A LAUNCESTON family are reconciled despite David Le Marquand admitting that he had had an affair with a younger woman who was HIV positive, caused three barn fires on farms owned by his brother-in-law and attempted to blackmail his estranged wife into paying him £210,000 by threatening further arsons if she did not stop divorce proceedings.

Defending at Truro Crown Court last Friday, counsel Rupert Taylor revealed that 49-year-old Le Marquand and his wife Christine were now reconciled and his brother-in-law, William Yeo, had taken the radical step of purchasing a home for them in Launceston.

"It is a staggering attempt by the family to rebuild their relationship," he declared. "Mrs LeMarquand has taken the most charity and Christian approach to the situation one could imagine.

"It is her belief that her husband had a mental breakdown through stress and the failure of his yacht haulage business. It is her view that when she married she married for life."

For the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport, please see this week's edition of the 'Post'.