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Plymouth man found guilty of murdering his partner in his flat

Plymouth man found guilty of murdering his partner in his flat

A man has been found guilty of murdering his partner at his flat.On Thursday, a jury at Plymouth Crown Court convicted Mark Fitzgerald unanimously for murdering 54-year-old Lisa Paris at his Rendle Street flat, in the city, in March 2024.Fitzgerald had denied her murder during the three-week trial. The court heard Ms Paris was last seen alive on 8 March 2024, but her body was not found until 10 days later.She had 70 bruise wounds to her head,…

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Exeter City Council to borrow more than £1m for solar panels

Exeter City Council to borrow more than £1m for solar panels

More than £1m is to be borrowed to fit six buildings with solar panels, a city council has said.Exeter City Council estimated the initiative would save it about £100,000 every year and cut emissions.Members of the full council voted in favour of installing solar panels at six sites including Exeter Arena sports centre, St Sidwell's Point leisure centre, Wonford Leisure Centre, the Guildhall car park, Exeter bus station and the Senate offices, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.A…

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Charity says food poverty is rising across Devon and Cornwall

Charity says food poverty is rising across Devon and Cornwall

A food sharing charity said it had provided more than 500,000 meals to those in need across Devon and Cornwall this year and was ramping up its operation in the run up to Christmas.Charity FareShare South West (FSSW), which works with local supermarkets and farmers, said this year more than 800 tonnes of produce had passed through its warehouse in Estover, Plymouth.From there it is distributed to those on low incomes or struggling to afford food.UK food prices…

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Scientists identify distant planet six times bigger than Jupiter

Scientists identify distant planet six times bigger than Jupiter

A massive exoplanet orbiting twin stars approximately 500 light-years from Earth has been found by astronomers. HD 143811 b is a gas giant six times the mass of Jupiter, and orbits its two suns once every 300 Earth years. Astronomers believe it’s relatively young – at most, 20 million years in age – with a surface temperature in excess of 700 degrees Celsius. It is among just a handful of exoplanets to have been discovered orbiting twin suns,…

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University of Exeter expert supporting efforts to make Parliament more accessible

A University of Exeter expert’s work is supporting efforts to make the Houses of Parliament more accessible for MPs, staff and visitors with disabilities. Research by Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya shows the difficulties caused because adjustments for politicians are made on a case-by-case basis rather than systematically. This forces them to adapt to the ways of the House rather than the House adapting to the changing needs of the membership. Dr Kolpinskaya’s evidence has been cited in a new…

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Plan to transform special educational needs in Devon

Plan to transform special educational needs in Devon

Miles DavisDevon political reporterPA MediaDevon County Council wants to transform services for children with special educational needsDevon County Council wants to transform its services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).The council said it wanted to focus on early intervention, getting children into local schools and making schools more inclusive to tackle the increasing demand for services.The council - which has built up more than £160m of debt in Send services - has asked the government…

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Brendan Galloway: Plymouth Argyle’s Zimbabwe defender ready for Afcon and Mohamed Salah test

Brendan Galloway: Plymouth Argyle’s Zimbabwe defender ready for Afcon and Mohamed Salah test

Galloway's final game in League One for Plymouth Argyle before heading to Afcon will be his 100th for the Pilgrims.They host Rotherham United hoping to win back-to-back games for the first time since early September as Argyle look to move out of the relegation zone.He says he is thankful for the club's support over the past four-and-a-half years which have seen him suffer serious knee and leg issues."I love the football club, I've been here a while so…

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Rob Baxter: Exeter Chiefs boss focused on retaining core of squad

Rob Baxter: Exeter Chiefs boss focused on retaining core of squad

Baxter says a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to secure players from the current squad for future seasons. But the Exeter boss says he is also focused on adding to his squad for next season as clubs begin to make announcements on summer signings. "We've been actively involved in the market for a period now already," he added."Some around retaining us on our own players, some around making approaches to other players or meeting…

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Exeter shortlisted for Apprenticeship Provider of the Year

The University of Exeter is a finalist for Apprenticeship Provider of the Year at the Apprenticeship and Training Awards 2026. The ATA Awards celebrate exceptional training, widening participation and employer partnerships, with this year’s awards seeing 650 nominations across 19 categories. Exeter has more than 4,000 apprentices enrolled on degree apprenticeship programmes and the largest portfolio of programmes of any Russell Group learning provider, as well as a dedicated Centre for Degree Partnerships where it works with more than 600 employer partners…

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Epilepsy can lead to earlier deaths in people with intellectual disabilities

A combination of missed prevention opportunities and health inequalities can result in the early deaths of people living with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities, a study has shown. Around 1.2million people in England have some form of intellectual disability, with epilepsy estimated to impact 20-25% of them – up to 300,000 people – compared to just 1% of the general population. However, until now there has been no national-level population-based evidence on the risks and protective factors specifically contributing…

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Exeter patient first in UK to trial new 3D imaging technology for rheumatoid arthritis

Patients suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis in Exeter will be the first in the country to trial a new type of 3D imaging technology that could help avoid permanent damage to joints by detecting rheumatoid arthritis at the earliest stages. With funding from Innovate UK, the University of Exeter is undertaking the first live trials of the AdaptixOrtho350 – a new, portable imaging technology that offers 3D imaging at a similar cost and radiation dose to traditional 2D…

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Exeter woman first to trial 3D scan for early arthritis diagnosis

Exeter woman first to trial 3D scan for early arthritis diagnosis

BBCEmma Carnell is the first person to trial new 3D imaging technologyA woman will be the first person in the UK to trial new 3D imaging technology designed to give earlier diagnosis of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, a university has said.Emma Carnell, 45, from Exeter, Devon, was on holiday in Corfu in July when she began having pain in her hands, shoulders, and knees.Initial tests carried out when she returned to the UK showed negative results for rheumatoid…

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