20/03/2017 South East Today

He said he lied and lied to police because he panicked,

the man accused of murdering a Sussex teenager takes the stand.

She was sent explicit pictures by her football coach when she was 12,

coach when she was 12, now she's for calling for the law

It is important for sex offenders to be registered for life. Two years is

not long enough at all. For your tomorrow, we gave our

today. A veteran of Japanese Prisoner of

War camps is awarded replacement medals,

after his were stolen And a rare carving which belonged

to Ann of Cleeves, Henry VIII's fourth wife, on display

at Hever Castle. The mother of three young boys has

died after being hit by a car on the pavement

on Battle High Street. She was pushing her baby son

in a pram when a car mounted the pavement,

crushing her against the front Her husband and children have bee

released from hospital The couple's two other sons are also

understood to be staying The driver of the car

has been tested to see if they had been drinking.

Peter Whittlesea reports. The floral tributes and words

of sorrow are an insight into the shared sense of grief felt

in Battle today. One by one, tearful mothers

from the local school came here to pay their perspectives,

having the difficult task of explaining to their own children

the tragic events that At the Baptist Church After School

Club, there was a sense of shock That one family who comes here has

lost a mother. The boys come to

our after-school club. I think there's real shock

and sadness for the family. As I understand it,

they're a very close family. But I'm sure people will gather

around them, will want to show support in their time when it's

appropriate, in a way that can bring real comfort and support,

that in a small community that's Eyewitnesses visiting Battle

from Oxfordshire explained what happened after the car

was in collision with the family, and how they tried

to comfort the three children while their parents

were receiving medical treatment. It's so sad for the poor boys,

because they were being so brave He was really trying

to hold it together. And yeah, it's just so awful

that they lose their mum. She was grabbing me,

then she'd wake up, and the only thing she was asking

for were her kids and her husband. And today, the police have

renewed their appeal for witnesses. We have a duty now to the coroner

and the family to establish exactly what happened and what went

wrong yesterday afternoon. And we, as part of the enquiry,

will talk to the driver in due course, and also to any witnesses

who saw what happened yesterday afternoon,

which will include taking It's believed the father

of the family is well enough to leave hospital and will be

reunited with his children tonight. Peter, what's the latest

on the investigation? Throughout today, police officers

have been in Battle continuing the investigation. It mainly hinges on

what happened to the car, and they are asking anyone that saw it before

the collision to contact them immediately. The police also say

tonight that the driver of that car remains in hospital, but she will be

interviewed as soon as she's released from hospital. OK, Peter.

Thank you. A Sussex man accused

of murdering his former girlfriend has told a jury he lied repeatedly

to police after her death because he was scared, and panicking

about being blamed for killing her. 19-year-old Shana Grice was found

dead at her home in Portslade, near Brighton,

on August 25th last year. He throat had been cut

and her bedroom set on fire. Michael Lane, who denies murder,

has been giving evidence at Lewes Crown Court,

as Lucinda Adam reports. Michael Lane has admitted he lied

repeatedly during seven police interviews continuously

changing his story about where he was and what he was doing

on the morning of Shana's murder, eventually admitting

he had gone to her house, Asked why it was better to lie,

he said he was scared of being blamed, and panicked

because his behaviour in the months preceding her

death didn't look good. He's admitted fitting a tracker to

her car and stealing a key to her back door, which he used to gain

entry. Asked whether his actions amounted to stalking, Mr Lane

replied, "I suppose, yes". He said he went to her house that morning to

tell her not to contact him again because it would mess with his mind.

Persecuting barrister said, you carefully planned the killing of

Shana Grice. Mr Lane replied no. Michael Lane was seen buying a can

of petrol the night before Shana Grice's body was found in her

bedroom, and petrol was used to start the fire. Michael Lane told

police told the court the petrol was spilled in his car.

Lucinda joins us now from outside Lewes Crown Court.

We have heard about the clothes Michael Lane was wearing that day.

He was caught on CCTV that morning wearing a white T-shirt and grey

shorts. He later went home, showered and changed. Those clothes were

disposed somehow, but he says he left the clothes at home and can't

understand why police haven't found them in searches of his property.

