Returning to the case of Nico Nabavi, who has been jailed for 28 months for "accidentally" shooting a friend who had gone round his house to smoke cannabis...

The victim, Antonio Russo, had been "taken outside and dumped on the street", prosecutors told Luton Crown Court.

Mr Russo, via a statement felt "he left me there to die" when it happened on 26 November last year in Marlow Avenue in Luton.

He had to have an operation on his bowel and the court heard he will need life-long treatment.

Nabavi's lawyer told the court his client had been paid £200 to look after the gun and he disposed of it after the shooting on rough ground near a railway line.

He accepted that running away was a "cowardly option".

When he took police to the spot later, the weapon was no longer there.

In mitigation, the court heard he came from a respectable family and had finished a three-year engineering course at Barnfield College. 

Jailing him, Judge Richard Foster said: "To your good fortune he [Russo] did survive although he was very seriously injured."

The judge said the gun was "probably in the hands of someone who should not have it".

An airline operator announces plans for a new route between the Isle of Man and Luton.

BBC Weather

It will stay cold and rather cloudy this afternoon.

There will be some well-scattered light sleet or snow showers through the day. 

The odd brighter spell is possible, but it will feel bitterly cold with a keen easterly breeze. 

Maximum Temperature: 3C (37F).

For the full forecast where you are visit BBC Weather.

Jane Killick
BBC Three Counties Radio

A man has been jailed for more than two years for accidentally shooting his friend at a flat in Luton. 

His victim, Antonio Russo, spent six weeks in a coma while doctors tried to save him.

Image source, Bedfordshire Police

Luton Crown Court heard that Mr Russo had gone to the flat in Marlow Avenue to smoke cannabis. 

Sitting opposite with the double barrelled rifle was 27-year-old Nico Nabavi who said he he was looking after the gun for someone. 

But the gun fired, going through Mr Russo's body and into a wall. 

Nabavi of Connaught Road, Luton pleaded guilty to wounding and possessing a firearm without a certificate, the gun hasn't been recovered.

Kate Bradbrook
BBC Look East

The prosecution in the murder trial of Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey has begun its cross examination of Ian Stewart.

We'll bring you more this afternoon...

Buckinghamshire County Museum says it can now tell the story of the Anglo Saxon hoard "with conviction".

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

The fiance of Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey, who is accused of her murder, has said he had suicidal thoughts while Helen was missing.

He told St Albans Crown Court he had climbed over railings at a cliff top near Helen's holiday home in Broadstairs and had also sat beside the railway line in Ryoston.

"I wanted everything to stop," he said.

Image source, SBNA

Mr Stewart told the jury he was visited by Nick, one of Helen's abductors, at his home in Royston on Tuesday, 26 April.

He said Nick asked him to open the gates to allow a car to be driven in as Helen had informed them there was something in the garage.

Mr Stewart alleges the second abductor, Joe, then appeared and asked Nick to help him in the garage.

Then he was given a phone by Joe and told to keep it charged. "I said 'Can I see Helen?' He said: 'No, it will soon be over'."

He said Joe told him: "Tell anyone about us, you won't see Helen again or Boris."

He said he did not notice anything different in the garage after the two men had left.

The body of Ms Bailey, and her pet dachshund Boris, were found in a cesspit beneath the garage at their home on 15 July.

The prosecution alleges Ian Stewart murdered Ms Bailey to inherit her fortune.

Mr Stewart, of Baldock Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, denies murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud, and three counts of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.

BBC Sport

Aylesbury's double Paralympic rowing champion Pam Relph has announced her retirement from the sport. 

The 27-year-old created history in Rio by becoming the first rower to win two golds when she helped the mixed coxed four to glory.

"I'll miss being part of the best rowing team in the world, but am excited about life after sport," she said.  

"I have had the pleasure of rowing with some amazing athletes during my career and I feel so proud to have been able to represent my country for the past six years."  

As well as her Paralympic golds, Relph has also won four world titles since she started her international career in 2011.  

A nurse whose patient died after she gave him the wrong type of blood, and then tried to blame a colleague for the mistake, has been spared jail.

Lea Ledesma, 49, from Stevenage, was found guilty of unlawful killing by gross negligence in December following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.  

The jury heard the nurse made a series of mistakes at the London Heart Hospital in 2014, which led to Ali Huseyin, 76, being given type AB blood rather than type O.

Ledesma initially tried to pass off the error as being a colleague's mistake, and only when questioned further did she admit to being distracted and flustered when checking the patient details.  

Today she was given an 18-month suspended sentence at Southwark Crown Court.

Ledesma wept and hugged her family after the sentence was passed.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

We mentioned earlier about a fire at the Lidl supermarket on Lurke Street, Bedford.

The supermarket has confirmed there was a "small fire" in the early hours of this morning.

Lidl has thanked Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue for its support and "swift response".

The store sustained 90% smoke damage and a spokesperson said "The team is working hard to get the store reopened for our customers as soon a possible."

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

The fiance of Hertfordshire author Helen Bailey, who is accused of her murder, has today told a jury he spoke to Ms Bailey while she was held captive by two men called Nick and Joe.

