Teenager Electrocuted In Christmas Accident

A teenager has died in a freak electrocution accident while apparently searching for Christmas decorations in the loft of her house.

Georgia Marshall, 13, from Barry, South Wales, is thought to have been killed when a metal ladder inadvertently touched a live wire.

The schoolgirl was holding the step ladder while her father Richard, 54, searched for the decorations, according to local media.

The teenager, one of seven children, was from a family of animal lovers and grew up surrounded by horses, dogs and guinea pigs.

Her mother, Glenda Marshall, paid tribute to Georgia on Facebook.

"My beautiful light became a shining star today. Love u forever and will miss you till the day I die. My amazing Georgia. Words cannot say how I feel XXX," Mrs Marshall wrote.

Georgia's mother posted a Facebook photo of her daughter riding a horse

She has also posted a photograph of Georgia taken last Christmas, with the message: "My Angel, Christmas 2012."

The accident happened on Saturday and Mrs Marshall thanked friends of the family who have been using the site to express their sympathies.

"This is so hard for us. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support and offers of help this last couple of days," she wrote.

"Thank you to all the people who have taken and are going to take my guineas for me. This will help me out more than I can say.

"I won't ever get over this, but all your thoughts and help are so much appreciated by all of us here. THANK YOU."

Police are not treating the death of the teenager as suspicious.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family at this tragic time for them."

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Mandela Premiere Audience Shocked By Death

Nelson Mandela: Obituary Of An Icon

Updated: 6:30am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

Nelson Mandela's long but ultimately successful struggle to liberate South Africa's oppressed black majority made him a figure of hope and inspiration for millions of people around the world.

Feisty young lawyer, determined founder of the ANC's youth movement, militant commander, prisoner, president - his role in the fight for freedom was constantly evolving throughout his life.

Alongside mentor Walter Sisulu and great friend Oliver Tambo, he brought focus to the anti-apartheid campaign where it was needed, but became an enemy of the state in the process.

In 1963, already behind bars and facing the death penalty during a sabotage trial, Mr Mandela gave his famous "speech from the dock".

The words - combative, but measured and full of hope - signalled the emergence of the statesman who would become an icon of the 20th century.

:: Watch Sky News HD for all the latest news and reaction to Nelson Mandela's death

He said: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

The apartheid government jailed Mr Mandela and his comrades for life in 1964 but they could not lock away the ideas he embodied and the righteousness of his cause.

To allies of South Africa's racist regime - including some in Britain - Mr Mandela remained for many years a "terrorist".

But for campaigners Mr Mandela's 27-year ordeal behind bars, often in a cramped cell on Robben Island or in solitary confinement, represented all that was wrong with apartheid.

Pressure to free "prisoner 46664" went hand-in-hand with diplomacy and sanctions as the world set its sights on ending the injustice of South Africa's racial rule.

The beaming smile and joyful raised fist as he walked free from Paarl's Victor-Verster Prison with his wife Winnie on February 11, 1990, proved beyond doubt to most South Africans that a dark chapter in the country's history was coming to a close.

As President from 1994, Mr Mandela sought to build his "Rainbow Nation" - feted by world leaders as he crossed the globe outlining his vision of a non-racial democracy.

His campaign to unite the nation - black and white - behind the victorious Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa made many believe that vision could really be achieved.

An often troubled and traumatic personal life - including the split from Winnie following her kidnapping and assault trial - was never allowed to eclipse the greater goal of guiding South Africa into a new era.

After retiring in 1999, Mr Mandela - fondly known by his tribal name "Madiba" - settled into the role of "Father of the Nation".

Passing on the presidency to Thabo Mbeki, he was happy taking a step back from the political frontline, but always there to reassure his people  - a symbol of hope until the end.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 into the Madiba tribal clan, part of the Thembu people, in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, he was given his English name by a teacher, Miss Mdingane, at his first school. It was customary for all children to be given English names.

His father, a counsellor to the Thembu royal family, died when Mr Mandela was a child, and he was placed in the care of the acting regent of the Thembu people, chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, first as an activist, then president of the ANC Youth League.

Mr Mandela married his first wife, Walter Sisulu's cousin Evelyn Mase, in 1944 and the couple went on to have four children during a 14-year marriage.

In 1952, he and friend Oliver Tambo opened South Africa's first black law firm, using their offices to take on many civil rights cases and mount challenges to the apartheid system.

Mr Mandela was first charged with high treason in 1956 following the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Soweto - a document with demands including multi-racial, democratic government and equal rights for blacks - but was cleared when the prosecution failed to prove he was using violence.

In 1958 he divorced Evelyn and married Winnie Madikizela, who later became prominent in the ANC and the campaign to free her husband.

He was convinced to take up arms against the government following the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre - when police shot dead 69 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the segregationist Pass Law, which limited the freedom of the black population.

The government followed the massacre by banning the ANC, cracking down on strikers and protesters and applying apartheid restrictions even more severely as a state of emergency was declared.

As commander-in-chief of the ANC's armed wing from 1961, Mr Mandela secretly left the country to raise money and undergo military training in Morocco, Algeria and Ethiopia.

He returned in July 1962, but was arrested at a road block after briefing the ANC leadership on his trip.

Mr Mandela stood trial for incitement and leaving the country without a passport and this time there was no chance of an acquittal as he was jailed for five years and sent to Robben Island Prison for the first time.

He was behind bars when a group of his comrades were arrested in 1963. They were charged with sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial - named after the farm raided by police.

In June 1964 - following a lengthy trial condemned by the UN Security Council - Mr Mandela and seven other activists were sentenced to life in prison.

He remained imprisoned on the infamous Robben Island for 18 years before being transferred to Pollsmoor jail on the mainland in 1982.

In the space of 12 months between 1968 and 1969, his mother died and his eldest son was killed in a car crash, but he was not allowed to attend their funerals.

In 1980, Oliver Tambo, who was in exile in London, launched an international campaign to win Mr Mandela's release. International resolutions and rock concerts alike were harnessed to highlight the cause.

As the world community upped the pressure against South Africa, with the US approving tough economic sanctions in 1986, secret talks began between Mr Mandela and PW Botha's government.

In 1990, President FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC - paving the way for Mr Mandela's release on February 11.

The ANC and ruling National Party began talks about forming a new non-racial democracy for South Africa.

Relations between Mr Mandela and Mr de Klerk grew tense against a backdrop of violence between ANC supporters and Chief Buthelezi's Inkatha movement.

