Transcription
Welcome to BBC Points West on another scorching hot day. Thanks for joining us. I'm David Gston.
Our main story tonight, the verdict on Kelly's death. She was unlawfully killed by her partner who was a sex offender with a history of drugging women.
"We finally feel that Kelly has received the justice that she has deserved for so long."
Now, an inquest will be held into the man who was suspected of killing her. Our other headlines tonight. The council in South Glostershire says sorry to a survivor of domestic abuse who they refused to help. A treehouse which has delighted children will have to be pulled down because of health and safety. And we're at the first Badminton Flower Show hearing about this very special garden designed by two amateur gardeners in Somerset.
Good evening. An inquest into the death of a woman at the home of a sex offender in Somerset has found she was unlawfully killed. Kelly Fyes had met Richard Scatchard on a dating app but didn't know about his past convictions. After her death, he went on the run for six months. Martin Jones has been at Taton Coroner's Court and he joins me now. Good evening, Martin. What can you tell us?
"Yeah, good evening, David. Uh, Kelly Fez, as you say, was found dead at Richard Scatard's flat in Minehead in October 2023. Now, she'd been dating him for at least 6 months, but she didn't know who he really was. Who he was was a man with convictions for drugging and sexually assaulting women dating back to 1986. And today, the coroner ruled that Kelly had been unlawfully killed after finding on the balance of probabilities that Scatard had coerced her after drinking alcohol into taking sleeping tablets for his own gratification."
Kelly Fyes was someone who was looking for love after a previous relationship broke down. She'd been on dating sites. She matched with a man she knew as Richard Dunlop, but that wasn't his real name. He was Richard Scatchard. Out of prison on parole, serving a life sentence for drugging and sexually assaulting women. Kelly liked to drink. She often went to the pub with Richard Scatchard, as she did on the night she died in October 2023. He knew she'd been drinking alcohol, and the coroner today said he likely coerced her to take sleeping tablets as well, saying he liked to watch her sleep for his own sexual gratification. Today, the coroner said he knew or should have known that was asking for trouble. The combination of alcohol and sleeping tablets killed her.
Kelly's family still miss her deeply.
"Kelly was a loving daughter, sister, mother, and granddaughter. Kelly was kind, compass, compassionate, hardworking, and funny. She was also trusting and vulnerable, which ultimately led to her unlawful death. Kelly continues to live for us all and will remain in our hearts and thoughts always."
But they still question the actions of the police who didn't arrest Scatard when they were first called to his flat in Minehead. And they questioned the police and probation service for the way they monitored him. The coroner here today said that as far as monitoring was concerned, there was little more the police or probation services could have done given that as a manipulative sex offender, Richard Scadard hid Kelly's existence from them. Avon and Somerset police have apologized for the impact of the decisions made around Kelly's death. After Kelly's death, Richard Scatchard went on the run and his body was found 6 months later. The inquest into his death opens tomorrow. But Kelly's family still want to make sure her memory is never forgotten. Martin Jones, BBC Points West, Taton.
Cheddar Reservoir will be closed to the public from midnight due to the extreme heat over the next few days. Bristol Water said the decision has been made in line with its water safety practice, adding there was little shade around the boundary path. It stressed that although the water looks tempting on hot days, it can be extremely dangerous. It's due to reopen on Monday.
Residents of a tower block in Bristol which was evacuated in 2023 say they still don't feel safe in the building and want more guarantees from the city council. It comes after an independent report highlighted failings in the way the authority maintained Barton House and managed its evacuation. It also says many of the 400 residents have lost trust with the council. The city council's promising improvements and says the block is safe.
"We have put in a lot of structural safety improvements to the building. So, we've actually put in more steel, more structural elements that keep the building safe and sound. It's about trust. We need to make sure that people can feel they can trust us and that's about us being transparent and open."
A council has apologized after failing to look after a survivor of domestic abuse. The woman asked South Glostershire for help, but instead she was told to go back to the area where her abuser lived. She told Hannah Miller that she was left feeling scared.
"South Glostershire was supposed to be a place of sanctuary for Sophie after she fled her abusive partner. We've changed her name to protect her. I had lived around that area as a child and I wanted somewhere for my daughter that would feel safe growing up. There wasn't somewhere that's too far from family or friends, but was a safe enough distance from them."
But South Glostershire Council said no, refusing to house Sophie and her baby daughter when they were homeless, closing her case, and telling her to go back to the place she'd come from.
