10/01/2012 Spotlight

The horse owner devastated after the animal was drugged and

mutilated before being killed. Angry, upset why someone would be

so sick, so nasty to do that a beautiful animal.

Good evening. We'll hear more from the owner and the police, who say

it's one of the worst cases of cruelty to a horse.

Also tonight: denied an operation. This little boy's family believe it

could enhance his life, the NHS says it's not convinced.

Why did they turn me down, I want to know why.

A custody battle across Europe - the father who fears he may never

see his children again. Shocking figures reveal the extent

of obesity among children leaving primary school in the region.

And find out how these little monkeys are creating something of

A horse has been tortured and killed in an horrific attack in

Cornwall. The stallion was drugged in a field and then mutilated with

a knife. The police officer in charge of the investigation says

it's one of the worst cases of cruelty he has ever seen. The

savage attack has left the animal's owners shocked and appalled. Some

of you may find this report by Spotlight's Amy Cole distressing.

Once a prized possession, now the subject of a criminal investigation.

So brutal are the injuries this horse sustained that I cannot go

into details because they are too distressing, except to say he

suffered horrific mutilation to his head and body - and this is all we

can show you. Erik, a 2.5-year-old Friesian stallion belonged to Dawn

Jewell, who discovered him yesterday afternoon. High on the

bed to come out and to a report and he looked at the injuries and with

their head that had been cut and found some pungent winds where he

had either been sedated or poisoned. Then with the other injuries

sustained he said it had been done with the knife. He was one of 11

horses that Dawn owned, and he was by far her favourite. Since I was

six years old, I had always wanted a Friesian, they were always my

favourite. It took me years to find him and he has been fantastic. And

so are angry, so upset. Police search teams turned up this

afternoon to scour the fields for any clues. The investigation is

also trying to establish a motive. There are lots of different factors

that could be a motive for this. We are keeping an open mind and then

we will see head inquiry takes first in relation to those lines of

investigation. Over 26 years of police experience, that is the

worst I have come across of this nature. A post mortem examination

is being carried out and forensics are there to try to ascertain how

the horse died and to look for any clues that the attacker might have

left so that the police can find out who was responsible for this

most vicious attack. The family of a 12-year-old boy are

calling on NHS Devon to pay for an operation that they and his

consultant believe could enhance his quality of life. Adam Pengelly

was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was two, and can only walk

unaided for a short period of time. Heidi Davey has the story.

Adam Pengelly has been living with cerebral palsy for the past decade.

His condition also means he is by pleated, which affects both of his

legs. As he gets older his condition is likely to deteriorate

which is why his family and medical experts believe he would be an

appropriate candidate for selective dorsal rhizotomy, a technique used

to treat spasticity in lower limbs. In my old life I have been told

I'll be more reliant on my wheelchair. Could I get a job I

want to be as mobile as I can and I think there's operation would help

me to be as mobile as I am now. was referred to a new oral surgeon

at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital he believes the operation would

enhance the lifestyle of the tart like Adam. We do no from the United

States that this procedure has been undertaken in younger children. As

long as there is significant lower limb spasticity which is causing

impairment of movement then it can be a very effective and useful

operation. But NHS Devon has subsequently turned at them down

for the operation. His mum cannot understand why. Surely, the cost of

keeping a person who is more wheelchair-bound than eight more

able body to person overtime will cost the country more than the cost

of an operation. In response, N H S Adam and his family say today's

response from the NHS is one they needed to hear when he was

originally turned down. They are now considering whether to appeal

against the outcome for stop The police are trying to find a

convicted sex offender missing from a hospital in Taunton. 75-year-old

David Marker disappeared yesterday morning. He has been detained since

committing an offence against a child in 1965.

More than a third of children in parts of the south west are living

in poverty, according to new figures. The Campaign to End Child

Poverty says among the worst areas are Devonport in Plymouth and

Watcombe in Torquay. Shares in the Exeter-based airline

Flybe fell more than 20% to touch a new low today, after the company

issued a profits warning. Flybe, which is Europe's largest regional

airline, says sales have fallen short of expectations.