But the two leaders continued to meet and in December 1993 they were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Five months later, for the first time in South Africa's history, all races voted in democratic elections and Mr Mandela became president - having himself voted in an election for the first time in his life.

As president, Mr Mandela entrusted much day-to-day government business to his deputy Thabo Mbeki.

While his time in office was hailed as a triumph in terms of building the new South Africa, there was criticism for a failure to tackle the Aids epidemic and conditions in the country's slum townships.

Mr Mandela divorced Winnie in 1996 and married 52-year-old Graca Machel two years later, on his 80th birthday.

Mr Mandela stepped down as president after the ANC's landslide victory in the national elections in the summer of 1999, in favour of Mr Mbeki.

After his retirement he continued travelling the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and raising money for good causes.

With thousands of requests every year, his problem was fitting everything in and not exhausting himself.

In June 2004, aged 85, Mr Mandela announced he would be retiring from public life as he wanted to enjoy more time with his family.

But he did make an exception to speak out about his son Makgatho's death from Aids in 2005 - challenging the taboo that surrounds the disease in Africa.

The 2010 World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg was the world's last glimpse of the iconic leader in a public role.

He may have been looking frail, wrapped up against the cold and not speaking, but the famous smile as he basked in South Africa's success underlined how far his country had come.

In recent years he battled bouts of ill health, with South Africans struggling to come to terms with the reality that he could not go on forever.

Mr Mandela had hospital treatment in early 2012 for abdominal pain and then endured another 18-day stay at the end of the year suffering from gallstones and a chest infection.

A picture taken on February 2 at his Johannesburg home - showing him holding great-grandson Zen Manaway on his lap - proved to be the last time Nelson Mandela's millions of admirers saw the world's most famous smile.

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Mandela: Funeral Announced As Life Celebrated

Nelson Mandela: Obituary Of An Icon

Updated: 6:30am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

Nelson Mandela's long but ultimately successful struggle to liberate South Africa's oppressed black majority made him a figure of hope and inspiration for millions of people around the world.

Feisty young lawyer, determined founder of the ANC's youth movement, militant commander, prisoner, president - his role in the fight for freedom was constantly evolving throughout his life.

Alongside mentor Walter Sisulu and great friend Oliver Tambo, he brought focus to the anti-apartheid campaign where it was needed, but became an enemy of the state in the process.

In 1963, already behind bars and facing the death penalty during a sabotage trial, Mr Mandela gave his famous "speech from the dock".

The words - combative, but measured and full of hope - signalled the emergence of the statesman who would become an icon of the 20th century.

:: Watch Sky News HD for all the latest news and reaction to Nelson Mandela's death

He said: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

The apartheid government jailed Mr Mandela and his comrades for life in 1964 but they could not lock away the ideas he embodied and the righteousness of his cause.

To allies of South Africa's racist regime - including some in Britain - Mr Mandela remained for many years a "terrorist".

But for campaigners Mr Mandela's 27-year ordeal behind bars, often in a cramped cell on Robben Island or in solitary confinement, represented all that was wrong with apartheid.

Pressure to free "prisoner 46664" went hand-in-hand with diplomacy and sanctions as the world set its sights on ending the injustice of South Africa's racial rule.

The beaming smile and joyful raised fist as he walked free from Paarl's Victor-Verster Prison with his wife Winnie on February 11, 1990, proved beyond doubt to most South Africans that a dark chapter in the country's history was coming to a close.

As President from 1994, Mr Mandela sought to build his "Rainbow Nation" - feted by world leaders as he crossed the globe outlining his vision of a non-racial democracy.

His campaign to unite the nation - black and white - behind the victorious Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa made many believe that vision could really be achieved.

An often troubled and traumatic personal life - including the split from Winnie following her kidnapping and assault trial - was never allowed to eclipse the greater goal of guiding South Africa into a new era.

After retiring in 1999, Mr Mandela - fondly known by his tribal name "Madiba" - settled into the role of "Father of the Nation".

Passing on the presidency to Thabo Mbeki, he was happy taking a step back from the political frontline, but always there to reassure his people  - a symbol of hope until the end.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 into the Madiba tribal clan, part of the Thembu people, in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, he was given his English name by a teacher, Miss Mdingane, at his first school. It was customary for all children to be given English names.

His father, a counsellor to the Thembu royal family, died when Mr Mandela was a child, and he was placed in the care of the acting regent of the Thembu people, chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, first as an activist, then president of the ANC Youth League.

Mr Mandela married his first wife, Walter Sisulu's cousin Evelyn Mase, in 1944 and the couple went on to have four children during a 14-year marriage.

In 1952, he and friend Oliver Tambo opened South Africa's first black law firm, using their offices to take on many civil rights cases and mount challenges to the apartheid system.

Mr Mandela was first charged with high treason in 1956 following the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Soweto - a document with demands including multi-racial, democratic government and equal rights for blacks - but was cleared when the prosecution failed to prove he was using violence.

In 1958 he divorced Evelyn and married Winnie Madikizela, who later became prominent in the ANC and the campaign to free her husband.

He was convinced to take up arms against the government following the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre - when police shot dead 69 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the segregationist Pass Law, which limited the freedom of the black population.

The government followed the massacre by banning the ANC, cracking down on strikers and protesters and applying apartheid restrictions even more severely as a state of emergency was declared.

As commander-in-chief of the ANC's armed wing from 1961, Mr Mandela secretly left the country to raise money and undergo military training in Morocco, Algeria and Ethiopia.

He returned in July 1962, but was arrested at a road block after briefing the ANC leadership on his trip.

Mr Mandela stood trial for incitement and leaving the country without a passport and this time there was no chance of an acquittal as he was jailed for five years and sent to Robben Island Prison for the first time.

He was behind bars when a group of his comrades were arrested in 1963. They were charged with sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial - named after the farm raided by police.

In June 1964 - following a lengthy trial condemned by the UN Security Council - Mr Mandela and seven other activists were sentenced to life in prison.

He remained imprisoned on the infamous Robben Island for 18 years before being transferred to Pollsmoor jail on the mainland in 1982.

In the space of 12 months between 1968 and 1969, his mother died and his eldest son was killed in a car crash, but he was not allowed to attend their funerals.

In 1980, Oliver Tambo, who was in exile in London, launched an international campaign to win Mr Mandela's release. International resolutions and rock concerts alike were harnessed to highlight the cause.

As the world community upped the pressure against South Africa, with the US approving tough economic sanctions in 1986, secret talks began between Mr Mandela and PW Botha's government.

In 1990, President FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC - paving the way for Mr Mandela's release on February 11.

