite a dramatic turnaround.

It's a remarkable piece of work by the team there.

What we have now is we have a trust that really manages well

We are seeing a dramatically improved emergency

department and, above all else, we see the clear and well-documented

But the CQC does highlight concerns over

staffing levels in A, the need to improve some fire safety

measures and problems with men and women having to share wards.

But if the CQC still have concerns, they have praised the

commitment and hard work of the staff.

That commitment's been backed by investment and that is an

?80 million redevelopment of the emergency department.

For them to perform fully, they need resources.

Therefore, the A capacity has been increased to ensure they are able to

cater for the population that they are supposed to cover for.

No doubt if they need more resources, we'll work with

And the man who gives those resources,

Four years ago, he was saying this about Medway...

An organisation with long-standing difficulties,

care failures and high mortality rate going back to 2005.

Today, he sent the staff this message...

I just want to say a massive congratulations to everyone who

You were never, ever put into special measures

because of a lack of commitment from the staff.

Which is a sentiment greeted warmly by the

they will be reinspecting the hospital within the next

During that time frame, the Chief Executive said she wants to

So what does the hospital need to do to continue to improve?

The Care Quality Commission's inspectors highlighted

a need for increased staffing levels in A and maternity,

and they must ensure male and female patients don't have to share wards.

The trust chairman agrees they have a long way to go.

If I can express it like this - the team have managed

manage the peace, because what we want to end up is, in the not too

distant future, to be an outstanding hospital.

I feel very confident that the clinicians and people -

like porters, domestics, receptionist, all the rest

of the staff here - are

absolutely focused on making sure that this trust is one of the best.

Our health correspondent Mark joins us now.

Mark, does the situation at Medway have wider implications for the NHS?