Mr Stewart alleged the two men kidnapped her on Monday, 11 April 2016, telling him not to contact the police and that Helen would be back on Friday, 15 April 2016.

Mr Stewart told St Albans Crown Court that on Friday, 15 April, Nick came to the home he shared with the author in Royston and passed him a phone to speak to Ms Bailey.

He said: "I asked where Helen was and he handed me the phone. I said: 'Hello.'

"She said: 'I love you. Sorry about everything.' I said: 'It's not your fault. I love you too.'

"She said: 'I need my phone. It is on my desk. Give it to them and do as they say.' I said: 'Where are you?' And Nick took the phone off me."

Mr Stewart reported his fiance missing that afternoon.

The body of Ms Bailey, and her pet dachshund Boris, were found in a cesspit beneath the garage at their home, three months later on 15 July.

The prosecution alleges he murdered Ms Bailey to inherit her fortune.

Mr Stewart, of Baldock Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, denies murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud, and three counts of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues today...

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

We mentioned earlier that the Labour MP for Luton South, Gavin Shuker, once again abstained from voting on whether to trigger Article 50 - but how did the other MPs across Beds, Herts and Bucks vote?

Image source, Reuters

Despite his colleague abstaining, the Labour MP for Luton North, Kelvin Hopkins, backed his leader and voted for the bill.

All Conservative MPs in the area supported the government and voted for the bill that paves the way for us to leave the European Union.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

A fire broke out in a freezer at a Lidl supermarket in Lurke Street, Bedford in the early hours of this morning.

Image source, Google

Bedfordshire Fire crews were alerted by an automatic alarm at 00:05.

Four fire engines attended and used thermal imaging cameras to locate the source on the ground floor.

The incident was resolved at 02:01 with 90% of the building sustaining smoke damage.

There are reports the store is closed today, we have contacted Lidl to find out more information.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The Labour MP for Luton South, Gavin Shuker, once again abstained from voting as the bill authorising the government to trigger Article 50 was passed by the House of Commons last night.

Image source, The Labour Party

The draft European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was approved unamended by 494 votes to 122, and now moves to the House of Lords.

Some 52 Labour politicians defied their leader Jeremy Corbyn and refused to back the bill.    

Mr Shuker has said he is not available for comment today.

Simon Oxley
BBC Three Counties Radio

Councillors in Milton Keynes have backed MK Dons' plans for a new training ground at Newport Pagnell.

The site at Tickford Fields is next to the A509 between Newport Pagnell and Sherington.

Image source, Google

The Dons have already put forward plans for a training ground at Cosgrove, but this new site falls within the Milton Keynes boundary.

Councillors on the cabinet have agreed to sell the land to the football club - a decision which now goes to the full council.

BBC Travel

A shortage of train crew means that Southern are running a reduced service on the route between Watford Junction and Clapham Junction. This is expected to continue until approximately 12:30.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A nurse whose patient died after she gave him the wrong type of blood, and then tried to blame a colleague for the mistake, will be sentenced today.

Image source, Google

Lea Ledesma, 49, from Stevenage, was found guilty of unlawful killing by gross negligence in December following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The court heard she made a series of mistakes which led to Ali Huseyin, 76, being given type AB blood at the London Heart Hospital (now University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street) during a transfusion even though he was blood group O.

Mr Huseyin had been in the care of Ledesma after a successful heart bypass operation in May 2014.

A number of errors on her part saw her choose the wrong blood from a vending style machine when the patient required a blood transfusion, before checking it against the wrong computer records.

She initially tried to pass off the error as being a colleague's mistake, and only when questioned further did she admit to being distracted and flustered when checking the patient details.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Firefighters in Milton Keynes had to rescue a man who got one of his fingers stuck in the pocket of a pool table last night.

It happened at Hollywood Bowl in the Xscape building at about 19:45.

The man was released uninjured.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The US company at the centre of a "name discrimination" row, has told the BBC it was carrying out a "routine compliance measure". 

Muhammad Islam, from Bedford, said he was blocked from receiving money he'd raised for a local charity event online, because Eventbrite said a name matching his was on a warned list and they needed to conduct routine further checks. These checks were done and the money was released but Mr Islam said this was "more than racism".

Image source, Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty

Eventbrite said that, as a US company, it is subject to the rules of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

A spokesman said a payment to Mr Islam was "temporarily held because of a potential OFAC name match" and then "released after they clarified some questions with him to make sure they comply with their legal obligations".

"We took these steps as a routine compliance measure and not in reaction to any recent news events or changes in US law," a statement said.  

"It is unfortunate, but a person with a very common name is more likely to match the list... Whether that is a J Smith or an M Islam does not make the slightest difference.

"We follow the exact same procedure and have been for years. We are truly sorry that this has caused distress to Mr Islam."

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

It will be a cold and rather cloudy day across the BBC East region with well-scattered light sleet or snow showers. 

The odd brighter spell is possible though but it will feel bitterly cold with a keen easterly breeze with a high of 3C (37F).

There are more details on the BBC Weather website.