The ANC and ruling National Party began talks about forming a new non-racial democracy for South Africa.

Relations between Mr Mandela and Mr de Klerk grew tense against a backdrop of violence between ANC supporters and Chief Buthelezi's Inkatha movement.

But the two leaders continued to meet and in December 1993 they were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Five months later, for the first time in South Africa's history, all races voted in democratic elections and Mr Mandela became president - having himself voted in an election for the first time in his life.

As president, Mr Mandela entrusted much day-to-day government business to his deputy Thabo Mbeki.

While his time in office was hailed as a triumph in terms of building the new South Africa, there was criticism for a failure to tackle the Aids epidemic and conditions in the country's slum townships.

Mr Mandela divorced Winnie in 1996 and married 52-year-old Graca Machel two years later, on his 80th birthday.

Mr Mandela stepped down as president after the ANC's landslide victory in the national elections in the summer of 1999, in favour of Mr Mbeki.

After his retirement he continued travelling the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and raising money for good causes.

With thousands of requests every year, his problem was fitting everything in and not exhausting himself.

In June 2004, aged 85, Mr Mandela announced he would be retiring from public life as he wanted to enjoy more time with his family.

But he did make an exception to speak out about his son Makgatho's death from Aids in 2005 - challenging the taboo that surrounds the disease in Africa.

The 2010 World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg was the world's last glimpse of the iconic leader in a public role.

He may have been looking frail, wrapped up against the cold and not speaking, but the famous smile as he basked in South Africa's success underlined how far his country had come.

In recent years he battled bouts of ill health, with South Africans struggling to come to terms with the reality that he could not go on forever.

Mr Mandela had hospital treatment in early 2012 for abdominal pain and then endured another 18-day stay at the end of the year suffering from gallstones and a chest infection.

A picture taken on February 2 at his Johannesburg home - showing him holding great-grandson Zen Manaway on his lap - proved to be the last time Nelson Mandela's millions of admirers saw the world's most famous smile.

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Afghan Murder Marine To Serve At Least 10 Years

A Royal Marine who murdered an Afghan insurgent has been sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Sergeant Alexander Blackman was jailed for life but told he will have to serve the minimum sentence before he is eligible for parole.

The non-commissioned officer was found guilty of murder by a court martial board last month.

He had only previously been referred to as Marine A until Thursday when his name was made public by the High Court.

Blackman ,,, in full view for the first time, stood to attention in court, his hands by his sides, clenched into fists.

The murder of the Afghan fighter was filmed on a Marine's helmet camera

Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett told him: "You intended to kill him and that shot certainly hastened his death.

"This was not an action taken in the heat of battle.

"You treated that Afghan man with contempt and murdered him in cold blood.

"This offence was unique and unprecedented in recent history.

"You were obliged to care for him, instead you executed him."

Blackman was put on trial with two others, who were called Marines B and C, for the killing of an Afghan fighter, who was shot in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol.

The murder was filmed by a camera mounted on the helmet of one of his colleagues.

The soldiers involved were referred to only as Marines A, B and C in court

A recording of his words captured him admitting he had broken the Geneva Convention on the treatment of war prisoners.

Marines B and C were alleged to have been "party to the killing" and "encouraged and assisted" Marine A in committing the murder but were cleared.

Two other soldiers, against whom charges were discontinued, will be the subject of a further hearing to determine whether their names can also be released.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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Weather: Thousands Evacuated Amid Tidal Surge

Homes have been washed into the sea in the most serious tidal surge to hit Britain for more than 60 years.

The houses in Hemsby, Norfolk, were ripped from their precarious cliff top position, as the sea rose to levels even higher than those which caused the devastating floods of 1953.

Sea defences are estimated to have protected more than 800,000 homes but some barriers were breached as the tidal surge combined with high tides and strong winds.

Rescue workers attempt to salvage possessions from one of the wrecked homes

Coastal communities along Britain's east coast were warned of "exceptionally high tides" to come, as the surge swept south towards the Kent coast.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said two women, two young babies in pushchairs and a dog had been rescued after being hit by a large wave at Louisa Bay in Broadstairs, Kent.

The Environment Agency said further high tides on Friday and Saturday could cause more flooding in areas already inundated with water.

Firefighters pause for a cup of tea after pumping water from people's homes

It has more than 100 flood warnings and alerts in place across England and Wales, including 12 severe flood warnings which are issued only when flooding poses a "significant threat to life".

Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "This is not over.

"I would urge everyone to pay very close attention to advice from the Environment Agency, and also to follow instructions from the emergency services."

A postman struggles to complete his round in Lowestoft

Steven Connolly and his wife managed to salvage some of their possessions as their two-bedroom bungalow in Hemsby crashed into the sea.

"We were in the pub when we heard the cliff was going so rushed to get what we could out," he said.

"People we've never even met were helping out, it was amazing.

People fill sandbags to protect against the high tide in Great Yarmouth

"Suddenly we heard someone shout 'it's going, it's going' and we watched our kitchen get ripped apart. The whole house collapsed before our eyes."

Further north in Boston, Lincolnshire, residents told Sky's Gerard Tubb they had seen water "cascading" down the street as sea defences gave way.

Sam Seaton said she was "devastated" to find her home had been so badly damaged she will be unable to spend Christmas there this year.

People gather on a bridge in Sandwich, Kent, as the River Stour rises

"I lifted my new sofas up off the floor before I left but they are still wet at the bottom, so the water must have come up to a foot or two high," she said.

Thousands of homes in coastal areas were evacuated after officials warned that lives could be at risk.

Hundreds of people were forced to spend the night camped out in emergency rest centres.

In Suffolk, residents who evacuated flood risk areas on Thursday night are being advised to return home.

Authorities in the county said the next high tide is predicted to be substantially lower than the previous two tides, with no risk of flooding.

Sky's Becky Johnson, in Rhyl, north Wales, said: "Lots of elderly people had to be rescued by lifeboats and they were really quite distressed by what was happening.

Waves crash onto a beach in Hemsby, Norfolk

"Many residents thought their homes were protected by the sea defences and simply weren't expecting to be flooded."

The North Sea surge followed an Atlantic storm which brought severe gales of up to 80mph across Scotland and northern parts of England.

Some mountainous regions in Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire reported speeds of around 140mph.

One man died after he was struck by a falling tree in a park in Retford in Nottinghamshire, while a lorry driver was killed when his HGV toppled onto a number of cars in West Lothian.

The adverse weather also caused chaos on the transport network, with rail services for Scotland and parts of the North of England suspended and number of flights disrupted.