I think it absolutely does. Firstly, staff morale. 4500 staff having a

great day today. Other hospitals under special measures will have

this as well, like Brighton. Think of the patients going into Medway

next week, they will be much happier going in than they might have been

yesterday. The NHS is also looking at the next five years. It is what

services are offered, where they are offered and the best outcomes for

patients. A strong Medway Maritime hospital out of special measures

will play a huge part in those plans are the next five years in Kent and

Medway. Thank you. For more of our exclusive video

and analysis on this story, head to our Kent live

page at bbc.co.uk/kent. Members of the RMT union

on Southern Rail say they'll walk-out for 24 hours

on the 4th of April. It's the latest strike

in the ongoing dispute over the role The union says it would reconsider

its action if it's guaranteed talks Southern says that during the most

recent strike, it ran 90% The Brighton Half Marathon has been

mired in controversy after it emerged that the course

was 146 metres short. The winner of this year's event says

it's left her angry and upset, because it puts her place

as an elite entrant into the London The error came to light

after a number of runners - many of whom got personal bests

on the day - found their GPS watches showed they hadn't

run a full 13.1 miles. Juliette Parkin is in

Brighton for us now. This is a major sport event that

raises huge amounts for charity. It seems extraordinary

they could have made such a mistake. Well, yes. And it's not the first

time, so it would seem. Back in 2012, it is alleged that the course

was too long and now, for the past three years, too short. Why should

we care? Welcome athletes train very hard for these events. For one elite

athlete who travelled all the way from Cornwall to run, there was a

what writing on this race. Finishes that this year's Brighton

have marathon, but despite their efforts, it would appear they didn't

go quite the distance, even Fat Boy Slim shaved time off

his personal best. Some predict the race

is about 150 metres short. If you're going to measure

a course for 13.1 miles, it Yes, some people

aren't that followed -- bothered, and, to be

honest, if you're enjoying metres isn't that

much of a big deal. But for a lot of people,

it does make a difference. For top athletes, like

Eleanor Davies, who won the women's race in a course

record and personal best. Qualifying her for early

entry into the London I've been training

for a long time as I targeted that race

in particular to do a fast half marathon and now that result

doesn't mean anything. It means as much as a

multi-terrain half marathon. We broke the news to amateur

runners How do you feel about the fact it

might have been a little bit I don't care much about whether it's

too long or qualifying I think they are disappointed

but, at the end of the day, if they had fun,

That's the main thing. I suppose it's not cheap, so I feel

possibly a bit short-changed. Starting on Madeira Drive,

the Brighton Half Marathon course takes in many

of the city's key sites. It's alleged that the

easterly turn point was not adjusted after changes

were made to the start line. Event organisers,

the Sussex Beacon, a local charity, said they are working

with UK athletics to investigate Not a major issue

for many fun runners, but for elite athletes, potentially

a career changing mistake. net loss against over 8000 finishers

this year. A lot of them were raising money for charity and just

finishing what an achievement. Others will be awaiting the results

of that investigation to find out if their lifetime bests were indeed

valid. It's quarter to seven,

this is our top story tonight: Two brothers have been

ordered to pay ?200,000 in legal fees after they contested

their father's will. Richard and Jonathan Powell lost

their argument that their stepmother should receive an extra

?25,000 - their ?125,000 inheritance will now

have to pay court costs. Ditchling's most famous resident,

Dame Vera Lynn, prepares And after a sunny, spring wheat,

with highs of 15 Celsius, it is all change. I'll have the details for

you later in the forecast. Two years ago this month,

new drug-driving laws came into effect, along

with the introduction of roadside In the first year using the law,

police in Kent and Sussex But last year, that

number almost doubled. Now a family who campaigned

for the legislation want harsher Peter and Pamela Sanders, from

Eastbourne, campaigned for the new Their grand daughter,

14-year-old Lillian Groves, was knocked down by a driver

who'd admitted using cannabis before I feel really angry and upset

that, obviously, our granddaughter has been away

from us because of someone If he had been tested at the scene,

well, he would have been Now, we have that law

out there, it is out Lillian was killed in

2010 when roadside drug Since then, the number of arrests

has more than doubled in Kent, In Sussex, arrests

have increased from Kent Police showed me

just how a roadside drug I'll just pop it

on the device there. I think it's fair to say this

is a massive improvement in the equipment that we've

got available to us. It can't be tolerated and I think

we need to recognise it. If someone does have an accident and

doesn't kill themselves, but kills someone else, they can be looking

at up to 14 years imprisonment. The roadside test for

cannabis and cocaine is now in widespread use

across Kent and Sussex. Officers will carry out the test

if they suspect that a driver They know it's showing

positive if a second red line appears alongside either

one of these two red The levels are set deliberately

low so that if you have drugs in your body over the legal

limit, whether your driving is impaired or not,

the offence is committed. Mr and Mrs Sanders haven't

stopped campaigning. They are now trying to courage

the Government to impose longer prison sentences for those

caught drug driving. Dame Vera Lynn celebrates her 100th

birthday on Monday. During the second world

war, she became known as the "forces sweetheart"

and her tireless efforts to lift the spirits of the allied troops led

to her being loved by generations of soldiers and

civilians ever since. For the last 60 years, she's

made her home in the East Sussex village of Ditching -

but on Saturday, it's the London's Palladium

where her extraordinary life will be celebrated with a very

special birthday concert. There are many, any artist in fact

whose career spanned so many decades. It is longevity that has

given Dame Vera Lynn such a place in people's hearts. Providing comfort

for millions during the dark days of war. She said she was only doing her

job, she had to do a job during the war and that was her job,

entertaining people and keeping their morale up. That's why she was

travelling all over the place. She's very thrilled that people still

remember her. In an interview to the edge tomorrow, she remembers one

singing teacher's reaction to the young Vera. When she heard me sing,

she said no, I can't train that voice, it is not natural. For some,

it is not her singing that stand out, but her charity. She is a

patron of this charity, for children with cerebral palsy. It was thanks

to her getting involved in the first place to set the charity, to ensure

that the early intervention service continued within West Sussex.

Absolutely vital. She used to come into the service very regularly and

the NXT repair of hands. Tomorrow, they'll be celebrating her

life in entertainment at the Palladium. This lady was part of a

damage to performed in the 70s that every forms to take part. -- dance

troupe. Everyone knows her, she's always in the public eye and a new

television. It's a real honour for us to be asked to do it. Here in

Ditchling, they are all keen to say happy birthday. Have her life, she

has been here, with her late husband, an integral part of the

history and modern history of the village. Vera Lynn's no longer

things, but the songs she sang will always been so much to so many.

Sara Smith joins us now from Ditchling War Memorial -

Sara, we understand Dame Vera herself won't be able to attend

Now, she won't, because she no longer makes public appearances but

her family will be there to represent her and she will get to

watch, back home at Ditchling, a film that is being made of the show.