Around one in three children leaving primary school in the South

West is obese or overweight, according to the latest official

figures. And in most parts of the region, the rates have been rising

steadily. The health service says tackling the problem is a priority.

Sally Mountjoy has the details. Children at Ide Primary School near

Exeter know all about keeping fit. They have this brand new outdoor

games area, a walking bus to get to school and a range of after school

activities. We place a great emphasis on children's healthy

lifestyles. At least once or twice in the year we have whole school

themed weeks or days which focus on wholefood living as well as the

continuous message that we give to children. Heathy living is an

increasingly important part of the curriculum, as the proportion of

children who are an unhealthy size has continued to rise in recent

years. In Plymouth, 34% of pupils leaving primary school are obese or

overweight. In Torbay, it's 33% and in the four South West counties

it's around 30%. And while the figures show the number of obese 10

and 11-year-olds in Cornwall has fallen in recent years to 30, the

proportion of five-year-olds with a weight problem has gone UP - to 24%

- in line with the rest of the South West. Tackling the problem is

a health service priority. Winnowed from the evidence that if we try to

establish healthy eating in early childhood it will carry forward to

adult could and protect long term. There is a wide range of

interventions that we are undertaking to try to ensure that

children and young people have the best healthy start to life that

they can. At Ide, a local restaurant provides meals cooked on

site - so there's a high take up of school dinners, which offer healthy

choices. The school's won an award for its pupils' excellent

undersanding of how to keep healthy. We had been taught to eat healthily

and do running and swimming and lots of sport. Why is that

important? Because it held its your health and if you're not very

healthy will not have a good start in life. If you are not overweight

-- if you are overweight you cannot do as much water as we will do and

it is not as much fun. Almost two thirds of adults are an unhealthy

weight and related conditions like heart disease and diabetes are

ballooning. So getting the healthy living message across to children

is seen as vital. A South West MP is calling for

better protection for people living on mobile home parks who have been

bullied and intimidated by park owners. In a new survey, more than

two thirds of residents said their living conditions were unacceptable.

Frank Boulton lives on a park homes site in St Austell. He loves the

sense of community that has just settled a dispute with the park

owners and now campaigns on behalf of other residents and backs the

call for new legislation. What we want is new legislation because the

legislation that is in at the moment, has too many loopholes in

it. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the owners of Buckler

Park. We tried unsuccessfully to get their side of the story today.

But many Park home President's report living under unacceptable

conditions. There are calls for tighter regulation and a fit and

proper person test for site owners. At the moment about 50% of those in

Park Homes Report tactics that you and I would not find acceptable

from our landlord. I'm trying to make sure that often elderly, often

vulnerable people are protected as you or I would be if we were in a

house that we shared with other 700 Park home residents in Mr got

the's constituency will be eagerly awaiting news on his bill. Police

in Newquay are continuing their search for a 26-year-old man who

hasn't been seen since the early hours of Saturday. Oliver Doy was

in the town on a surfing break with friends. He was last seen leaving a

nightclub and walking with an anonymous male and two unknown

females near the cinema in Newquay. Police would like those three

people to come forward, as well as this woman who may have seen him

that evening. A father involved in a custody

battle says he fears he may never see his two sons again. John

Janus's former wife took them both to Austria, despite a British court

saying he should have custody of them. His former wife never

complied with the court order and it was eventually dropped. Now Mr

Janus is facing a hearing in Austria on Thursday where he

expects to be told both boys will have to live there.

They look a happy father and son - but six-year-old Christopher Janus

and his dad, John, face being separated after a court is expected

to force the youngster to live with his mother in Austria. The problems

started nearly two years ago when Mr Janus' wife suddenly left their

home in Sidmouth with both children. They went to her home country of

Austria. Almost immediately the High Court in London ruled the

children should be brought back to the UK. But that never happened.