:: Watch the latest live coverage from around the country on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad.

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Porpoises Seen In Thames After Tidal Surge

Five porpoises have been seen swimming in the River Thames in central London, hours after a storm surge hit southeast England.

The pod was picked up by a boat from the Metropolitan Police's Marine Policing Unit at about 9.30am near Tower Bridge.

Five were seen initially, moving to the Lambeth area, before three of them disappeared from view, leaving just two heading west past Battersea power station.

It is thought that they could have sought shelter in the Thames from the storm which has been ravaging the North Sea.

While the risk of tidal surges remains, the porpoises will be forced to remain in the river as the raising of the Thames Barrier has cut off their escape route.

The barrier was expected to be lowered at 5.30pm so it is hoped they will be able to return to the sea after that.

The Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit tweeted that it was following the porpoises - a type of cetacean related to a dolphin - and said: "The porpoises seem happy enough.

"They are surfacing regularly and are staying in the Westminster area."

A spokesman for the Marine Conservation Society said: "It is unusual for five animals to be in the river ... as porpoises tend to be seen alone, and in smaller groups.

"It isn't possible to say whether the tidal surge is the cause of the porpoises being in the river, but it could well be related, either to the tidal movement, or as a response to the particularly rough seas beforehand.

"The outer Thames Estuary would have been relatively sheltered from northerly offshore winds.

"The pod should be able to navigate back to sea, and pass through the Thames Barrier when the tide goes out and the barriers are opened."

Away from London, several seals have been washed up dead on shore on the north Norfolk coast.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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NatWest Website Hit By A 'Surge Attack'

The NatWest personal banking website has been hit by a cyber attack in the wake of its IT woes earlier this week, Sky News has confirmed.

Some customers trying to log on to the website found it impossible to enter the site.

NatWest, which is owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, said there had been a deliberate swamping of its site.

An RBS spokesperson told Sky News: "Due to a surge in internet traffic deliberately directed at the NatWest website, customers experienced difficulties accessing some of our customer web sites today.

"This deliberate surge of traffic is commonly known as a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack.

"We have taken the appropriate action to restore the affected web sites. At no time was there any risk to customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."

The bank stressed that the problems on Thursday night and Friday were not connected with its banking blackout which began on Cyber Monday - the biggest online retail day of the year - and stretched into Tuesday.

Some technical problems continued until Wednesday and thousands of customers who were unable to use the banks' websites or card services vented their fury online.

The group chief executive Ross McEwan described the earlier glitch as "unacceptable" and added: "For decades, RBS failed to invest properly in its systems.

"We need to put our customers' needs at the centre of all we do. It will take time, but we are investing heavily in building IT systems our customers can rely on.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience we caused our customers. We know we have to do better.

"I will be outlining plans in the New Year for making RBS the bank that our customers and the UK need it to be.

"This will include an outline of where we intend to invest for the future."

As well as this week's problems, a glitch in May left RBS and NatWest customers using mobile apps unable to access their accounts online.

That followed a major fiasco in June last year which saw payments go awry, wages appear to go missing and home purchases and holidays interrupted - and cost the group £175m in compensation.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82

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Police Woman Jailed For 'Burying' Rape Claim

A policewoman lied to an alleged rape victim by telling her that prosecution lawyers were unwilling to pursue her case.

PC Hannah Notley told the alleged victim, as well as her superiors, that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had decided not to pursue her allegation of sexual assault, even though she had never passed the file to them in the first place.

The Essex Police sex assault specialist later tried to fob off the alleged victim by telling her the CPS had dropped the case because she had reported it too late.

A defence lawyer said the police officer was undergoing some sort of emotional breakdown at the time which led to her behaving as she did.

When the alleged victim was told her rape was not being looked into, she tried to take her own life.

Notley was jailed for four months on Friday at Southwark Crown Court, in London.

She had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in public office between July 6 2011 and April 21 2012.

The 30-year-old, from Benfleet in Essex, wept throughout the sentencing hearing and broke down as she was sentenced, saying "I love you" to family members in the public gallery as she was led away.

Prosecutor Zoe Martin told the court that after Notley was assigned to the case in July 2011, the alleged perpetrator was arrested and interviewed, and his mobile phone and computer examined.

But when Notley was later asked what had happened in the case, she told a superior the CPS had decided not to pursue it.

When it was then logged on the police system as having "no further action", Notley failed to put superiors straight and even told the alleged victim herself that CPS lawyers had decided to drop the case, despite knowing it had never been passed to them.

In February last year, Notley spoke to the complainant, telling her that the CPS had dropped the case because she had reported it too late so there was no physical evidence.

Miss Martin said: "She (the complainant) was clearly upset because it implied that the NFA (no further action) decision to some extent was her fault for reporting the rape late in the day.

"The alleged victim states that on the evening that she was telephoned by Ms Notley to say that there was no further action, she tried to take her own life."

The matter only came to light after an independent adviser allocated to the complainant pursued the matter and it transpired that the CPS had never been sent the file.

The rape allegation was reinvestigated, the court heard, and the alleged perpetrator has now been charged. He is due to stand trial in May.

The court heard the woman had been left devastated by the revelation that Notley lied and it had ruined her trust in the police.

The explanation given to the court was that Notley had been suffering from difficulties in her personal life - she had split from her fiance just weeks before their wedding, and she had later suffered a miscarriage which coincided with her sister falling pregnant.

In mitigation, Allan Compton, on behalf of Notley, told the court she had been "beset with guilt" over her lie, but had not gained from it.

He said she had been deeply depressed at the time and had suffered some form of emotional breakdown, but it was never her intention to "bury this investigation completely".

Notley later lost her job with the force, the court heard.

An Essex Police spokesman said today: "We await the full detailed report of the IPCC investigation and will deal with any recommendations which are made."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82

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Man Admits Strangling Ex-Girlfriend And Baby

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5:05pm UK, Friday 06 December 2013

Wesley Williams pleaded guilty to killing Ms Walsh and her son Harrison

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World Cup 2014: England's Opponents Revealed

England have been drawn to play against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

England manager Roy Hodgson reacts to the draw

The draw means England's first game, against Italy on June 14, will kick off at 2am UK time in the city of Manaus, in the Amazon region.

They will face Uruguay five days later in Sao Paulo, before finishing their group match fixtures against Costa Rica in Beloe Horizonte on June 24.

Should England qualify from their group, they will face either Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast or Japan in the second round.

