nick garnett, bbc news my colleague sarah campbell is in liverpool for us now.pect to happen today. good morning, sam. iam outside liverpool crown court and it is a really important day, a very difficult day, no doubt, for the families of the three girls who were killed and all those others who were injured. this is the first time that they will be able to sit in a room, in the same room, as the person that carried out those terrible, terrible attacks last year, axel rudakubana. as we know he pleaded guilty and it was a surprise he pleaded guilty on monday and the families were not in court to hear that. as we know, the judge apologised afterwards for the fact that they were not there to hear that, but they will be here today to hear what are likely to be some very difficult details about what happened on thatjuly day last year. let's bring in our correspondence married smith to take us through exactly what is going to happen today. this is a sentencing so this is working out how long axel rudakubana, who is 18 now, how long he should serve.— should serve. that

nick garnett, bbc news.rt when that sentencing happens later today on bbc news. hundreds of same—sex weddings have been taking place in thailand this morning after the country's long—awaited equal marriage law came into effect. the legislation gives members of the lgbt community the same rights as heterosexual couples to share assets and adopt children. let's speak to our south east asia correspondent jonathan head. jonathan, give us a sense of what has been happening there in bangkok with these weddings. i am in essentially an enormous conference room in a shopping centre, which seems an unlikely place for romantic events like weddings but the city government organises with lgbtq activists to accommodate more than 100 couples who wanted to come and get married at the first possible opportunity. very much in the public gaze here but this is meant to be a celebration marking this legal milestone and an import of these many couples, some of them have been togetherfor a long time, sometimes more than two decade

nick garnett, bbc news. tying the knot as a new law recognising marriage equality comes into force. thailand is the first country in southeast asia, and only the third in the continent, to allow lgbtq people to get married. the prime minister has described it as an historic day where the love of everyone is legally recognised with honour and dignity. here's our south east asia correspondent, jonathan head. they came in costumes of every hue and colour, hoping to be among the first same sex couples to get official recognition of their unions. around 200 couples joined this mass wedding in the somewhat impersonal setting of bangkok's busiest shopping mall. lining up for the simple one page document that shows they are now legally married. thailand has long been famous for its tolerance of different sexual identities. most lgbtq couples have been able to live quite openly for many years. but what those who've been campaigning for equal marriage have been saying all along is that tolerance is not the same as equ

nick garnett, bbc news. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.ly the third in the continent to allow lgbtq people to get married. the prime minister has described it as an historic, day where the love of everyone is legally recognised with honour and dignity. let's speak to our south east asia correspondent jonathan head. john is amongst it all, a lot of people tying the knot. talk us through — of people tying the knot. talk us through it. _ of people tying the knot. talk us through it. it _ of people tying the knot. talk us through it. it has - of people tying the knot. taia; us through it. it has been a strange one here because of the numbers wanted to get married. they have designated this cavernous room in the busiest shopping mall in bangkok as a place where they can do it, around 200 at this place, hundreds in other parts of thailand doing it. some couples have been together for more than two decades, having more or less accepted it to varying degrees but never having legal status so it has been an important day for them. they have been bra

our correspondent nick garnett had this update outside preston crown court.ed from years of abuse at the hands of ryan wellings. she called the police to her house on a number of occasions. one day she left her baby with a friend and went away and took her own life. after a six week long trial at preston crown court, ryan wellings was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and also of assault. he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. ii he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. 11 days before she died, the court was told that kiena dawes, who had a history of mental illness, had attempted suicide on a number of occasions, and she had been involved with ryan wellings for a while, she had been taken to hospital with head wounds, but her boyfriend had been released without charge at that time to stop it is now merged that wellings had a previous conviction for assaulting a former partner. as the verdicts were read out, mcafee blew a kiss to his current girlfriend. the case raises a number of issues. —— wellings blew a kiss. lancashire police offi

for more on this, let's speak now to our correspondent nick garnett in southport.hat has happened. they've been through so much. what has been the reaction today to the announcement of a public inquiry? announcement of a public inuui ? �* , announcement of a public inquiry?— announcement of a public inuui ? �*, ., , ., , inquiry? it's now six months since the — inquiry? it's now six months since the stabbings - inquiry? it's now six months since the stabbings took - inquiry? it's now six months l since the stabbings took place but it feels like yesterday. it's just a very, very difficult time and we've gone from summer to autumn to winter. this is the square that was filled with flowers at the time and behind me there are bracelets that had been made and left here with the names of the children who died and painted pebbles in memory of them. i have heard from a number of people this morning and one parent said of a little girl who goes to school in the town, they said there were so afraid that when it came to september they really did not want to send their child b

our correspondent nick garnett is in southport. the community there and how they are dealing with what's emerged since the guilty plea? well, it is now six months since the stabbings and summer has turned to autumn and no winter, but it feels as if it was yesterday. this square was full of flowers in the weeks after the attack. now there are bracelets left and little pebbles with the names of the dead girls painted on them as memorials from local children. people feel relieved that a trial did not happen. that the details of what had happened lastjuly didn't need to be poured over every single day during the trial. but there is another side to that. sean halsall is a local councillor and he lives on the road where the attacks happened. he says some are shell—shocked at some of the details that have turned out in the details that have turned out in the last 2a hours as to what axel rudakubana did and what he was up to and how he was in contact with the authorities time and time again. sarah mcentee runs the royal british legion comm

