11/05/2017 South Today - Oxford

In tonight's programme: so it's goodbye from me -

A life sentence for a rapist who was caught thanks in part

On the election trail with the Chancellor,

but his staff aren't impressed by our reporter's questioning.

We work very closely together on these things.

I'm afraid the media is making up stories.

Peter Henley continues his election tour of the south by bike.

And could there be a stormy end to the week?

A rapist who attacked a woman at knife-point in Oxford has been

handed a life sentence at Oxford Crown Court.

The victim was approached as she walked at Harcourt Hill.

Mark Pearton pleaded guilty to rape, assault and possession

He'd previously been jailed for raping a 13-year-old.

This is Mark Pearton's car captured on CCTV.

He used the vehicle to watch and stalk a lone female jogger

in Harcourt Hill in Oxford last January.

Wearing a balaclava and carrying a knife, he attacked and then

This type of offence is rare on a national scale.

Normally, there's a link between the victim,

But we can't find a link to anything for Mark Pearton at all.

DNA evidence helped identify him within 36 hours.

He denied the offence and said the pair had had consensual sex

But overwhelming evidence saw him plead guilty to rape,

We've got two witnesses that drove past and they recall seeing a female

fitting the victim's description and seeing a male

44-year-old Mark Pearton from Eastbourne in Sussex

He was jailed for five years in 1994 for armed robbery and then given

a life term in 1999 for the rape of a 13-year-old girl.

He was only released from prison two years ago.

The officer in this case hopes today's sentence will help

I really hope that she doesn't let this event define her life.

That she finds a way of putting this, keeping this as what it was.

Which is a horrendous, significant event in her life,

but not making it become what she becomes.

Sentencing Mark Pearton to a life sentence with a minimum term

of 7.5 years, Judge Ian Pringle QC said that

Pearton's victim had been permanently scarred by what he'd

done, that Mark Pearton remained a danger to the public

and that he may never be released until he could prove

A court has heard how a man beat his former partner with an iron

before setting her alight in her own home in Swindon.

32-year-old Anthony Porter was today jailed for life

after admitting murdering Andraya Lyons in December.

Her family's appealed to anyone in a violent relationship

A fun-loving and bubbly mother, someone who saw the good

in everyone, so say the family of Andraya Lyons.

They expressed their grief outside court today.

We miss her so much and our lives have been completely devastated

by the act of one evil, vicious, selfish, manipulative

Her partner, Anthony Porter, had a problem with drink and drugs

and a history of violence towards women, including Andraya.

The court heard that on the 9th of December the two went

to her work's Christmas party at a hotel in Swindon.

Porter became aggressive and Andraya left with friends,

But Porter returned to her house in the early hours -

He beat Andraya with an iron, broke her nose, stamped on her,

before dousing her with white spirit, setting the house

Postmortem examinations show Andraya was unconscious but still breathing

Porter gave himself up to the police, saying

But the judge didn't accept that, saying Porter clearly

intended to kill Andraya, and jailed him for life.

Andraya had tried to separate from Porter but he was still living

with her because she didn't want him to become homeless.

I recognise the difficulties in terms of reporting domestic abuse

but I would simply say to people they can come forward and speak

to the police with the confidence that they will be treated

sensitively and if they can't speak to the police,

alternatively there are other agencies, such as Swindon Women's

Aid, who will provide the help and support they require.

Porter is to serve 17.5 years in jail before being considered

for parole and will remain under licence for life after release.

It's believed a cyclist who died on Botley Road in Oxford on Tuesday

fell from her bike moments before she was involved in

Investigations are continuing but police don't think

it was as a result of any interaction with another

The 31-year-old woman, named locally as Claudia Comberti,

The force say her family are being supported by specialist officers.

An inquest into the death of a nine-year-old Oxfordshire girl

who died when she was kicked by a horse during a hunt meeting

has heard how she was on a simulated fox hunt when the accident happened.

Bonnie Armitage, a pupil at St Hugh's prep

school in Faringdon, died from a kick to the chest.

A health and safety expert told the hearing the level

of supervision was far short of what could be

Bonnie died last April at the event near Stroud.

To the elections now and the Conservatives have been out

Tory candidate Nicola Blackwood has been discussing transport issues,

including the A34, and meeting traders in the town.