Until recently, she was a very active member of life here in

Ditchling, leading the parade to the ballroom oriel every Remembrance

Sunday. While she is unable to make a personal hearings on her birthday,

she hurt and it certainly will be. If field and 50 foot portrait is

being projected onto, where else? The white cliffs of Dover.

Fantastic, we will look out for that. How appropriate. Absolutely.

It contains some of the most deprived areas of the south east -

but today, East Kent have been celebrating after it's been

announced they'll be getting ?1.5million worth of lottery

funding to invest in arts, culture and heritage.

East Kent has been selected as one of 16 pioneering

Margate's Turner Contemporary will be leading the regeneration

project - with children in Ramsgate providing the inspiration.

Peter Whitlesea joins us live now from Ramsgate,

Peter, what has the reaction been from today?

Is everyone excited about this? For a while, there has been a building

sense of resentment that, when it comes to public money, Margate has

more than its fair share. Here, there has been a sense that, at

least now, imbalances being addressed. This rather puzzling

beauty inspired many paintings, but when it comes to regeneration, the

talent has always fallen behind. Now it will get artwork of its own.

It'll be good for Rams gave to have. Yes. The money could be spent on

other things. Even though I didn't agree with it when they first built

it, now you can see the benefits. Grant aid will get a slice of ?1.5

million, earmarked for art schemes in east Kent. The project will be

overseen by Turner contemporary in Margate. There will be an artist

commissioned to create a new work and it will increase would fall to

Ramsgate harbour, which is already a wonderful place. It will increase

would fall and we hope it will generate lots of other positive

benefits for the Trinity. Since then a contemporary's grand

opening, it has generated more than ?50 million for the Kent economy.

Attracting 2.3 million visitors with 72 new businesses opening in Margate

since 2013. Ramsgate's tourist related industries have asked can

have the same impact here. I think an art project for Ramsgate is

fantastic. We all love Turner and we are very jealous it is over in

Margate, Valley Road, not here. We want to see more professional in

Ramsgate to up our game with the whole arts and leisure industry

here. The turn of fate has convinced many in fact that art can drive

regeneration. Critics believe one artwork can only make a limited

impact on Ramsgate. -- Thanet. Further investment is required. In

total, there will be for artworks throughout east Kent. The one we

will be chosen by local children and will be installed in the Royal

Harbour. It is hoped it will be a focal point for the town. Peter,

thank you very much. Now, let's check

in with the weather. I think Spring is definitely over,

isn't it? Spring is ever? Heavens. It will be back, just not this

weekend, unfortunately. Athlete, temperatures in the top teams. Our

top computer was 19 Celsius integrates an intense. But they few

days later, our top temperatures today were around 10-11dC. Staying

around those values as we head towards the weekend. The trend is,

wind is picking up, low pressure in control of things, not quite a

wash-out but there will be rain at times. The good news is, the third

AGR, some sunshine around. 10-11dC is the average for the time of year.

-- the further east you are. Some rain, not heavy, lots of cloud

around. Staying briefly. Temperatures quite heavy for the

time of year, only dropping out to around 7-8dC. Quite mild as they

start the day for Saturday. Again, there will be some rain first thing.

We will see that potentially throughout the morning,

particularly. As you can tell, a breezy picture. Wind is picking up,

15-20 mph. By the afternoon, seeing some breaks in the cloud cover. For

the most part, some, a really dull day. Nothing like the blue sky they

saw a few days ago. Top temperatures for Saturday, 12 Celsius. Feeling

cooler when you see most of that train and, with those westerly

winds. On Saturday, not dropping much. Overnight lows of around 6-7dC

in more rural spots. A mild start to the day in some places along the

coast, not dropping below double figures too much. In Sunday, there

will be a lot of cloud, it but a lot more brightness in spells as well.

Temperatures creeping up to 13 Celsius, trimming wet and windy as

they go into Monday. Scattered showers. The long-term forecast,

Sunshine will return eventually. It will be coming back. It's not over.

Don't be sold cystic foot. It will be all right. We will be back at

8pm. And then at 10:25pm. Have It was the most beautiful view

I've ever been through. For one second, I was swimming on my

back, and I was looking to the sky. I was swimming across

the Aegean Sea. I was a refugee,

going from Syria to Germany. This is my life, my career!

I did not frame him. This is my life, my career!

I did not frame him.