Michael Lane denies murder, has finished giving his evidence and

that concludes the evidence of the trial. Tomorrow, the defence and

prosecution barristers will give closing speeches, the judge's

summing up, and the jury will be sent out first thing on Wednesday

morning. A bone marrow donor

is found for a Kent man after an international search,

as doctors call for more Asian There is a call for a change in sex

offenders, the man that sent the pictures to Darcy Wells was put on

the register the two years, but his name has now been removed. He's also

changed his name by deed poll. Staff at MP Gareth Johnson is calling for

the rules to be tightened to prevent offenders from attempting to get

jobs working with children in the future.

Tucked away out of you, a box of trophies gathering dusk. Memories

too painful for the sideboard downstairs. Darcy Wells used to be

proud of her trophies. Now the contents of this box conjures up

just bad memories. He was the assistant manager for the under 12

is. He was a person I looked up to before all this started. As you do,

you look up to your coach, and you want to do well. Darcy from Kent has

just turned 18 and wants to talk openly about sexual harassment she

suffered as a young football player. It's very important for sex

offenders to be on the register for life. Two years is not long enough

at all. So what happened to Darcy Wells? In 2010, Darcy left the

Arsenal youth squad and joined Chelsea, based here in Cobham,

Surrey, which is when she attracted the attention of her coach Shane

Hughes. He used to tell me he loved my legs when I was wearing shorts in

training. Soon the comments turned to inappropriate photos on her

mobile. He was half naked, he had underpants on with his hand down his

trousers. What did he say when he saw you next? Did you like the

photo? How old were you? 12. The inappropriate

the inappropriate photos left her distressed. She would be on the bed,

and she would say she didn't want to go. In 2013, Shane Hughes was placed

on a sex offenders register. The offence was listed as incitement to

engage in sexual activity with a minor, 12. He resigned from Chelsea.

In 2015, Shane Hughes came off the sex offender register. Last March,

he changed his name by deed poll. There we had someone who was working

at a football club, having some kind of influence over a Child, abusing

that situation, encouraging that child to take part in sexual

activity, and yet, the only consequence from that was a caution

and being placed on the sex offenders register for just two

years. I think most people would say that doesn't adequately reflect the

seriousness of what that person did. Darcy hopes her experience can help

other youngsters in sport. If anyone, if someone asks for pictures

from you, or if they are trying to talk to you in a way that you know

is wrong, speak to someone. Don't bottle it all up. Glenn Campbell for

South East Today. You can see the full story tonight

on Inside Out on BBC1 at 7:30. Govia Thameslink, the parent company

of Southern Railway, has offered to meet the RMT

union for new talks if they suspend

industrial action. The union, which represents guards,

has planned another day of strike action on April 4th over

driver-only operated trains. Talks have been offered for the same

day if the action is called off. A man from Seaford remains

in a critical condition The 23 year old was riding

a motorbike in Station road in Berwick yesterday

when he collided with a Land Rover, suffering serious injuries.

The driver of the car was not hurt. The universities of Brighton

and Sussex have launched an investigation following

what they call "shocking A series of sports matches

yesterday. A number of students taken

to hospital after objects were thrown into the crowd

and on to the pitch, it's understood the behaviour

included misogynistic, Police are studying CCTV and want

to talk to anyone who was injured The sports teams weren't involved,

it was mainly drunken fans that got too caught up in it, I guess. It

ended up with bottles being thrown. I had to duck from one, and it

narrowly missed me. But it was a bit of a shock, because I had never

experienced anything like that before.

Amanda Akass joins us from Falmer now.

There were hundreds of people here yesterday on the sports pitches at

the University of Sussex's campus. They had come for a local rivalry

match between the University of Sussex and the University of

Brighton as part of a whole sports day that is held every year, all

kinds of different sporting events held, but it was at the rugby that

the problems began. The atmosphere became increasingly aggressive,

abusive language was used, a few flares were thrown onto the pitch.

There was some kind of pitch invasion, and then we understand

that the referee and the organisers of the event decided it was too

dangerous, so they decided to cancel the match at half-time.