"It was scary, a bit unbelievable. I remember saying to friends or family, 'What was the point in leaving if the authorities want to send me back to where I fled?'"
"Do you feel they put you in danger?"
"Yes, because my ex was still making threats around this point. So, it wasn't it's not a safe environment to go back to."
When people come here to the council saying they're homeless, they usually have to prove they have a connection to the area, such as a job or immediate family. But in the case of domestic abuse survivors, that rule doesn't apply because the whole point is they're often trying to start a new life in a place where they can't be tracked down. The local government ombudsman found South Glostershire Council had fundamentally misapplied the law at a time when Sophie urgently needed help.
"The main concern for us wasn't just that this was one officer making a decision. It was a decision made with managerial and senior oversight. You've got a professional domestic abuse support worker repeatedly telling a council that they're interpreting the law wrong. They're interpreting the government's statutory guidance wrong and it didn't give them any pause for reflection."
South Glostershire Council's apologized unreservedly and admitted it didn't follow the correct process.
"As a result of this report, we have now put in the training, made sure that staff are fully aware of their responsibilities and also we're working with external organizations as well to make sure the support is there for Sophie."
"Obviously, this has had lifelong consequences. She can't live in the area where she felt safest. Have there been any consequences for anyone at the council?"
"So, there are a number of staff that have been involved in this. I I wouldn't want to pick anyone out. We have gone through internal processes for this to to to manage that situation. So um yes, it hasn't gone uh without consequences."
And with the ombudsman warning this case should serve as a wakeup call to other councils too. Sophie hopes that speaking out will make a difference.
"The main reason for doing this was for them to understand that this was a person's life and I don't want it to happen to anyone else. I hope they do better in future for other women, children or families in this situation." Hannah Miller, BBC Points West, South Glostershire.
Well, you're watching Points West here on BBC 1. How are you coping in this heat? The thing is just to take it easy, I think. Watch the tennis. Put your feet up. Now, there's lots more still to come, including...
"I am visiting a lab in Bristol that's giving a voice to thousands of people around the world."
And "what is this firefighter doing? Find out a bit later in the program." And we are out and about with the weather as well at the Cotswold Lakes.
First, a father who shook his four-week old baby to death has been convicted of murder following a trial at Bristol Crown Court. Tony Bartlett was feeding his son Attacus at the family home in Chard after a night out. He claimed he was innocent, but Atticus was found to have suffered severe internal injuries to his brain, spinal cord, and ribs. The police praised the boy's family for the dignity and courage they'd shown through the investigation and trial.
A trial date of next February has been set for a man accused of murder after a car crash in Wiltshire. Barbara Melany who ran a pet shop in Cricklade died in the crash near Royal Wootton Bassett on the 30th of June. Anthony Howells of no fixed abode is charged with five counts including murder and failing to stop.
MPs and unions are warning that people could be in danger on the Somerset coast due to planned cuts in payments to Coast Guard volunteers. They're regularly called on to help with rescues and today it was debated in parliament. Here's our political editor Paul Baltrop.
They help save lives, but Coast Guard rescue officers or CROs are volunteers. They're called out such as in this search for a missing man and get £11 an hour, but that's fallen foul of tax laws. So from September, they're due to only get expenses. Those who are union members last week protested outside parliament warning many will step back.
"Definitely doesn't give us the respect that we deserve. It means that Coast Guard rescue officers won't be available during working hours. We have to prioritize our main income streams because that's what puts food on our table and that's what looks after our family."
"In the middle of a rescue."
In a special debate, West Country MPs warned of the consequences.
"We are the west Somerset coast runs along the north of my constituency and the Bristol channel and in the Bristol Channel we have the second highest tidal range in the world. No one joins the coast guard for the money but that small modest payment helps soften the substantial financial impact they incur."
"In Burnham-on-Sea, we have a fantastic Coast Guard team and rescue officers. When people get into difficulty, it is these volunteers who respond often within minutes." The maritime and coast guard agencies say it's been forced on them due to a court ruling. Today it was again debated by MPs with a government minister saying they're trying to find a way through.
"May I begin by changes to the Coast Guard Rescue Service operating model a result of legal judgments which meant that the current model could not legally continue. What we are attempting to do is maintain a system whereby CROs feel valued at their work, feel motivated to turn up and to carry out their shifts and that the fairness that is inherent to that is respected and carried out."
Everyone agrees the Coast Guard volunteers do vital work. They may do less of that if the proposed changes go ahead in two months time. Paul Bartrop, BBC Points West.