The last time England faced either Uruguay, Costa Rica or Italy in the first round of the World Cup was in 1966 - the last and only time they have ever lifted the trophy.

Then, they played Uruguay in Group 1, drawing 0-0 at Wembley.

The groups in full:

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

More follows...

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Video Of Man Saved From Sunken Ship Off Nigeria

Footage has emerged of divers discovering a cook who had survived for almost three days trapped in an air pocket in his sunken ship's hull.

Nick van Heerden was on a mission to recover bodies from the sunken Jascon 4 when a hand reached out to him while he was searching the tugboat.

The voice of rescue co-ordinator Colby Werrett is heard shouting: "He's alive, he's alive!"

Nick van Heerden grabs a limp-looking hand and realises: "He's alive"

As the camera pans up through the water, a shaken Harrison Okene is seen sitting in his underwear in the corner of a room, containing a small air pocket.

He reportedly survived for almost three days with no food and a few cans of fizzy drink, trapped 30 metres under the sea.

Mr Okene managed to put on a harness and diving mask

His 11 colleagues died when the boat capsized and sank off the Nigerian coast. It happened in May, but the video has only come to light this week.

The diving team guides Mr Okene into a diving bell

The rescue team reassured Mr Okene and got him to safety by equipping him with a diving mask and safety harness.

At one point Mr Werrett asks Mr Okene his rank and on hearing that he was the crew's chef, the co-ordinator responds: "You're the cook? They always survive" - an apparent reference to a baker who survived the sinking of the Titanic.

The diving team with Mr Okene

Mr Van Heerden then steers Mr Okene out of the sunken vessel and into a diving bell.

Mr Okene posing for photos with his rescuers

An exhausted-looking Mr Okene was happy to pose for photos with his rescuers who also included Andre Erasmus, Darryl Oosthuizen, Guido Graff, Colby Werrett and Tony Walker.

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Eurostar: Government's 40% Stake Up For Sale

The Government is to sell its 40% stake in Eurostar in a move that could raise up to £10bn as part of a new privatisation project.

The sale is part of a plan to privatise £20bn of financial and corporate assets by 2020, but is likely to spark accusations that the 'family silver' is being sold off.

Speaking to Sky News, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said he thought there was "scope to expand the sale of Government assets".

His comments will prompt speculation that other assets in the Government's £600bn portfolio including the Post Office, the Royal Mint, the Met Office and Channel 4, could be next under the hammer.

The announcement follows the £3.3bn sale of the Royal Mail in October, which left Business Secretary Vince Cable facing allegations the business was undervalued by up to £6bn.

Danny Alexander will announce the plans

The £160m sale of the Government's student loans book to private debt collectors last month led to claims that the public was "subsidising a private company making a profit from pubic debt".

The plan for the Eurostar sell-off is contained in the new national infrastructure plan (NIP) which sets out over £375bn of planned public and private investments to 2030 and beyond.

As part of the announcement it was disclosed that the Government has set a new target for selling off state financial assets from £10bn to £20bn.

Mr Alexander told Sky News: "The principle that would apply is that if there are assets that the Government does not need to own and we can release vital resources that can go to improve infrastructure elsewhere in the country, then that is a good decision to make.

"But of course it would have to be demonstrated to be good value for money for the taxpayer that's a process that would have to be gone through before any final decision would be made."

He added: "We think there is scope to expand the sale of Government assets with the objective of making sure those project are managed effectively in the private sector and we can release funds to build much-needed infrastructure elsewhere."

He stressed that Eurostar would not necessarily be sold this year or next but that it could be sold between now and 2020.

Mr Cameron told Sky News that he found the process for infrastructure development frustrating. He said: "It is frustrating sometimes that we can't do things faster in Britain but we have a planning system, we have democratic accountability for that planning system, we have a need for everyone to have their say and make their point.

"That's very important in the British system.

"I think we can keep that system and that democracy but at the same time accelerate things and make them go faster.

"If you look at what this Government's done in terms of planning policy, decisions are now being taken faster, including on major infrastructure projects."

However, critics will question whether it is sensible to look to sell off the public's stake just as the Eurostar's fortunes seem to have turned a corner.

Sales revenue for the period July-September 2013 reached £207m - a 10% increase on the same period last year - and passenger numbers in summer 2013 rose 5% to 2.7 million.

The new national infrastructure plan will also see a commitment by six major insurers - Legal and General, Prudential, Aviva, Standard Life, Friends Life and Scottish Widows - to invest £25bn over five years in UK infrastructure projects.

The planned infrastructure investment has increased from £309bn last year to more than £375bn, with 291 of the 646 projects and programmes already under construction.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said: "Scheme after scheme has been announced to great fanfare, but then little actually delivered.

"Yet another announcement from ministers about possible future investment will do little to reassure business that warm words will finally translate into diggers in the ground."

Other measures being announced include:

:: The scrapping of plans to create the UK's first toll road for a decade. Motorists will not be charged to use the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon once the improvement scheme, due to start in 2016, is completed.

:: A further £50m will be allocated to redevelop the railway station at Gatwick Airport.

:: A Government guarantee could support finance for the development of a new nuclear power station at Wylfa on Anglesey.

:: The £1bn Northern Line extension to Battersea in southwest London will also be guaranteed by the Government.

:: Watch live coverage of the Autumn Statement throughout Thursday on Sky News HD

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Banks Fined Record £1.42bn For Rate-Rigging

Eight global banks have been fined a combined £1.42bn by the European Commission for forming illegal cartels to rig benchmark interest rates.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was handed a £325m penalty for its role though Barclays was spared a bill because it blew the whistle on the wrongdoing.

The other banks named as participating in the alleged cartel were Deutsche Bank - which is to pay the largest individual penalty of £602m - Societe Generale, Credit Agricole, HSBC, JPMorgan, UBS and Citigroup.

The UK brokerage RP Martin was ordered to pay £205,000.

HSBC's role was still under consideration, the Commission said, though the collective fine amounted to the biggest handed down by the EU.

RBS has previously been fined for rate manipulation

The benchmarks involved were the London interbank offered rate Libor, the Tokyo interbank offered rate and the euro area equivalents - all used to price hundreds of trillions of pounds in assets ranging from mortgages to derivatives.

The EU said that not every bank was involved in manipulating every rate but competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the most shocking aspect of the case was the "collusion between banks who are supposed to be competing with each other."

Although other fines have been levied against individual banks by US and UK regulators for manipulating interest rates, the Commission said it has sole responsibility for punishing cartels in the European Economic Area.