nick garnett, bbc news.e reporters inside court who will be bringing us live updates, you can follow those here, on the bbc news website as well. inside court, things arejust developing. as well. inside court, things are just developing. there are lots of people that want to get into the courtroom, notjust the families of those who were killed, there were many more families involved, the girls who are in their dance class with them. there are a lot of people who want to be in there to see the person that has ultimately changed all of their lives. let's go to our correspondent. a really monumental state for the families and a difficult date because what they are likely to hear. it is really tough, because as you say there are the families of the three girls who were killed, the eight girls that there were injured, the two adults where there was also attempted murder. in the two adults where there was also attempted murder.- also attempted murder. in the class, also attempted murder. in the class. all— also at

nick garnett, bbc news. let's bring in once again our correspondent.mments on what is being said inside. the sentencing hearing we were talking about the disruption due to axel rudakubana saying he is unwell, but the opening prosecution statement if you like, the description of what happened is still going on. $5 happened is still going on. as we happened is still going on. is we heard, he interrupted, claimed that he was feeling ill, in interrupting wanted to be taken to hospital, police said that was not the case. he said that was not the case. he said he was feeling ill and being disruptive almost at the very beginning, but it is now back under way. just going back to what the prosecutor had been saying when she was interrupted. she said some of the injuries suffered by two of the injuries suffered by two of the girls killed could only be described as sadistic. she went on to say what axel rudakubana said that the police station after he was arrested and he said, it is a good thing those children are dead. i am so glad. so happy. again, having commi

in a moment, we'll speak to our correspondent ellie price, who's in edenbridge, but first, nick garnetteen there, nick? well, across much of the country, this area in particular, the main a roads have been cleared. but it is the rural areas, the side roads that are being left untreated. really, no one knows when they are going to reopen, because it will have to be left until the weather changes and the thaw set in. it is important that this road, the 62, stays open. most, if not all of the other trans pennine routes are blocked by snow at the moment, so this is the only one across. look at the number of lorries there are. i have to say, the road is quieter than it usually is at this time of day. it has been a struggle to keep this road open over the last 2a hours. traffic officers and gritters have been out almost constantly. they have been clearing snow, they have been clearing snow, they have been clearing excess water, and even jackknifed lorries as they try everything they can to make sure the route stays open and people can travel across the country on this one road at least. thank

nick garnett, bbc news.ring in my colleague, our uk correspondent who has been across proceedings. i should explain that there are obviously no cameras in court for public consumption, but our colleagues have been in there and indicating what it's been going on and i think it is fair to say that it has been a distressing morning in court. find that it has been a distressing morning in court.— that it has been a distressing morning in court. and this, we are also able to _ morning in court. and this, we are also able to these _ morning in court. and this, we are also able to these days _ morning in court. and this, we are also able to these days to - morning in court. and this, we are also able to these days to watch . morning in court. and this, we are| also able to these days to watch via video link. an incredibly difficult day, notjust for the parents of the three girls, but also the other families in court his daughters were injured and quite a lot of relatives were in court today. all of them had basicall

holidays when these terrible incidents happened and with that background here is mike colleague nick garnettld bb king, elsie dot stanton was seven and nine—year—old alistair silva murdered in southport last summer in a tragedy which led to a wave of sympathy and sadness. southport is a small seaside town and everyone who has a connection to someone who is at the dance class at the beginning of the summer holidays. sarah was hoping her daughter would be there. it daughter would be there. it filled up very quickly as it would do i am devastated their young — would do i am devastated their young people who not here. that 'ust young people who not here. that just doesn't _ young people who not here. that just doesn't seem _ young people who not here. that just doesn't seem fair. _ young people who not here. twat just doesn't seem fair. axel rudakubana was arrested with a weapon in his hand and refused to admit he carried out the attack. but this monday with the trial about to start he told his lawyers he was changing his plea. as well as the mood as he admitted trying to kill... manufacturing w

nick garnett is in west yorkshire this morning. nick, how are things looking?still —— we can see it is still snowy? we can still -- we can see it is still snowy?— we can still -- we can see it is still snowy? yes, still snowy. it does not seem _ still snowy? yes, still snowy. it does not seem to _ still snowy? yes, still snowy. it does not seem to have - still snowy? yes, still snowy. it does not seem to have stopped still snowy? yes, still snowy. it- does not seem to have stopped since it started, i don't know how long ago now. it has kept coming down all the way through the night. the greater is to have been out. this is pudsey, a town not far from greater is to have been out. this is pudsey, a town not farfrom leeds city centre. it is coping. the roads are coping. the side roads, you can forget trying to get out of those or get into them. there is no way at all. in some ways this is the perfect storm because it is the start, for many people, of the new school term. people are going back to work for the first time since christmas. two weeks off the road almos

nick garnett has the latest from preston crown court. nick, bring us up to date.gether and suffered years of abuse at the hands of wellings. she called police to her house on a number of occasions. one day she left her baby with a friend and went away and took her own life. after a six week long trial here at preston crown court, wellings was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour, and also of assault. he was found not guilty of assault. he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. ii of assault. he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. 11 days before she died, the court was told that kiena dawes, who had a history of mental illness, had attempted suicide on a number of occasions. she had been involved with wellings for a while, she had been taken to hospital with head wounds, but her boyfriend had been released without charge at that time. it has now emerged that wellings had a previous conviction for assaulting a former partner. as the verdicts were read out, wellings blew a kiss to his current girlfriend. the case raises a number of issues. lancash