Yes, that's Paul, our political editor, which reminds me that Politics West is on this Sunday at 10:00. We've got a special one for you this week because it's the end of our current series. We'll be looking at the political history of Concord. It's a story not many people know about and it features some original tape from the MP for Bristol, Tony Benn. So, that's Sunday at 10.
Now, a company in Bristol has opened a new testing lab which helps give people with disabilities a voice. Smartbox's products are used by over a 100,000 people right around the world. Their new lab is named after Hattie, a young man who suffered a viral brain injury as a baby. Jonathan Holmes has been to take a look.
Computers and tablets are everywhere these days, but if you can't use a keyboard or touch a screen, then the modern world suddenly becomes very difficult to access. This lab designs tablets that are much easier to use, some just by looking at them. When combined with a power chair, the results can be lifechanging.
"The software is designed to make using a computer really user friendly for somebody with disabilities. So, it simplifies the interface, makes it accessible via things like eye tracking or head tracking. Without it, it's very difficult for you to build relationships, make friends, fall in love, all of those amazing things, but also just learning and working."
The devices they make here are tested to their limits. They've got to last at least 5 years. Buttons are pressed, cables flexed, and the tablets are even dropped repeatedly. The lab is named after one of Smartbox's key product testers. Before his death, Hattie used their tablets to interact with his world.
"Being able to express myself and how I am feeling and showing I understand things has been very important to me. Hattie looked at it as an extension of himself but also a lifestyle device. So he used it to control the environment around him, including turning the shower cold when I was in the shower. So we had a whole house adapted for him. So he uses technology in a creative and sometimes a a funny and a humorous sort of way as well, but that's a reflection of his personality."
But perhaps the most important thing that these tablets do is give people without a voice the ability to be heard. And it's given writer Gavin from Wales an authentic accent as well.
"I'm not always part of the conversation. People talk over you, talk for you, or speak to the person standing next to you instead of speaking to you. My speech can be difficult for people to understand. And I've spent much of my life being misjudged. People assume that because I sound different, I must be less intelligent or less capable. And I can challenge misconceptions about speech impairments and nonverbal speaking people through imaginative expression which would otherwise go unheard."
The work that goes on here will help thousands around the world and continue Hattie's legacy.
"Yeah, he'd be absolutely psyched about what the lab is and and it's also what the lab represents as well. The the fact that this industry is is really pushing forward with regards to innovation." A fitting tribute to a young man who pushed the boundaries of assistive technology. Jonathan Holmes, BBC Points West in Bristol.
That's incredible, isn't it? Thank you, Jonathan. Right, let's look at some of the stories on the BBC News website this evening. Are you ready? Here we go. There's been a hitch at a waste treatment plant in Westbury, the one accused of giving off a whiff. Actually, a machine is broken at the unit and waste will be sent to landfill until it's fixed. Please be careful before you dial 999. That's the message from the ambulance service, which is very busy because of the heat. Bosses say they're getting calls about things like sunburn. Talking of sunshine, thousands of solar panels are to be installed at a military site at Lyneham. They'll keep the lights on at a training school there and more besides. And you can find all those stories and more on the BBC News website and BBC News app.
Health and safety rules mean a treehouse built by a family in Cheltenham will soon be chopped down and turned into wood chippings. The treehouse is on council land and the council says it regrets the decision but is encouraging children to have fun at ground level instead. Scott Ellis has been to check it out.
Here it is, the magnificent 20 foot high treehouse in this park in Cheltenham. Let's talk to Cooper who was one of those who helped to to build it. It's absolutely amazing. What did you think when you heard it's gonna have to come down?
"It's rubbish because we love doing it and we spend lots of time just building it and lots of money goes into it. We just lose it."
And Kaden, you helped as well. Where are you going to play next when this is gone?
"Uh hopefully build something new around here in the area."
"It's going to have to be down on the ground, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's going to have to be down on the floor."
"Are you really got it as well?"
"Yeah, it's quite annoying. It's taking ages to build and money and everything. finish really annoying really."
Well, we did speak to Cheltenham Borough Council and the Parish Council. They cannot get the public liability insurance that they need in order to cover any problems that might be here. And they've told us without appropriate insurance cover, the treehouse can't be permitted to remain as the duty of care to protect the safety of everyone who uses public open spaces. And they add informal ground level natural play is welcomed. Let's talk to Cooper's dad. What did you think when they said it's going to be wood chips?