Unfortunately, that did seem to lead to even more aggression between the

two sides, we have seen pictures of university flags being burnt, and

bottles were thrown. A number of spectators were hurt, and were

treated by first aiders at the scene. A number were taken to

hospital. Then the police were called, who arrest someone on

suspicion of holding a knife. Extraordinary scenes, what have the

universities had to say? Both universities, the vice chancellors

have issued a joint statement basically condemning it, saying it

is disgraceful behaviour. Anyone investigating, and anyone found to

be taking part will be punished severely. The organisers of the

event said they did have a thorough risk assessment and it will be

looking alongside university security teams to work out what

happened. Amanda, thank you. A 37-year-old mother

of three young boys has died after a car crashed

into her as she was walking Her husband is in hospital

with head injuries, their children are being cared

for by their aunt and uncle. A rare woodcarving that belonged to

Anna Cleves is on display at Hever Castle. What does it tell us about

the After a butt and windy start to the

week, the warm A man from Whitstable who has a rare

bone marrow disorder has finally found a donor

after an international appeal. BBC South East Today spoke

to Yevi Ilangakoon last month, about his desperate serach

for a suitable donor. Yevi is originally from Sri Lanka -

but only a small percentage of registered bone marrow donors

in the UK are Asian. Every day in the UK 70 people

are diagnosed with blood cancer. And 69% of patients

who are from a white north European But that falls to just 20%

for those from a black, Charlie Rose has

tonight's story update. Yevi new that the chances of finding

a perfect bone marrow match for him were slim. But now, against all

odds, his doctors reveal the news he and his family were desperate to

hear. She was shocked that there was a match. Such a good match. My

daughter was seeded slightly behind me. The previous time was when I was

diagnosed, and I was told, every time you come to my room, I start

crying. Then I looked, and she was bawling her eyes out because she was

happy that they had a 100% match. Yevi was diagnosed seven years ago.

It is a rare disorder that prevents the normal production of red blood

cells. Years ago, he was told that the condition had become aggressive,

prompting a worldwide search for a bone marrow donor. We are in

Germany, Poland, and we are moving into India. Charities like this one

are recruiting people from ethnic backgrounds to register as donors.

If we look at the population in the UK, there are 60 million people, and

only 1.14 million are on the UK blood stem cell register. If you

start to break it down into different ethnic groups, the South

Asian population, there are less people on the register. So it is

quite tough for them. So far, Yevi is one of the lucky ones, but the

next step is for the donor to be fully checked and then a long and

tricky road lies ahead. It's only after five years that they would be

able to say that a person after a transplant is 100% fewer would. And

that percentage is around 55%. The identity of the donor hasn't been

revealed, but if all goes according to plan, the transplant is scheduled

for May. Charlie Rose, BBC South East Today, which the ball.

Geoffrey Blaine is 94 years old now but when he was 16

he lied about his age, pretending to be two years older

so that he could join the army and fight in the Second World War.

He only just survived, as a Japanese prisoner of war

Three months ago Geoffrey's home in Rolvenden was burgled.

His medals were stolen and so were those of his father

Today, the Royal British Legion presented Geoffrey with a new set

of medals during a special ceremony to honour his bravery and service.

Geoffrey Blaine was 16 when he went off to fight.

He was taken prisoner in Singapore in 1942.

You was used for slave labour, clearing up Singapore

from the war debris, you know, burying the dead

and working as slave labour for the Japanese.

Geoffrey was kept prisoner for three years.

We were starving, and if we didn't do enough work, we got punished.

We got punished for all sorts of things.

Geoffrey has lived here for 71 years and is a well-known and respected

He'd gone away for Christmas when burglars broke into his home

and stole not only his medals from the Second World War,

but the ones his father had been awarded in World War I.

Today, dozens of people gathered in the village church to see

Geoffrey honoured for his service and presented with new medals.

And say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.

It's really sad that people don't know what he went

Actually going going to war, he should get a medal

The Royal British Legion was unable to replace the medals Geoffrey's

father was awarded during World War I.

Police are still investigating and trying to find those who took them.

I don't think they realise what they were doing.

They were opportunists, taking items of small value,

and if they see this, I hope that they might feel

inclined to tell the police where the medals might be found.

For Geoffrey, wearing the medals is a symbol of pride,

not just for him, but the people who he fought alongside.

It's wonderful to have them back, you know, and to sort of feel

Lauren Moss, BBC South Today, Rolvenden.

A Kent women's basketball team are celebrating

after winning their first national League title.

The Sevenoaks Suns beat Leicester Riders 82-67

The Riders held an early lead but struggled to stay in touch

once the Suns established a 10-point lead in the third quarter.

You are a big basketball fan, aren't you. Can you tell?!

Anne of Cleves got away lightly in comparison with some of Henry

Wife number four, they'd never met before the marriage,

and Henry divorced her after just six months.

Despite her fleeting role in the British monarchy,

she remains a significant figure in British history,

and items which belonged to her are extremely valuable today.