She's been accompanied by the Chancellor Philip Hammond,

who's denied national newspaper reports of a growing rift

Side by side, showing his support for the local

Conservative candidate, the Chancellor Philip Hammond spent

One of the issues high on their agenda was transport,

particularly one of Oxfordshire's busiest roads - the A34.

What we need is a long-term solution would put a stop to this problem

once and for all and that's why I was really pleased to hear

the Chancellor announced in his Autumn Statement 27 million

for a feasibility study for the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway,

which will either divert the A34, put three lanes in or something

which will mean we put an end to the misery of residents once

The A34 is one of the main routes across the south,

linking Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire.

But congestion is an ongoing problem.

I think opening up the north exit is a big priority for most

There is a big building development going on the south side of the town

and the roundabout at the top there, Tesco's end, it's just

The Government promised ?50 million for improvements

to the A34 in 2014 - something the Lib Dems claim hasn't

The Conservatives broke that promise, they said that money had

been secured and what we now know is that it has not.

In north Abingdon, we've got a development of 600 houses

that was meant to have not been built unless that

The houses are now about to be built and there's still no money.

As a campaign, that is my top priority for the area.

Without it, we can't solve the congestion

And Labour has also voiced its concerns.

The A34 really needs to be upgraded and redesigned in order to fit

local needs and purpose, particularly around

As a Labour Party, we have committed to invest in long-term

infrastructure, spending on our roads, essential for the A34.

Away from local politics, the Chancellor today made front-page

news in one of the national papers, which claims his relationship

with the Prime Minister is growing more and more tense.

We are in complete agreement on policies around energy

We work very closely together on these things.

I'm afraid the media is making up stories.

He answered but his staff are not happy. We were stopped from joining

the walkabout that we were initially invited on.

By bringing one of the Conservative Party's most senior figures

to the heart of the constituency, Nicola Blackwood is hoping

But because of one of the questions I asked earlier, this was as far

Oxford West and Abingdon has been in the hands

But before that, it'd been under Lib Dem rule for more than a decade.

And with Labour also contesting this seat,

And a little later in South Today, Peter Henley will be

on his bike for the next part of his election cycle reports.

Don't forget you can find more details on the

Film and sound production students in Oxford saw their films showcased

They've spent the past three months working on the short films as part

of their course at the SAE Institute.

The special screening took place at the Odeon in St George's Place.

The glitz and glamour of the red carpet.

A few months ago the Baftas celebrated the great

And today in Oxford students enjoyed their own premiere.

Granted, this one was slightly lower key.

But for them it was no less important.

I've never had the opportunity to screen something professionally

and to actually have my work put on the big screen in the cinema

I'm excited because I get to see my thing on the big screen.

It will be really fun to see something big.

I cannot wait to see the audience's reaction

because my film is very silly, so hopefully it'll be really funny.

The students had been working on their films

And they're following in big footsteps.

Niv Adiri, who won an oscar for sound in the film Gravity,

is among the college's more impressive alumi.

So could someone here be the next Stephen Spielberg?

Well, I think some of them have the potential to actually make

There is a lot of talent and with the proper encouragement

I think they are going to be able to be successful in

The first step, of course, will be graduation in September.

Time for me to hand over to South Today's

leading lady tonight - Sally Taylor.

Our transport correspondent has been scaling news heights.

We all live on a crane 150 feet above Southampton docks and we have

come here to see this, the largest ship ever to call at a UK port.

As luck would have it, the bike tour our political editor

Peter Henley has been making around the south was due to arrive

Perhaps, we thought, the Prime Minister Theresa May has

Things didn't quite work out like that.

Look at this, no traffic, you might think I am still in Hampshire but I

have reached Southampton. This is Southampton Common, a huge area of

recreational land popular with dog walkers and runners and cyclists of

course. You may notice today I am wearing my

tie. That is because there are rumours of an important visitor in

the city and I am hoping to have a word with her.

What is in the mind of the public today?

Excuse me. Can I talk to you? If you got a chance to talk to the Prime

Minister what would you say about the election, will Xi Wen?

I think so, it is manoeuvred to get Labour out.

Jeremy Corbyn, what do you think about him?

We want to recover from this. Enjoy your coffee.