Last August, Mr Janus brought his older child Christopher back to

Devon. But by November the High Court decided it could not enforce

its earlier rulings and that the two boys should be together. Last

week, Mr Janus and his son were escorted back to Austria where the

custody hearing will take place on Thursday. I could only hope that

the Austrian court would see the real welfare issue and they would

allow me to return to England with Christopher until such time as a

proper assessment could be made. The family says that Christopher

was flourishing here in east Devon. He was enjoying school and they

maintain that this is where he wanted to stay with his father. Mrs

Janus's sister, who is also Christopher's godmother, was with

them as they flew to Austria. seemed to be being treated as a

criminal because he had not actually done anything wrong. It

was his wife that had broken the law. His passport was taken away

from him. He was shadowed at the airport to make sure that he went

through to the departure lounge. Janus fears losing Christopher

despite staying within the law. has cost me my inheritance, my home.

I have spelt -- spent everything in trying to find a legal way to

achieve this. And he's already given up hope of having a

relationship with his younger son, who is now two.

Earlier I spoke to Mark Smith, a specialist family lawyer. He is not

involved in this case but I asked him what people should do if

children they have cars today of are taken to another country.

first think is to act quickly. Where there is a fear of abduction,

contact the police. Secondly, they need to seek independent, expert

advice from a family law specialist. What sort of legal rights would

someone have one's children are in another country? Can they pursue

legal action in another country? They can but it may depend on

whether a child is taken. There is a difference between remedies

available in United Kingdom all countries removed to a convention

countries or none Hague Convention countries. What about taking

preventative measures to avoid situations like this. Or should

couples do once they have split on one wants to go to another country?

The first issue may well be to seek independent legal advice because in

many circumstances in maybe be able to negotiate as to what you're

going to do as a couple. You may feel that the child will do better

abroad and in those circumstances solicitors will often meet with the

client, they meet with the solicitor of the spouse, and try to

thrash out an agreement. Where that cannot happen, an application

should be made by the parent wishing to move the board with the

child to the court, for the permission of the court to remove

them from jurisdiction. In cases such as this one, to the British

courts have any power one someone has moved abroad with children?

Condenses that that person comes back or that the children come

back? It is difficult to comment on the case without knowing the entire

factual background. But usually in Hague Convention country to rule-

of-thumb is that the child should be returned to that country from

which it was removed and then the proceedings follow.

British Transport Police in Cornwall are trying to identify

these two men in connection with an incident at Truro Railway Station.

Officers say a train driver had to apply the emergency brakes after a

man fell against a moving carriage on 22nd December. It's claimed that

staff were then verbally abused and left shaken.

Cornwall Council has made significant progress addressing

concerns about its work with vulnerable children. An Ofsted

report on a surprise inspection praises the authority's leadership,

management and working practices. It's a turnaround from the

"inadequate" rating Ofsted gave the service in 2009 when many failings

were identified. Three-times Olympic gold medallist

Ben Ainslie, who has strong ties with Cornwall, is launching his own

America's Cup team. Ainslie will compete in the World Series with

the Oracle team over the next two years, before starting a team of

his own in the world famous competition. With more on the story,

Dave Gibbins joins us this evening. Why is he branching NT you think?

He is very ambitious, 34 year-old Ben Ainslie. He has won three gold

medals in past Olympic Games. But when you come to the America's Cup,

you're talking about an entirely different kettle of fish. They are

40 ft in Lent. I think Ben Ainslie basically wants to test himself to

the very limit. It is a very exciting period and the America's

Cup has made some key changes in the last couple of years. I think

the whole thing is very exciting and very positive times ahead.

he has very strong links with the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club in

Falmouth. How much of an enclosed you think they have had? Quite a

lot. One has to Nonnet oneself to a club, you have to be affiliated to

the yachting club and Ben Ainslie has chosen the Royal Cornwall Yacht

Club. He grew up in Truro and learn to sail mere warm-up and his father

is to look for the kid that same club. My dad has had a siege

infants read the prayer and has been a fantastic support. My

parents are not involve my sailing as much as they were as a kid but

there are still in the background, very much supportive, and they have

always been there behind-the-scenes helping out and have made a huge

difference to my career. It is could be a busy 2012, not only for

Ben Ainslie in this project, but before that he has the Gold Cup in

May which is a pre-Olympic tester and then the Olympics themselves.

