TW: As the title suggests it's about domestic violence and... yeah. There's a lot wrong with the misogynistic view of DA/DV in this episode as it was written and filmed in the 80's. Also a warning for racism.
It's not a good morning for our merry band of men (and women).
Roy Galloway is irritated by a loud motorbike pulling up beside him after an early start with a bad hangover. He's further annoyed to find Bob has parked in his space and can't move his car because of a flat tyre. Bob gets a telling off from a rather annoyed Roy!
Ken Melvin finds a car initially suspected to have just poorly parked, however the tax disk raises his suspicion as there's been a flood of dodgy ones recently. Ted won't attend because he's the only one in CID and is rushed off his feet, Tom won't allow Ken to come in for his break until CID arrive! In the mean time, Brian Kite has reported to Ted, wanting CID to 'cross-fertilise with him' "Into farming now is he?" Roy drawls.
Taffy has proposed to his girlfriend and they're due to get married on Saturday. As yet he hasn't told anyone other than Bob.
Nick Shaw complains about a numb bum in the CAD room, asking June if she gets the same. He adds that Reg definitely does given how much of the shift he spends sitting down. Frequent complainer, Mrs Robert - a warden at a new women's refuge - rings the station to complain about a man trying to break the door down.
Yorkie moans he's already attended twice that week when sent to deal. He finds a man shouting for 'Barbara'. "You've really done it this time!" he threatens, booting the door. Yorkie tells him to back off and the man threatens him. Yorkie calmly suggests that if he hit him, it'd be the dearest one he'd ever done. Realising he can't intimidate Yorkie as he does his wife, the man backs down. A group of female neighbours watch, they tell Yorkie that the man should be locked up and that the refuge has done nothing but cause trouble since it opened (meaning the estranged husbands turning up) and should be shut down. The man shouts that his 'kids better be alright!' in there and that 'the old cow of a warden' won't let him in to see his family. He insists he has rights but Yorkie tells him he has no rights and to calm down. He takes him for a cup of tea around the corner to talk it through, reporting it back to the station and telling June and Tom Penny that he thinks the local residents are up to something.
Yorkie asks the man if he's been hitting his wife and says that it must have been bad for her to leave. He asks the man if he has a job and he finally answers, snapping sarcastically that he's a brain surgeon. Yorkie reasons that there's clearly a lot of stress flying around if he's unemployed and asks if his wife took things with her for her and the children because a lot of women 'do it spur of the moment' and if their stuff is at home still then they'll likely return. He suggests that the man give it a couple of days and she might return.
Jim is sent to deal with the tax desk, sneaking up on Ken and making him jump. A man returns to fill the car boot for deliveries. Jim asks him where he bought the tax disk. He can't remember, despite it only being 2 weeks old. He says his wife must have bought it. Jim doesn't bite and brings him in. The man wants to square it with the post office because he can't face it being reported in the papers.
Brian comes to speak to a hungover Roy with a fancy talk about his 'cross fertilising' between CID and Uniform. It's clearly the last thing Roy needs as even Brian realises he's not on his usual form. "Are you alright?" "... Yeah, it's all the others." Roy covers. Brian claims that the station is clearly running at full strength manpower-wise as the uniform clearup rates are good but it's not the same for CID. Roy points out that he isn't at full strength team-wise and he's there 'to catch villains but let's just push some more paper around! That's what this police work is all about(!!)'
Taffy finally tells Viv that he's getting married on Saturday. He and Mary haven't lived together yet and Viv worries that they probably should before getting married. They find an old man trying to show another man his insurance after he accidentally hit his car trying to park. The other man is in a hurry and doesn't seem interested. He's nervous when the two PC's arrive but cooperates, telling them he's done nothing wrong and suggests he's only being checked because he's black. He tries to stop Viv looking in the back of his car which has at least 30 designer jackets hidden under a blanket.