Lovely to meet you. Where are in Southampton with Theresa May visit?

This might look like the venue for a big political meeting. I happen to

know that is not the conference going on here today.

This conference at Solent University is about devolving power from

central Government to councils in the south, a lot of movers and

shakers. If you had a chance to talk to the

Prime Minister what would you say to her about devolution?

We have had plans in the region the devolution of real powers and

resources to the area but they haven't progressed and been agreed.

Greater Manchester is probably the most visible example of what you can

get. They have devolved responsibility for everything to do

with health. Every one of your viewers will be interested in that

and have a view. Time to get pedalling, I have had a

tip-off whether Prime Minister might be and here is a dead giveaway, a

posse of journalists hungry for a scoop.

Is she around here? She is doing some canvassing.

Who do you mean? You know where she is. I am hoping

the Prime Minister will turn up. Hoping? But you are never sure. It

is on a need-to-know basis. We feel we need to know much more than the

Conservative Party feels we need to know.

All of a sudden there she was in Warwick Road, in Southampton.

Prime Minister, are you getting a good reception in Southampton?

Not the most challenging question but I have been given a special

promise of a proper interview the South today next time she is

visiting. Well, Peter is still

in Warwick Road, Southampton, Peter, does it feel like there's

more of an effort by parties, this time round to try to control

what the media report? We've increasingly had this

system of pooled material where the political parties insist

only one camera follows a visit and the same interviews

and pictures are shared around. That makes it easier for people on

the doorstep. But equally it leaves the power over

what is shown very much Labour and the Lib Dems are making a

virtue saying they are open to questions, they will be meeting real

people. That makes a campaign interesting, remember when Gordon

Brown met Gillian Duffy. But you take a risk and things can come

unstuck. Can they keep it up until polling

day? I think the Conservatives will do,

the more journalists protest the more likely the EU will protest, it

makes Theresa May look very strong and a person who won't change as she

said in TV debates, she doesn't have to do it, just vote for me.

And tomorrow Peter will be on the election trail in Eastleigh.

Let us talk football and the Kaptur Saints match last night.

It has it been a good season, Cup final, Europe, not bad in the

league. Recently it has gone flat, and end of season feel.

Claude Puel admitted his frustration as his Southampton side failed

to score in a fourth of their last five games.

The latest blank came against an Arsenal side

making a late charge for the Champions League places.

Manolo Gabbiadini had Saints' best chance drawing a good

Alexis Sanchez put Arsenal in front after half-time

Arsenal completed a 2-0 win through a header

It is a big frustration tonight because it was not a good

game against the top six without a good reward.

But with very good quality on the pitch.

And this is difficult to accept this at the end.

Southampton back in action on Saturday.

Portsmouth's promotion-winning captain Michael Doyle

The 35-year-old is out of contract and is set to join League Two club

Coventry City for a second spell at the club.

This summer Britain hopes to lift the America's Cup with a British

Englishman who could lift the auld mug as it's known.

The Swedish entry Artemis is strongly tipped to do well

in Bermuda and it has some familiar names on the boat.

Iain Percy from Winchester started his sailing

life at Weston Sailing Club in Southampton.

He went on to become a two-time Olympic gold medallist.

In 2008 and 2012 he partnered the late Andrew

He's now the team manager of Artemis Racing.

Alongside him on the boat is helmsman

He was a team GB gold medallist in 2008 and

He's a former laser world champion and member of the Swedish

challenge which aims to make its own history this summer.

It is going to be fun for me racing my old friend,

there's always a good level of sportsmanship.

There are some boundaries you won't break as

friends but don't get me wrong there is also

a fierce will to win with

If Ben Ainslie doesn't live the America's Cup trophy this June

then maybe Iain Percy, his friend and

The Swedish entry is looking good in practice too.

We are going pretty well at the moment, we had a few warm up

regattas, we sailed well, haven't lost many races.

I am under no illusion that counts for absolutely

It means we are in the hunt but I feel we need to make quite a

Artemis are in their second Cup campaign.

The first was marred by the tragic death of Andrew Simpson

in San Francisco four years ago this week.

Meanwhile a generation of British Olympic sailors are now

competing in America's Cup racing and not just in the British boats.

