Day 43 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.
Richard Hillman fetched up on the Street when he turned up to the funeral of his cousin, Alma Halliwell, no doubt in the hope that there might be something for him in the will. He made quite an impression on Gail Platt and it wasn’t long before he’d moved into no. 8 with Gail, Sarah and David. As an Independent Financial Advisor and full of charm he quickly started on ‘helping’ several of the older residents with their investments, notably the Duckworths and Emily Bishop.He went into business with Duggie Ferguson redeveloping and old house into luxury flats but the project went over budget because of problems with the foundations and fears of a bail hostel being built next door threatened the future profits. While arguing at the site one night, Duggie leant on a bannister which collapsed underneath him and he plunged to his death. Rather than seek help, Richard raced off to steal money from Duggie’s house and left him to die. When Richard’s ex-wife turned up demanding her share of his business, he lured her to the site and hit her over the head with a shovel, dumping her body in the trench built for the underpinning of the foundations.
His marriage to Gail was a lavish affair but the cost only sent him deeper into debt and seeking a new cash cow. This came in the form of his mother-in-law, Audrey Roberts. On finding out she was worth £250,000 he started to make it look as though she was losing her marbles and when that failed went in for the kill by trying to set her house on fire while she slept. Audrey soon realised who was at the bottom of things and tried to convince Gail that he was a wrong ‘un but nobody would believe that such a charming man could stoop to such skulduggery, except Norris Cole, who could see the bad in just about anyone.
He was now on the verge of bankruptcy and the only way out that he could see was killing Emily Bishop. He’d convinced her to take out a sell and rent back scheme on her house and with her dead he’d be able to cash in on the deal. While everyone was at the Rovers for a 50th birthday party for Maxine Peacock’s mother, Doreen Heavey, and with Emily Bishop babysitting for the Peacock’s, he disguised himself as Sarah Platt’s boyfriend, Aidan Critchley and sneaked into no. 4. He hit Emily a blow with a crowbar but before he could finish the job he was disturbed by Maxine who had returned home early. He attacked her and fled and while Emily survived, Maxine wasn’t so lucky. By now Gail was starting to feel that all was not as it seemed with Richard and when she found out that Aidan had been drugged with Audrey’s tranquilisers she realised that something was seriously wrong with her husband’s explanations. She confronted him and a clearly unhinged Richard confessed to everything. He fled into the night and Gail called in the police who started a man-hunt but no sign could be found of him. A couple of weeks later, Gail returned home to find her son, daughter and granddaughter bound and gagged in the car in the garage, with Richard ready to gas everybody with the exhaust fumes.
Meanwhile Audrey could hear the car revving in the garage and sought help to open the doors. With a crazed Richard at the wheel, the car sped out of the garage and careered through the streets of Weatherfield. Screaming ‘This is it! I love you!’ and with The Wannadies’ ‘You and Me Song’ on the car stereo, Richard drove the family into the murky depths of the canal. Gail, David, Sarah and Bethany all managed to get free and were helped out of the canal by Martin Platt and Tommy Harris but when the car was removed there was no sign of Richard. Police divers dredged the canal and Richard’s body was found and identified by a relieved Gail.Also in 2003: Peter Barlow marries Lucy Richards; Peter Barlow marries Shelley Unwin; Steve McDonald has a one-night stand with Tracy Barlow; Roy Cropper marries Tracy Barlow; Simon Barlow born; Curly and Emma Watts move away as scriptwriters can think of no more storylines; Todd Grimshaw kisses Nicky Tilsley; Sunita Parekh and Ciaran McCarthy call it off at the altar; Neil Fearns, father of Bethany Platt, dies in a car crash.
Ah, Tricky Dicky. So many classic lines and moments.
ReplyDeleteI remember that great moment after Duggie fell, and Richard had gotten as far as "99..." and his thumb was just wavering over the button on his phone and of course he changed his mind, and Corrie's best ever villain, in my opinion anyway, was born.
Maxine really should have stayed at the party. Actually that's just made me think - I wonder if Maxine's bench will survive the tram crash.
Oh gadgee that recounting of the 99.. pressing was brilliant! Thanks. The Richard Hillman saga was without a doubt one of my favourite storylines of all time. Brilliantly thought out and acted.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sunny Jim for these posts. They are fantastic!