Roy calls CID in to tell them about the meeting with Kite and that he wants CID to improve their numbers as their clear-up rates are 10% over the last month. June calls up about Leroy, the man who Taffy and Viv stopped. He's known to CID and Roy sends Dashers down, asks Jim to find out who is stealing alloy beer barrels, and orders Ted to resolve the tax disk scam.
Viv tells Mike that Leroy didn't know where he'd been, where he was going, or why when asked. "That's Leroy, the thinking man's villain." Mike sighs. They already know where the jackets were stolen from 36 hours previously. He claims he's only in because he's black and he's being discriminated against. "No, you did it all wrong, Leroy. That's why you're here."
"8 hours sat on your arse talking to a screen. This is no sort of job anymore." Nick moans. Wait till the future, son! 🤣 Brownlow rings downstairs and orders an 'unauthorised vehicle' in his parking bay to be removed.
A councillor arrives to talk to Bob about the refuge. The council wants to shut it down as it draws trouble to the street and embarrasses them but she understands the women are terrified and have nowhere else to go. Bob tells her they are aware of the problem and she asks them to keep a closer watch because the violence involved in the cases requires it. She points out the police have a poor clearup rate when it comes to domestic violence and Bob says it's hard to get the women to press charges. She asks how hard they actually tried.
Mike tells Leroy that they have had other cases of robbery over the last few days that have similar MO's. Mike says if he admits the other jobs he'll get all of an extra three months and won't be tried for them again at a later date. "Nothing personal, Leroy." Mike says calmly. "Nothing personal." Leroy scoffs. "Just black shit." There's a clear insinuation that Mike is setting him up to cough for the three extra jobs just to improve the CID clear-up rates with the promise of not hounding him as a suspect for them. "Make a statement, Leroy." "I'll make a statement. Bollocks, man. That's my statement."
The next morning, Alec tells Roy he won't charge Leroy on what they have and that he's screaming for a solicitor so he needs to get his finger out as he's almost at his 24 hour limit. Mike tells Roy that Leroy practically admitted to having done the jobs but won't hold his hands up. "He's like all the rest of them, he's got a chip on his shoulder."
In the canteen, Uniform whistle the wedding march as Taffy gets his lunch.
"Get your body over here you bloody Welsh Dresser!" They tease him about not telling them and ask about a honeymoon. Taffy says they're not having one as they're fixing their flat up first. Jim suggests that Sadie might put a buffet on for them at The Swan if he asks nicely but Taffy isn't sure as a table got broken last time. "What do you expect with these animals, you can't take 'em anywhere!" Jim smiles, promising he'll have a word with her to see if she will do it for them.
Mike enters an interview with Leroy telling him that he's guilty with Viv watching. He repeats it's only 3 months extra and it's worth it for him to admit it. Leroy tells him to go to hell. Mike pauses the tape for a refreshments break and instead of leaving the room, he speaks to Leroy, telling him he's come a long way from being a Rasta just 18 months ago. Viv looks visibly uncomfortable and Leroy snaps at Mike for discriminating again. Mike threatens to tell 'Fat Solomon that it was him who gave them the nod about him being a dealer if he helps them clear up the jobs. "If you're determined to end up at the bottom of the river..." "You wouldn't!?" Leroy looks to Viv. "...He wouldn't?" he tries again with an uncomfortable Viv looking away. "He would," Mike says calmly. "He promises you. Wouldn't be the river knowing Solomon. Probably a few dozen tins of dog food." When he's returned to Custody, Leroy keeps shouting at Alec and Viv that he wants a solicitor and that Fat Solomon was nothing to do with him.
Taffy is told to make a point of being visible on the street that the women's refuge is on. As Taffy speaks to the residents - including the man who Jim brought in about his tax disk - a woman shouts for him to go over to the refuge because a man (the man Yorkie dealt with earlier) is trying to climb the drain pipe. Luckily he doesn't make it and falls down. In his rush to escape he throws something at Taffy who ends up hitting the deck and the man escapes.