Gary Johnson's first game tonight in charge of Yeovil Town couldn't

be tougher, as he takes his Glovers side to Sheffield United, who are

third in League One. The 56-year- old has returned to Huish Park as

manager, replacing Terry Skiverton, who becomes Johnson's assistant. If

Yeovil win, they will move out of the relegation danger zone. If we

can get the crowd buzzing and everybody getting back to how it

pay felt six years ago, when we had a couple of promotions, then this

club can move on. Now, it all started when he bought

a monkey hand-puppet for his three- year-old daughter - but a few

months later, and with a lot of hard work, it's turned into

something quite spectacular! Yes, Mike Stocks from North Devon is a

tattoo artist by trade - but he's also a singer/songwriter and once

worked in London's fashion industry. Well he's used all that experience

to create something of a stir! With the story, here's Andrea Ormsby.

A music video attracting interest from all over the world. So far,

more than 2,000 people have watched Mr Pickle and the Junkshop Quartet

on Youtube. And it all started with a monkey. I was going around a car

boot sale and I penned this little guy, who I think is quite

manipulative and I thought he would make a cup double bass player. --

good player. This is Mr Pickle - real name Mike Stocks. The

moustache is real. More and more monkeys were bought - and with a

mix of Meccano, animatronix and other tools of the trade they

slowly came to life. I am a tattoo artist by trade so this guy here

has got a tattoo: inside him which makes his arm strummed the strings.

When a person but then by my late here, and the piano player has the

same technique. He is playing eight child-size violin and it moves on

the Little Rock but is moved by McCann of. It's been a real family

affair - all designed as a birthday present for his three-year-old

daughter, Sunday - who thinks her Dad is well... He is brilliant.

for his wife, expecting their second child, it's all run of the

mill. It is chaotic in the house, as you can imagine. Mike says he's

surrounded by an incredible amount of talent in North Devon - people

he credits with making this video something special. Even the family

dog took to the stage in the attic You begin to wonder if the dog is

real or whether that has strings attached as well! On to the weather

forecast now. It pills we have gone from autumn to spring. Are we going

A bit colder this weekend, yes. More overnight frost is possible.

We have not seem much of that at whole this year. At the moment we

have that they are covering of cloud. This evening and through

until dawn tomorrow there is every chance of enough clear sky to a low

temperatures well into single figures. Temperatures a bit colder

than last night. The main rain bearing cloud is to the north of us.

But it is slowly sinking southwards. It is high pressure all the way for

this evening and tonight. Not much change for tomorrow but by the time

we get to Thursday, the cold front from the North will introduce a

change. The cloud thick enough to bring some light rain and overnight

from Thursday into Friday morning the possibility of some colder

weather. Then the high pressure comes back over for the weekend

which means a high risk of overnight frost. There has been

just a few holes in the cloud today to allow the sunshine to come

through. We start at the Grand Western Canal near Tiverton weather

was bright, dry weather. Hardly a breath of wind steering the water.

In Cornwall, how come a man caught a glimpse of settled Commission --

conditions out her seat. Here on the south coast we did get some

sunshine now and then. Initially tonight, affair couple of cloud but

it will break up by the morning. We will see a few places getting

fairly close to freezing. Most likely perhaps in the south eastern

parts of Devon and southern parts of Dorset. Tomorrow, we will have

some sunny spells throughout the day. Patchy cloud coming and going.

The best of the sunshine in a sheltered areas. Temperatures

similar to the last two days, up to 10 or 11 degrees, possibly a twirl

with we see any prolonged sunshine. Generally like wins. -- generally

After the bid apices of last week, the surf is barely small for this

week. -- the big seas. On Thursday, it is a great day and initially dry

but then the cloud thickening and by the evening some patchy light

rain or drizzle coming from the north. Then the weather becomes

slow-moving as we move into Friday. In Cornwall it will be cloudy but

further eased it will be brighter. Perhaps the chance to see some

sunny spells. Notice the drop in the temperatures to no higher than

aid to Greece. Into the weekend, frosty start on Saturday morning

and Brighton start with the The main news again. A police

investigation is under way after a stallion was mutilated and killed

in a field in Cornwall. The family of a 12 year old boy