South East news: Week in review

BBC News looks back at some of the stories making the headlines in the South East over the past week.

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Hoogstraten 'responsible for killing'

Property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten was held by the High Court on Monday to have been involved in the killing of businessman Mohammed Raja.

Mr van Hoogstraten was cleared of killing Mohammed Raja

The ruling came despite the 60-year-old multi-millionaire, from Uckfield in East Sussex, being cleared of manslaughter in the criminal courts.

Mr Justice Lightman ruled that, on the balance of probability, the businessman was involved in the death.

It is central to a £6m civil action being brought by the dead man's family.

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Court backs wife in £100m divorce

A wife won the latest round in her bitter divorce battle over assets worth more than £100m on Tuesday.

Tax exile John Charman, 53, offered wife Beverley, 52, the family home in Sevenoaks, Kent, and £6m after he ended their 27-year marriage in 2003.

But Mr Charman failed in an appeal against a High Court order giving his wife access to an offshore trust said to be worth nearly £65m.

He claims the "dynastic" trust cannot be taken into account in the divorce.

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Couples tie knot in 'gay capital'

Three same-sex couples from Brighton made history on Wednesday by becoming some of the first in England and Wales to tie the knot and form civil partnerships.

The Rev Debbie Gaston has been with her partner Elaine for 16 years

The couples simultaneously signed documents making their partnerships legal at the town hall at 0800 GMT.

The ceremonies are now legal under the Civil Partnerships Act.

The event, held in the marriage room at Brighton and Hove Register Office, was witnessed by more than 300 people, including the couples' guests and local dignitaries.

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Home town pays tribute to Geldof

Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof was recognised by his home town on Thursday for his work with Make Poverty History.

The TV entrepreneur and former Boomtown Rats frontman attended a reception at Faversham Town Hall, in Kent.

Mayor Mick Gates said: "People kept saying to me we should do something, as he has lived here so long, so we thought a presentation would be nice."

Geldof said he was honoured that the town where he has lived for 23 years had held such an event for him.

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Drink warning after roads carnage

Police urged motorists to drive safely and to stay sober on Friday after an "awful" 24 hours in which six people died in accidents on Sussex roads.

Three people died in the crash on the A27 near Worthing

Two men and a woman were killed in a pile-up on the A27 at Salvington, near Worthing.

Three male drivers died in three other accidents in Slinfold, Groombridge and Brighton. Several people are in hospital with serious injuries.

Police said alcohol was likely to have played a part in at least two of the accidents.

Assistant chief constable of Sussex, Tony Toynton, said: "Losing a loved one as a result of a road crash is terrible at any time - but when it happens two days before Christmas that must be doubly difficult."