:00:14. > :00:17.A Devon student has been jailed for 15 years
:00:18. > :00:20.for planting a home made bomb on a London tube train.
:00:21. > :00:23.Damon Smith from Newton Abbot left a rucksack packed with explosives
:00:24. > :00:29.His mum blames his Asperger's syndrome for his actions.
:00:30. > :00:33.Hamish Marshall reports from the Old Bailey.
:00:34. > :00:37.As he passed sentence, Judge Richard Marks QC told Smith,
:00:38. > :00:41.the seriousness of what you did cannot be overestimated.
:00:42. > :00:43.I'm driven to treat you as a serious offender.
:00:44. > :00:46.He told the 20-year-old that it is fortuitous
:00:47. > :00:49.that your device did not explode, if it had done, it could have
:00:50. > :00:56.caused serious injury and damage along the carriage.
:00:57. > :00:58.The judge said Damon Smith wasn't a terrorist, his mother said
:00:59. > :01:02.he conducted a stupid prank which has ruined his life.
:01:03. > :01:07.He said, Mum, I only wanted to make a smoke bomb.
:01:08. > :01:09.He said, I didn't want to hurt anyone.
:01:10. > :01:21.The intent to endanger life - he wouldn't even hurt a fly, Damon.
:01:22. > :01:24.Damon and his mum left Newton Abbot last summer
:01:25. > :01:29.She said he needed to support due to suffering with Asperger's
:01:30. > :01:35.He got good grades and won a student of the year award at Exeter College
:01:36. > :01:39.but just weeks into his university course he was arrested.
:01:40. > :01:42.Was there any more you could have done, do you think?
:01:43. > :01:45.I can't watch him 24 hours a day in his bedroom.
:01:46. > :01:52.But Damon said to me, if I wanted to hurt somebody, he could have.
:01:53. > :01:57.Because he had all the recipes to make an explosive that he found
:01:58. > :02:04.So there was really no intent with the smoke bomb
:02:05. > :02:08.because he could have done it, to hurt somebody but he didn't.
:02:09. > :02:11.Damon Smith's legal team had been expecting him to get at least
:02:12. > :02:16.The sentence was 15 with five years on licence after that and his legal
:02:17. > :02:19.team as they left the court today told me they expect to serve
:02:20. > :02:31.Thousands of letters are being sent out by Devon and Cornwall's
:02:32. > :02:34.headteachers calling on parents to challenge General Election
:02:35. > :02:40.Primary and secondary head associations are
:02:41. > :02:42.supporting the campaign - and stress it's not meant
:02:43. > :02:48.They say they're only interested in securing fair and adequate
:02:49. > :02:49.funding because it's under severe threat.
:02:50. > :02:56.Exam season - the traditional culmination of years at school.
:02:57. > :02:58.But there is a growing band of headteachers speaking out
:02:59. > :03:03.about the struggle to offer pupils the education they would like to.
:03:04. > :03:05.Costs have never been so high right across the school
:03:06. > :03:09.in terms of staff costs, national insurance contributions
:03:10. > :03:12.and other associated costs and we had to undertake
:03:13. > :03:16.a comprehensive savings review last year which involved reducing
:03:17. > :03:21.staffing across the school, reducing curriculum budgets and
:03:22. > :03:27.If you're a parent of a child at school, you may well have got one
:03:28. > :03:32.The head here is just one across Devon and Cornwall and 12
:03:33. > :03:35.other local authorities who sent it out to parents.
:03:36. > :03:38.The letter highlights school finances saying that they're
:03:39. > :03:41.in a dreadful state and urges parents to raise the issue
:03:42. > :03:44.with parliamentary candidates before the general election.
:03:45. > :03:47.It also offers suggested questions like how will you ensure
:03:48. > :03:50.budgets are protected and what are you going to do
:03:51. > :03:57.We tried not to but I daresay if you want to find a political
:03:58. > :04:02.It is certainly political in as much as we need education to be up
:04:03. > :04:07.We know the NHS, social care and the police need more funds,
:04:08. > :04:10.so do our children's schools and our education system.
:04:11. > :04:12.The letter originated in the south-east of England
:04:13. > :04:15.after parents at protests like this recent one in Totnes asked
:04:16. > :04:18.to have more information about school funding.
:04:19. > :04:21.So do parents in Cornwall mind getting a letter like this?
:04:22. > :04:26.I think the problem is with the world we are in at the moment,
:04:27. > :04:31.Schools, you name it, it is related to politics
:04:32. > :04:40.I did find it very useful and it encourages you to go and ask
:04:41. > :04:43.the right questions if people come round trying to get your vote to ask
:04:44. > :04:48.them the right questions about are they going to do anything
:04:49. > :04:55.It is one way of doing things, and brings it to everyone's
:04:56. > :04:57.attention, everyone needs funding these days.
:04:58. > :05:00.The Conservatives say education spending is already at record levels
:05:01. > :05:05.with ?4 billion more earmarked by 2022.
:05:06. > :05:09.And they pledge the national funding formula will be changed to ensure
:05:10. > :05:20.Labour promises a ?6.3 billion boost and the the Lib Dems ?7 billion.