Part-privatised RBS was previously fined £390m over the rate-rigging while Barclays was handed a £290m penalty.

Both banking groups - along with London-listed HSBC - are currently subject to a separate probe by the Financial Conduct Authority and other world regulators into the alleged manipulation of foreign currency markets.

Sir Philip Hampton condemned the collusion

It emerged that eight personnel - six of them at Barclays and two at RBS - were suspended as the investigation got underway.

Both banks have also set aside billions of pounds to cover the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) while the industry is also being urged to quickly compensate businesses who were wrongly sold interest rate swap products.

In the wake of today's penalty, RBS said it had already made provisions for the payments.

Its statement said: "Since becoming aware in 2011 of improper conduct in connection with rate setting, RBS management has taken action to strengthen significantly the systems and controls governing its submissions of Libor and other trading rates."

Chairman Sir Philip Hampton added: "We acknowledged back in February that there were serious shortcomings in our systems and controls on this issue, but also in the integrity of a very small number of our employees.

"Today is another sobering reminder of those past failings and nobody should be in any doubt about how seriously we have taken this issue.

"The RBS board and new management team condemn the behaviour of the individuals who were involved in these activities.

"There is no place for it at RBS," he said.

Barclays also released a statement that recognised its wrongdoing in relation to euro rates but added: "Barclays voluntarily reported the Euribor conduct to the Commission and cooperated fully with the Commission's investigation.

"In recognition of this cooperation, Barclays has been granted full immunity from the financial penalties that would otherwise have applied."

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Man Arrested After Police Officer Shot In Leeds

Police have arrested a man in connection with the shooting of a female police officer in Leeds.

A major police manhunt for James Leslie was launched following the attack which took place shortly after 4am in Cardigan Road in the city's Hyde Park district.

A weapon is recovered by officers near a car

West Yorkshire Police said two uniformed officers attended a "routine call" to a disturbance and were confronted by a man at the address who fired at them.

The female officer received "serious" but non life threatening injuries to her face, neck and right hand and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

A male colleague was unhurt and able to remove her from harm's way and summon assistance from other officers.

Speaking at the scene, Chief Superintendent Paul Money said it was thought only one shot was fired.

The shooting happened shortly after 4am

He said: "My understanding at this time is that the officer was hit by one shot. We believe at this stage there was one discharge of that firearm and not multiple discharges."

Mr Money added: "This is quite obviously an incident that is thankfully rare in Leeds but nonetheless very shocking."

The force said a 37-year-old man was arrested at 10.10am in nearby Wood Lane in Headingley following a call from a member of the public, and a firearm was recovered in the area.

Assistant Chief Constable Geoff Dodd said the investigation was "still at an early stage" and while "any potential risk to the public has been removed", a police presence would remain in the area.

Police officers stand guard in Cardigan Road

"The officer has sustained a very serious injury and her wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. The thoughts of colleagues remain with the officer and her family at this very difficult time," he said.

"It is right to say that incidents where police officers face threat from firearms are thankfully very rare but that does not lessen the shocking impact when an officer is injured in such a way," he added.

Ned Liddemore, vice chairman of the Police Federation, described the shooting as a "cowardly attack".

"We will be supporting the officers and their families through this traumatic time," he said.

Forensic officers at the scene

Kieran Williams, 17, described how he had an altercation with Mr Leslie on Tuesday.

The teenager said Mr Leslie came to his house, which backs on to the scene of the shooting, complaining that someone was shining a torch through his window.

A woman police officer called round to take information from his housemates during the night after a bottle was thrown through their window.

He said he later heard multiple shots.

Radio Aire reporter Charlie Frost said she spoke to a couple of neighbours who heard a disturbance.

"They told be that they were very shook by the incident and that it is very worrying that it can happen here on their doorstep," she told Sky News.

Police are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shooting.

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Hewlett-Packard To Cut 1,100 UK Jobs In 2014

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has confirmed it is planning to cut 1,100 jobs at the start of 2014 from three UK sites.

The US-based firm - which remains the world's biggest maker of PCs - will axe 1,124 posts in total from its operations in Bracknell, Sheffield and Warrington during the first three months of the new year.

The company, which was reacting to an apparent leak by the Unite union, said the proposed losses were part of a workforce management plan that was first raised in May 2012 and expected to result in 7,000 staff losing their jobs across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

HP said at that time it was looking to save £2.2bn, which it would invest in growth areas like 'cloud' storage technology.

Unite national officer Ian Tonks said today: "For the last five years HP has been addicted to a culture of job cuts in the UK, to such an extent that its highly skilled workforce has little faith in the way the company is being managed and will be going forward.

Meg Whitman is implementing a turnaround plan for HP

"Unite will be doing everything possible to mitigate these job losses which are a hammer blow to the UK's IT sector and very distressing for employees in the run-up to Christmas."

Unite said 618 jobs could be lost at the Bracknell hub, although the employees work at multiple locations; 483 will go at Warrington and 23 at Sheffield.

HP's statement said: "HP remains committed to supporting the employability of its employees through a number of internal initiatives, including re-skilling, redeployment and support to obtain alternative employment as appropriate."

The firm is under pressure amid a global decline in PC sales amid growing demand for laptops and greater tablet use.

In a mission statement on the company's website, chief executive Meg Whitman writes: "We are in a multi-year journey to turn HP around, and we have put in place a plan to restore HP to growth.

"We know where we need to go, and we're making progress.

"We continue to drive product innovation in our core markets, with a focus on cloud, security, and big data.

"We see big opportunities ahead, and we are well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities with our remarkable set of assets and strengths.

"We have the people, the plan, and the foundation in place to help us succeed on the next phase of the journey."

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Movie Buffs Mourn The Loss Of Silent Films

Most of America's feature-length silent films have been lost because of decay and neglect over the past 100 years, according to a study.

James Hall, Clara Bow and Jack Oakie in The Fleet's In

Of the nearly 11,000 silent films made between 1912 and 1930, only 14% still exist in their original format, the Library of Congress research found.

And 11% of those that survive only exist as foreign versions or on lower-quality formats, meaning an original 20th century art form has all but disappeared.

Silent films were at their peak between in the early part of the century when - before network radio or television - going to the cinema was the most popular form of entertainment.

Anna May Wong in the Thief Of Baghdad

Around 46 million people - out of a population of 116 million people - went to the cinema in the US during the 1920s, according to the report.

Historian and archivist David Pierce, who carried out the study for the library, said few defunct art forms have the resonance of silent films.

"It's a lost style of storytelling, and the best of the films are as effective with audiences today as they were when they were initially released," he said.