"Uh well, different opinions because uh Cooper um for the last couple of years he hasn't been in school. So um this has helped with his anxiety. Um as you can tell by the film, he's just he's so much better now. Um and for it to go to wood chip, I think there's so much better things we can do. You know, bring..."
"Do you understand the argument about the insurance?"
"Of course I do. Absolutely. But let's bring some construction workers in. Make it safe whilst keeping the integrity of the treehouse. you know, and for all the kids involved, it's, you know, we're going to lose something special."
Natalie Cooper's mom, there was mention there about Cooper's anxiety. I mean, is he able to go and play in other places, does he have to have this treehouse?
"I think for me, the one thing that this treehouse is highlighted is just the importance of free play for children. Um, whilst the playground here at Burrows, it's an amazing space, but not all children can access it. A lot of children have hidden disabilities and so for them the playground is too much. The noise, the busyiness. So coming to a place like this just organic, it's natural."
"Do you understand the council's point of view? They're very disappointed and you know they they wanted to keep it here. They tried but they just can't get the insurance. Do you accept that?"
"Yes, I do. I do understand it. But I think it's highlighted the importance of a space like this for children in the community. So it would be wonderful if we could partner with them and maybe find another space for us to come together." Thank you all very much indeed. Well, there it is. The magnificent treehouse. I have to say it may not be here much longer.
Okay, Scott. Thanks very much. And do stay on the ground, won't you? Now, talking of work and play, this is a site you don't see very often. Firefighters taking over a soft play for training. The crew from Wootton Bassett were all blindfolded. They wanted a confined space drill, so used the soft play at the Churchill pub, crawling their way through the tunnels and rope swings.
Now, Lucy Shuker is into the semifinals of the wheelchair doubles at her final Wimbledon before retiring. Lucy, who spent most of her career living and training in Taunton, won a compelling match in three sets with her South African partner. They play the number one seeds next as Lucy goes in search of a sixth final at the championship.
Now, the Badminton estate is hosting a Royal Horticultural Flower Show for the first time. Some of the country's best garden designers are there alongside amateurs showing off their talents. Ross Barnard is there, too.
"Good evening, David. Welcome to a very warm Badminton estate here in South Gloucestershire. Normally known for its horses, but now for its horticulture because we have the first Badminton Flower Show that is on until Sunday. Thousands of people expected to come along. Lots of things to see, lots of gardens on show of all different sizes and lots of things to buy as well, but also lots of people coming here for personal reasons, including two gardeners that I met from Somerset who have designed their own garden in Langport in South Somerset."
Gavin and Michael are making last minute preparations for their show garden, the phlox, which are one of my favorites.
Gavin was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 2012. Despite his sometimes debilitating symptoms, he's retrained as a gardener. Local gardener Michael spotted him on social media and they've now designed a garden for the first Badminton Flower Show.
"I have numbness in my hands and legs, so I have to be really careful when cutting things. I don't cut my hands. Fatigue is a big thing. So if I feel myself waning, I'll just rest."
"It's just a fantastic way of, I think, you know, with a garden of telling a story. It's the same as painting a picture or writing a book. You can tell that story within the garden."
And this is their garden come to life. And here we are. It looks incredible.
"Thank you. It's been a feels like a few years we've been doing this, not a few days. [laughter] Very excited. And to think this has all come from from the Langport area and now it's here on site of Badminton."
"Yeah, we've Yeah, just it just seems bonkers."
You can see themes of MS with the nerve-like structures and symptoms carved into the garden, but it's also a place to relax.
"It seems a bit surreal to me from being someone who's who diagnosed with MS. Oh, I got emotional. Wasn't it?"
"It is emotional, isn't it? Got emotional. I felt nothing. [laughter]"
"It's just it's real now, isn't it? That's the thing."
"It's just mad."
"What do you want to say to each other?"
"Well done."
"Yeah. Thank you. [laughter] Thank you for choosing me to help. It's been amazing."
The garden will be at the show until this weekend, then dug up and transported to a Bristol charity who supports people with MS.
"I can't believe that all of this is coming back to the Brightwell's Garden. So that's the real bonus there so that all of our members can then experience it all over again in in our setting and for many years to come as well."
And for those of us who have trouble remembering the Latin names of plants, Gavin has a trick up his sleeve.
"This is a Digiplexus Falcon Fire. It's my favorite plant and I remember the Latin name Falcon and Fire because they're gladiators. My kids love gladiators." Every garden here has a story, but Gavin's feels especially personal.