:05:21. > :05:24.Now, it's a massive weekend of sport for three of our sides.
:05:25. > :05:27.Exeter Chiefs, Cornwall and Exeter City are all playing
:05:28. > :05:31.First up the Chiefs are in the Premiership play off
:05:32. > :05:34.final bidding to become the best team in the country.
:05:35. > :05:37.They're playing Wasps at Twickenham tomorrow with a 2.30 kick off.
:05:38. > :05:40.It's the second year in a row for them and this time they're
:05:41. > :05:46.If you look at the form of the two sides, level on points
:05:47. > :05:49.at the end of the season, it couldn't be tighter coming
:05:50. > :05:53.As you say, we are the two high point scorers and try
:05:54. > :05:55.scorers in the league, we're both in good form,
:05:56. > :05:59.we both like to play good rugby so if you talk about potentially
:06:00. > :06:04.good games, it does have everything, yes.
:06:05. > :06:07.The 35th America's Cup which was due to start later today has been
:06:08. > :06:12.is among five boats challenging for the right to face
:06:13. > :06:16.the America's Cup defenders Oracle team USA.
:06:17. > :06:19.The event will involve round robin qualifiers.
:06:20. > :06:21.The British team have been under pressure during practice racing
:06:22. > :06:27.but Ainslie, who grew up near Falmouth, remains confident.
:06:28. > :06:28.Each day is absolutely critical right now.
:06:29. > :06:31.Certainly for our team, we have been on the back foot
:06:32. > :06:33.a little bit in terms of straight-line speed.
:06:34. > :06:35.We are working really hard to rectify that,
:06:36. > :06:38.we still have more components coming onto the boat which we hope
:06:39. > :06:42.will increase speed and get us closer to some of the other teams
:06:43. > :06:45.and it is an ongoing development, that is the nature of the game
:06:46. > :06:47.in the America's Cup and we keep fighting and pushing
:06:48. > :07:02.Time for a look at the weather with David.
:07:03. > :07:08.Probably the same temperatures as Bermuda at the moment. We'll
:07:09. > :07:14.continue with a lovely afternoon, with a top to butcher of 2526. Thank
:07:15. > :07:19.you to the weather watchers who continue to send us great shots. And
:07:20. > :07:24.some glorious blue skies across the Channel Islands. It looks like we'll
:07:25. > :07:29.continue to see a problem with really high-temperature is only for
:07:30. > :07:32.one day because it does start to feel somewhat cooler and fresher at
:07:33. > :07:37.the weekend and the reason is this weather front edge to the west. It
:07:38. > :07:40.will get somewhat closer over the next 24 hours, developing a line of
:07:41. > :07:45.heavy showers, possibly thundery as it moves in and even though high
:07:46. > :07:49.pressure is still in close by, tomorrow morning if not more cloud
:07:50. > :07:52.around and if slightly fresher feel. The risk of showers at some point
:07:53. > :07:57.through the day. More showers coming from the south into Sunday so again
:07:58. > :08:02.in the risk of heavy showers for the bank holiday weekend. At the moment
:08:03. > :08:07.the skies are clear, but to the rest of us there is a line of showers
:08:08. > :08:13.affecting southern parts of Ireland and those showers, always overnight
:08:14. > :08:18.tonight. A lovely afternoon, a Sunni one, EUV is up at eight, the highest
:08:19. > :08:23.it was likely to be so be careful if you are enjoying the fine weather,
:08:24. > :08:28.26 the top temperature. Overnight we see showers creeping in, one or two
:08:29. > :08:34.thundery and heavy and the move quite fast so by the morning they
:08:35. > :08:38.have pulled away and another muggy night, and tomorrow once we lose
:08:39. > :08:43.that showers, a fair amount of cloud around and misty around the coast
:08:44. > :08:48.but sunny spells and not quite the seat we have seen today so slightly
:08:49. > :08:54.cooler, average temperatures of 20 or 21 and up to 23. For the Channel
:08:55. > :08:57.Islands, rather cloudy and after some thunder overnight the
:08:58. > :09:03.possibility of four patches and more showers to come on Sunday, mainly
:09:04. > :09:06.dry on Mike holiday Monday. Have a nice afternoon.
:09:07. > :09:08.Coming up tonight in Spotlight, we'll look ahead
:09:09. > :09:10.to the big sporting fixtures this Bank Holiday weekend.
:09:11. > :09:13.And a preview of the events taking place across the region including
:09:14. > :09:15.the first music festival at Plymouth's Royal William Yard.
:09:16. > :09:17.BBC Radio Cornwall's David White will be meeting one
:09:18. > :09:24.I'll be back with Victoria Graham for more on that and all the latest
:09:25. > :09:26.news from the South West in Spotlight tonight at 6.30.
:09:27. > :10:02.From the lunchtime news, have a very good afternoon.
:10:03. > :10:08.In Japan, art and life are intrinsically connected.
:10:09. > :10:11.Understanding the principles behind the art
:10:12. > :10:16.unlocks the mysteries of Japanese culture.
:10:17. > :10:20.Join James Fox as he gets beneath the skin of Japan's landscapes,
:10:21. > :10:25.cities and traditions in The Art Of Japanese Life.