Gloria Swanson who successfully moved from silent to speaking parts

"When you take away dialogue from a narrative story, it actually puts quite a challenge upon the creative people involved to tell the story entirely in a visual fashion.

"And it's that limitation, I think, which makes the films so effective."

Famous films now considered lost include Cleopatra from 1917, The Great Gatsby from 1926, Lon Chaney's London After Midnight from 1927, and The Patriot from 1928.

Jack Hoxie in one of the first westerns, Western Whirlwind

Films featuring early stars, including Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford still exist thanks to organisations such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Library of Congress and other archives preserving early films for decades.

But, the study reveals, for every classic that survives, a half dozen have been lost.

Librarian of Congress James Billington wrote in the report that the nation has already lost much of the creative record from an era that brought American movies to the heights of cinematic achievement.

"The loss of American silent-era feature films constitutes an alarming and irretrievable loss to our nation's cultural record," he wrote.

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Schizophrenic Jailed For Beheading Flatmate

A paranoid schizophrenic who killed his flatmate and cut off his head after suffering from delusions he was being persecuted has been jailed for life.

Karl Addo, found by several doctors to be borderline insane, will serve a minimum of six and half years for the killing of Sergio Marquez and may never be released from Broadmoor because he is so ill.

Karl Addo admitted manslaughter

The headless body of Mr Marquez, who was decapitated and disembowled after he died, was found by other flatmates who ran screaming from the address.

Years of mental illness led Addo to believe that he was being assaulted by gangs with special powers and been injected with drugs.

He believed that Spanish waiter Mr Marquez, 23, was part of a gang and that he wanted to kill and torture him.

The 30-year-old engineering graduate snapped on July 17 last year - the day his landlord told him to leave the flat the pair shared in Bournemouth, Dorset, because he had not paid his rent.

He hit Mr Marquez with a cleaver and stabbed him in what was a "prolonged horrific and very violent attack and his body was terribly mutilated," Nigel Pascoe QC, prosecuting told Bournemouth Crown Court.

A neighbour heard some of the attack and Mr Marquez saying "please Karl, please Karl", furniture being dragged around and then Addo laugh, Mr Pascoe said.

Police officers arrested Addo nearby covered in blood, the court was told. He had fled the flat when the others had returned.

Sergio Marquez's body was discovered by his other flatmates

Sentencing Addo, Mr Justice Burnett told him it was common ground that he was dangerous and also imposed an indefinite restriction under the Mental Health Act, explaining that he would "not be released unless the relevant authorities conclude that is it safe to do so".

"Given all that I have heard, you must recognise that there is a real possibility that such a conclusion will never be reached," he said.

Flatmates told police that Addo had been acting strangely, that he used to steal food from them and had used book pages as toilet paper, the court heard.

Addo, who was born in the UK but had also lived in the US, absconded from the Huntley Mental Health Centre in London where he was a voluntary patient the day before a mental health tribunal in October 2011 decided he should be sectioned.

He then "disappeared" from mental health services before he moved to Bournemouth in May 2012.

Addo, of no fixed abode pleaded not guilty to murder on Monday but guilty to manslaughter through diminished responsibility.

Mr Marquez, originally from Sain, had come to England to find work

The prosecution said the plea was acceptable because Addo had been severely mentally ill when he killed Mr Marquez, who lived in Coin near Malaga in Spain and had come to England to find work.

Speaking after the case, Mr Marquez's mother Maria Carmen Marquez Torres said: "Sergio was a kind, good hearted and beautiful man who touched the lives of everyone who met him.

"I have lost my son and the world has lost a wonderful man.

"I believe that I have received justice for me and for Sergio.

"No sentence would ever be sufficient and nothing will ever compensate me for he loss of my son, but I find comfort in the fact that Mr Addo will not have his freedom for a long time and inflict this pain on any other family."

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Conway's Console: The Recovery Where You Live

The recession is over and the recovery is under way.

Of course, that's welcome news - not just for the Chancellor but for the country as a whole.

But one of the most striking features of this recovery is that, all too often, the national story is quite, quite different to the local one.

Take house prices: they're rocketing in London but they are barely increasing (and sometimes actually falling) in many other parts of the country.

You can tell a similarly divergent story about wages, or the labour market, or indeed broader measures of economic output.

Now, I've tried to tell that story on Sky News whenever possible, but even more striking is when you have a chance to explore the real, divergent story of Britain's economic recovery yourself.

And that's precisely what I've attempted to do with this new console.

As a bit of a data geek, I try to look at as many different measures of how each region is doing - whether on housing affordability, earnings or jobs - but I've always been frustrated that there's no single place which puts them all together.

Well that's precisely the objective of the product we at Sky News have now created. For better or worse, it's called Conway's Console.

Open it up yourself and spend a moment checking it out.

You can look at how your region or local area of the UK compares to the national average on a whole range of different measures.

You can compare one area against another - for instance, just look at the enormous divergence between inner London and parts of the North East on a whole range of measures.

Or go to the "Heat Map" tab on the top left and see how the country looks in terms of house prices, housing affordability, wages or unemployment. See, for instance, which part has grown most in the most recent year. And no, it's not London.

The message I hope you'll get is that this economy, and the recovery, are far more complex and divergent than any single report of ours or others can express. And that divergence is greater in this economic recovery than any other for decades.

:: Watch Sky News on December 5 for live coverage and reaction to the Autumn Statement

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Woolwich Suspect: Killing 'Gives Me Little Joy'

One of the men accused of killing soldier Lee Rigby told police it gives him "little joy to approach anybody and slay them", a court has heard.

Michael Adebolajo, who denies murder, made the comments in a two-hour interview, which was played to jurors at the Old Bailey.

As he sat with a blue blanket covering his head, the 28-year-old, who gave his name at Mujahid Abu Hamza, told officers it was "not my character" to kill people.

The videotaped interview showed him speaking non-stop for 30 minutes, pausing only for a sip of water.

He described how the rape of Muslim women "disgusts me to the core", telling officers: "If it does not affect you, you are wicked men."

During his police statement, Adebolajo told officers that Drummer Rigby "was struck in the neck with a sharp implement and it was sawed until his head became, you know, almost detached".

Police released a picture showing damage to the defendants' Vauxhall Tigra

"May Allah forgive me if I acted in a way that was displeasing to him," he added.

At one point in the interview, Adebolajo complained that he was refused permission to remove blood from his hands in hospital.

He was heard telling officers: "I have blood on my hands and I wish, like any sane man, to remove that blood."