Spare a thought for your British sailors on the other boats, not just

It has been, we have had an incredible wave of strength

through our Olympic programme and that has

translated into the professional world in the America's Cup.

To be representing Sweden is a little different

but it is going to be amazing racing, looking forward

to racing the boys on BAR and hopefully

they do well but not as

Artemus will race BAR on day one, perhaps an early indicator which

Meanwhile the defenders of the America's Cup Oracle Team USA

had another close shave in one of their latest training sessions.

They were practising on the Great Sound in a pre-start

routine when their America's Cup 50-foot boat capsized.

As the team explained on social media it happened in mere seconds

but took only a couple of minutes to right.

Oracle, led by Jimmy Spithill, defend their crown this summer.

Dramatic images. We are a couple of weeks away from it getting underway,

26 of May. We never get tired of those

pictures. It's the biggest container

ship to dock in the UK. One of the largest

ships in the world. The MOL Triumph arrived

in Southampton this afternoon. If you laid every container

on the vessel end to end, they would stretch from

Southampton to London. Let's join our transport

correspondent Paul Clifton who is tonight live for the very

first time in a rather You need a good head for heights, it

wobbles quite a bit. I'm right on top of the tallest

crane in Southampton docks. That means I'm 150

feet above the ground. We've been up here before,

but never live on air. And from here we can look down

on the world's largest ships. We can look right along

Southampton Water to the Solent Let me tell you about

the ship below. 400 metres long, briefly the largest

container ship in the world. Because an even larger one has just

been delivered in South Korea. One huge engine, one single

propeller, shifting up to 20,000 containers at a time

between the Far East and Europe The ship has all the latest

tricks to save fuel. Even a special paint that reduces

friction in the water. As you build bigger ships they burn

more fuel so that is more polluting. But per container because you are

carrying more containers, the carbon footprint of the ship

is actually going down Below us, unloading of the cargo

is just getting under way. These ships use about a third less

fuel per container than ships built So that's about a third

lower emissions, too. Environmental performance

is a hot topic. Ships like this burn a heavy diesel

which contains a lot So this one has been designed

to switch to liquefied natural gas if the economic case for the cleaner

fuel stacks up in years to come. Ships like this pick up

from half a dozen ports in China and the Far East,

then visit four ports in Europe, then head back

through the Suez Canal. A round trip takes

about ninety days. All with just a handful of crew -

there are fewer than twenty We salute you, our stomachs have

been turning seeing you being buffeted by the wins.

Matt Adamiak took this picture of MOL Triumph entering Southampton

Michael McWilliam photographed the Bournemouth Wheel

And Steve Miller captured the sun going down on West Wittering Beach.

Lovely sunny conditions, allowing tempters rise up to 21 Celsius, a

glorious day, glorious sunny spells. There were a few scattered showers,

quite heavy, particularly in Oxfordshire and the South Downs.

The chance of heavy and thundery rain overnight, even hail mixed in.

Rain will move up from the south affecting many places but some

errors could escape it all together and tempters full-forward away to 11

Celsius. A muggy night and start to tomorrow.

Tomorrow, drier weather, a fair amount of cloud, scattered

thunderstorms almost anywhere. Through the afternoon, thunderstorms

will clear northwards, temperatures may reach 19 Celsius.

Tomorrow night, mainly dry, averages will stay fairly mild with this

south-westerly breeze, a little bit of rain showers on Saturday morning.

Temperatures tomorrow night will fall away to 10 Celsius.

A mild start to the weekend, Saturday is mild, we develop

stronger south westerly airflow, isolated showers and sunny weather,

Saturday is the best day. A cold front arrives on Saturday night

introducing more cloud and some rain. That much needed rainfall will

arrive. We have this humid air from Iberia

through Spain, drifting up from the south, but quite muggy and as a

result it has triggered one or two thunderstorms already.

Fresh air will arrive on Saturday night, pushing in on Sunday. Sunday

will be mainly dry with a risk of scattered showers.

Tomorrow, cloud, the chars of thunderstorms tomorrow.

And on Sunday. Thank you very much, we need the rain.

Join us again after the Ten O'Clock News.

We leave you with a lovely shot of Southampton docks and that huge

ship, they will be busy down there over the next few days. Goodbye.

Ukip created history and won us all Brexit.