And breaking news for you, they've won silver in their category of pocket planting, which is fantastic considering this is the first time they've designed a garden together. Well done, guys. Brilliant, brilliant news. As I said, it's on until Sunday. Lots of people expected here. Make sure you bring water. Make sure you bring a hat. It's going to be a hot one, but it's going to be a special few days.
It is. And well done to them. Right, let's uh have the weather forecast, shall we? And Sarah is out tonight. She's at the Cotswold Lakes. Hello. Oh, it looks very colorful and nice.
"Yeah, it's absolutely beautiful. And that horn just on queue there. Didn't know I was going on air. Is just signaling the start of a race that's about to start in five minutes time. That's a five-minute warning. The boats are starting to line up. I'll show them to you in just a second. This is the Wyedean Sailing Club. It's been here for nearly 60 years. And we're lucky enough to be joined by Anthony from the club this evening to talk about it. And uh the boats behind you are the Sailability boats. You've got 500 members. It's amazing."
"Yeah, it is. So, I mean, we've had Sailability on all day today and we've had a load of people here learning to sail with all sorts of disabilities, both uh physical and and cognitive. So, we have we have a lot of things going on at the club. So, yeah, again, as you heard earlier, the race buoy has just gone [laughter] off. Um, so there's a nice amount of boats out there ready to start racing."
"So, there are there are winners and losers with these heat waves. What about for you? How does it sit?"
"So, personally, I'm a racer. I like the wind and we don't get a lot of that when it gets hot. Um, but actually from a sailing perspective, we get a lot of new sailors come through when it's when it's like this because they want to be in the water or near it."
"So, a great uptick in interest. Let's talk about water safety super quickly because that is of course a big topic of..."
"It is at the moment. Yeah. I mean, we've had we we get a lot of swimmers here and it's so it's not safe at all. I mean, there's swimming lakes around here for a reason. They're a lot shallower and a lot more safe. Here is a very dangerous place to go swimming. So..."
"So, a mixed bag it sounds like with the heat wave, but you're going to get an easterly wind this week, which [laughter] No, not for this lake and it's going to get warmer and it's not going to be great, but never mind."
"Okay. Well, well, we'll do the weather forecast in a [laughter] minute. Yeah. So, as I say, they're just about to start a race here and I really want you to see the boats are all lining up. It's absolutely glorious. There are people here who are 12 years old racing by themselves out there and they have some members in this club who are up to 80 years old and still sail. And if you kind of get beyond that, you can do model racing as well. So, there's plenty going on here. They told me, I can't believe this. They sail 12 months of the year here. Only a bit of ice and lightning would stop them. So, also, a lack of wind is never good for sailing, is it? Let's take a look at the weather forecast for the next few days. We know, don't we, that we've now moved into our third heat wave. Some places got into that officially today as they breached those sort of thresholds of three days in a row of 26 or 27 degrees. But look at the headline. It's ongoing and it's prolonged. Let's look at why. If we take a look at what's going on in Europe, their temperatures to the south are well above average and we are importing that very warm air towards us. Out towards Eastern Europe, it's not as warm there. In fact, temperatures are below par, but we've got all this heat our way. And as we go through the next few days, we're going to see things turning even a little bit a little bit warmer in the west. But overnight tonight, it's not as warm as it would have been two weeks ago in the last heat wave. Even though we've had those temperatures into the low 30s today, overnight tonight we're going to stick at around 15 degrees and of course it's not as humid. And then tomorrow we're going to do it all again. Sunshine, perhaps a little bit of early low cloud around the coast that melts away. And then our temperatures inland comfortably, but not comfortable into the low 30s Celsius. Now, you'll note towards the west coast, we're not quite at that level yet, but we are going to get there. And the reason is this area of high pressure. I just mentioned to Anthony, we're going to pick up an easterly wind. And because we do that, as the area of high pressure moves northwards, we start to bring in the very, very warmest air from what's currently in the southeast towards us. So, our temperatures are going to climb even more, especially out towards the west coast. Very high 20s or low 30s here, mid 30s elsewhere. And that pattern is going to continue into the weekend, too. You can see in the outlook, there is no sign of change in any of this. This is a prolonged heat wave. It's longer than the last two heat waves combined. Back to you from the sailing club."
Okay, do splice the main brace, whatever that means. Have a good time. Thank you very much. And that's where I have to leave you. Thank you so much for watching. I'm back at 10, subject to Wimbledon. See you then. Bye. Take care.