When one of them tried to interrupt his monologue, Adebolajo raised his voice and said: "When I'm finished, you may speak."

A female juror wept as a pathologist gave the court a detailed breakdown of Drummer Rigby's injuries, which included some stab wounds up to 12cm deep and others that "almost entirely circled" the neck.

This knife - not used in the attack - was found on a seat in the Tigra

The soldier's family decided not to attend court for Dr Simon Poole's graphic evidence.

He said Drummer Rigby was probably knocked unconscious when he was hit by the defendants' car but died from multiple incised wounds inflicted later.

In an earlier interview, the murder suspect told officers the "leaders" of Britain were "wicked, corrupt, selfish and oppressive" and he was "particularly disgusted by David Cameron, the Miliband brothers and what's-his-name, Nick Clegg".

Adebolajo discussed politicians gathering in the House of Commons and paying tribute to soldiers killed in Afghanistan "as a disgusting practice".

In his third interview with police, Adebolajo asked one of the officers to explain why he was questioning him.

Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in Woolwich on May 22

"Relate it back to why you feel this will benefit Lee Rigby's family and ensure the safety of the British people," he said, again sitting covered in a blue blanket with a copy of the Koran in front of him.

The officer replied: "Lee Rigby was a soldier who was killed on Wednesday 22nd, as you know.

"The family of Lee Rigby are obviously very upset about it, and I'm trying to ask you as part of an investigation."

Moments later he left the interview room, after the officer asked him to use "plain and simple" language.

The court also heard a statement from a psychiatrist who assessed Adebolajo in the days after Drummer Rigby was killed in Woolwich, southeast London, just metres from a military barracks.

He said he showed "no signs of regret or remorse for his actions" but was polite and co-operative with medical staff.

There was no evidence of any mental health problems, he added.

Adebolajo and co-defendant Michael Adebowale were seen on CCTV

Earlier, jurors were shown pictures of the weapons used in the attack on Drummer Rigby, including a meat cleaver, knives and a handgun.

DNA recovered from one of the knives matched Adebolajo's, the jury was told.

Other images showed a box containing a block of knives that was found inside the defendants' Vauxhall Tigra car, and the clothing worn by the pair on the day of the attack.

Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, 22, both deny murdering Drummer Rigby, attempting to murder a police officer and conspiracy to murder.

The trial continues.

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Nigella Lawson Admits Having Used Cocaine

Nigella Lawson has admitted she has used cocaine several times, but claimed her ex-husband has spread "false allegations" about drug abuse to ruin her reputation.

The 53-year-old told Isleworth Crown Court: "The idea that I am a drug addict or habitual user of cocaine is absolutely ridiculous."

The celebrity cook said art dealer Charles Saatchi had threatened to "destroy her" if she did not give evidence in court and she feels there is a "witch hunt" against her.

She said Mr Saatchi "told everyone" he was taking cocaine out of her nose after he was photographed holding her neck at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, London, earlier this year.

Mr Saatchi was pictured with his hand on Ms Lawson's throat in June

She claimed the much-publicised incident was actually sparked when she commented on a person walking by with a baby.

"I said 'I'm so looking forward to having grandchildren'," Ms Lawson told the court.

"He grabbed me by the throat and said 'I'm the only person you should be concerned with'."

Ms Lawson said she believes Mr Saatchi had a mind-set of "get her, I don't care what it takes" in relation to her and the current legal proceedings.

Ms Lawson is a witness in the trial of two former personal assistants, Elisabetta (referred to as Lisa) and Francesca Grillo, who are accused of spending thousands of pounds on credit cards loaned to them by the Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi.

Ms Lawson arrives in court with her brother Dominic Lawson

The Italian sisters deny the fraud charges against them.

Ms Lawson said the first time she used cocaine was when her late husband John Diamond found out his cancer was terminal, and she had it with him on six occasions.

"It gave him some escape," she said.

She said she also used the drug in 2010 when she was "subjected to intimate terrorism by Mr Saatchi".

"A friend of mine offered me some cocaine. I took it," she said.

Ms Lawson also admitted taking cannabis in the last year of her marriage to Mr Saatchi.

"I have to be honest, I have smoked the odd joint," she said.

"I found it made an intolerable situation tolerable. It's a false friend and not a good idea. I found the answer was in changing the situation and trying to create a tolerable situation for me and my family.

Ms Lawson with her late husband John Diamond

"I have to say, since freeing myself from a brilliant but brutal man, I'm now totally cannabis, cocaine, any drug-free."

Ms Lawson said Mr Saatchi was unaware that she used drugs during their 10-year marriage.

On Friday, Mr Saatchi gave evidence said it was a "terrible, terrible mistake" that a private email he sent to Ms Lawson, referring to her as "Higella", and claiming she had been off her head on drugs, has been made public.

When asked about the email, Ms Lawson described the allegations of her drug use in it as being "part of his plan of attack".

When she was asked about the word "pass" used in the email, she said: "I had once made reference to a 'pass' because I had been punished for going to a girlfriend's birthday."

Ms Lawson said she had not been beaten, but said she was left with "emotional scars", which were "very wounding and very difficult and of course we know how things accelerated".

The celebrity cook also said: "I have been put on trial here where I am called to answer, and glad to answer the allegations, and the world's press, and it comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse.

"He (Saatchi) had said to me if I didn't get back to him and clear his name he would destroy me."

Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo arrive at the court

It is alleged that between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012, the Grillo sisters committed fraud by abusing their positions while working for Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi.

The jury was told they are accused of using credit cards loaned to them to spend more than £685,000 on themselves.

Prosecutors claim the women lived the "high life", spending the money on designer clothes and handbags from Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood.

Ms Lawson told the court: "It's very difficult when you find out that someone you have loved and trusted could behave that way.

"In my heart of hearts I do not believe Lisa (Elisabetta) to be a bad person. I believe her not to have a very strong moral compass. She broke our heart."

She added that she once took out £7,000 from her savings to pay for Lisa Grillo to have her teeth fixed.

Mr Saatchi has given evidence in the case

Ms Lawson also said Lisa had been a "rock" when her first husband was terminally ill.

Sometimes I had to rush to hospital, she would stand in," she told the court.

"She was my rock. I will never forget what she did for my family."

Ms Lawson told the court that Lisa had become "like a member of the family" while living with her but became "bitter" later on.

"She was not at all hardworking towards the end. Most of the time she was on Facebook," she said.

"I do not think her bitterness was towards me personally. I think it was towards her life."

The trial continues.

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