So, Hever Castle is pleased to have been loaned a rare oak panel carved

It appears to have been made specially for her in the sixteenth

century and would have been displayed in her home,

Chrissie Reidy is at Hever Castle for us.

What does this tell us about wife number four?

Natalie, what it tells us is their marriage may have been short lived,

but with Anne of Cleve's agreeing to the annulment, she was sadly,

because it turned out she became a very healthy woman. I'm here to

welcome you to what is yours. Your Majesty is very gracious. Anne of

Cleve's was married to Henry VIII for just six month, making her the

shortest reigning queen of his six wives. After their divorce, she was

rewarded. She died at Chelsea Palace aged just 42. Any remnant of a Tudor

royal palace is rare in itself, because in the middle of the

17th-century, Cromwell's troops ransacked the palaces to remove

precisely this kind of thing, the evidence of royal ownership. It's

not like the roughly hewn hope we think of when we think of. But she

is the Queen's sister in title, and she resides in interiors of

opulence, and this single panel gives us a real tangible sense of

the craftsmanship she knew. This is part of a set of wooden

panels, but this one is by far the more interesting of them all because

of the monogram, which of course would be very personal to her. I

think acquiescing to Henry's will and agreeing to divorce was a very

sensible outcome. Henry was very generous with her after that,

maintaining I high status at court. She was a wealthy woman. As part of

that annulment settlement, she was endowed with Hever Castle where this

incredible piece of history will go on display. Hever Castle is famous

for Anne Boleyn, but Anna Cleves, another of Henry VIII's wives, she

lived here, too. To have something of hers to display at Hever Castle

is huge for us. It's a rare insight into what some describe as Henry

VIII's most successful queen, and you can see it from Wednesday.

It really does illustrate the whole time she was in England, this was

the level of opulence she got used to. Thank you very much.

Tomorrow, the sunshine is back but it stays breezy. A good deal of

cloud. In the afternoon, it turned wet as well. The rain we saw is a

cold front. Through the next couple of days, much cooler air,

temperatures overnight again getting close to freezing. During the day,

doing well to get much out of single figures. Chilly for the next couple

of days, there will be sunshine but scattered and heavy showers at

times, too. For tonight, the rain we had this afternoon clears. Behind

it, clear skies develop, temperatures for the most part

staying around 2-3 degrees. It stays breezy. For the most part, frost

free, but a chilly start to the day for Tuesday. Why the afternoon,

breezy, eventually during the afternoon, one or two scattered

showers, but for many of us, a dry and bright, breezy day. Temperatures

around average for the time of year, but fresh with the wind. Highs of

nine or ten. As we head through tomorrow night, initially clear

skies, and towards the early hours of Wednesday morning, the cloud

cover thickens, head of rain that will be seen on Wednesday.

Temperatures milder as a result. This is the picture for Wednesday,

lots of blue on the map, wet and windy, temperatures in single

figures. Further outbreaks of rain as we head through the day on

Thursday. Friday is a dryer picture. Towards the weekend, good news if

you miss the sunshine. The high pressure builds again. As we look at

Saturday and Sunday, breezy, but temperatures recover. Once again, it

should be in the low to mid teens. In the next couple of days, wet at

times, breezy, but hang on in there, Friday and the weekend is coming.

And finally as we featured on Friday, the 'forces sweetheart'

Dame Vera Lynn has been celebrating her 100th

For the last 60 years Dame Vera has called Sussex and the town

of Ditchling her home, today she has been

To mark the centenary, photographs of the singer have been

projected onto the white cliffs of Dover and celebrations have been

She's loved by generations of soldiers and civilians

across the country for her tireless efforts to lift the spirits

And many of you have been getting in touch with us today

Ana Frappell sent us this photograph of when she met Dame Vera Lynn

The singer presented her with first prize in the fancy dress competition

Mavis Nutman has also got in touch on social media to say

during World War II and he always spoke of you with great

Thank you so much and have a lovely day."

While Jo Hanchett said "A real favourite of my Mum

who was evacuated during World War II.

I hope you enjoyed the Birthday Party in your

we will leave you with some pictures of Dame Vera

Happy Brithday Dame Vera from all of us.

The 24-year-old man has been charged with murder.

You made sure an innocent man is charged!

What gives you the right to say that he's innocent?

If police wrongdoing is part of this, I want to know.