Sadie agrees to put on a buffet at the pub but Jim's attention is drawn to the men delivering the barrels as she lists what she can put on. He asks if there's a discount and she rolls her eyes and says they can have the back room and she'll put a buffet on on the house but 'no shenanigans!' as she still hasn't been paid for the table they broke last time. Jim then asks if Sadie has problems with the barrels
Viv has told Alec what happened with Leroy. He goes up to tell Roy. "She's not a happy girl and I don't want it!" Roy calls Dashers into his office and asks him if he knows why Alec would have been in to see him. Mike sighs. "Leroy's black and the Sarge wants to treat him like Mothercare?" "No...." "I've got to back off, is that it?" Roy tells him that he's heard that Mike has been offering Leroy 4 for the price of 1 and that without evidence he can't nick him. He reads him the riot act for what he'd done as he could have brought an investigation in for the entire station for the last three years of cases if Leroy complained in court about it. He warns Mike to charge him with only what he can prove and not to piss about.
Nick hands a woman back a cake that had been handed in as lost. "Happy 40th Birthday, Randy, love from Sexy Bum.' is iced on top.
Taffy's fiancée, Mary Jones arrives and asks to see him. Bob introduces her to everyone. The poor woman is very overwhelmed and only wants the key to the flat as they haven't got a spare one cut yet. Uniform are very amused when she calls him Frances and start calling him 'Frances' to each other and over CAD.
The councillor has gotten in touch with Brian Kite and told him that she's been fobbed off by Bob. Bob says he listened and has done his job. The councillor is now receiving threatening notes through the post, her car is being damaged and her bin was tipped over to prove they knew where she lived.
"It'll be one of the action comittee jokers." he sighs, telling Brian that the residents have formed a committee against the refuge.
Mary asks June if she's ever had the 'chance' to get married and June just pulls a face. Mary says it must be hard for her "because it's different for you, isn't it..." "Yeah...?" June blinks but Mary doesn't continue, sipping her coffee. Taffy soon appears but he's bearing the wounds of his run-in with the man from earlier...
Taffy is sent over to the refuge to help June who is facing an angry mob all by herself. The councillor who is being harassed lifted her clipboard to push Barbara's husband back when he was physically obstructing her away. He has a cut on his nose and claims she hit him with it. The warden tells them she had no choice because he wouldn't move and was physically intimidating her. He insists he's going to have her in court and wants to make a statement until he sees his wife and children appear at the front door. She agrees to see him - but only if the police stay. June calls in and Bob tells her that she can if she wants to. Close up Barbara has visible wounds and he promises her 'this time' he'll cut down on the drinking and promises that he won't do the 'money business'. Barbara tells June that he fines her for the slightest thing to keep her short on money and dependent on him. He insists it's not that bad and begs her to come home, asking her to talk without the police there. Barbara refuses to return home. Her husband insists he needs her and tries to force her to return home. "I can't. How can I?" she sobs to June who can't do anything official given that it's the 80's and there's no law. "You punch me Jack, you dare punch me..." He 'promises' not to. "No food is there... there'll be no food in..." Barbara and June share a wary look before she reluctantly goes to get the kids.
The councillor goes into Sun Hill, she apologises to Bob but tells him that she won't let them shut the refuge down. There is going to be a meeting of the action committee on the street that night and Bob tells Kite that he's going to attend to see what the strength of feeling is. Brian tells him not to rock the boat as he wants to set up an official committee of police and residents. He warns him anything that happens is down to him.
"That stupid woman!" June sighs at the drinks for Taffy the night before his wedding. (not that you'd know given how miserable he looks!) "How could she go back to him?" Yorkie sighs. "Cos she had no choice, what could she do?" The idiot boys go on to make jokes about how Mary will be ruling Taffy with a rod of iron "She beats me boys, she beats me!"
Bob attends the house of the man who Jim arrested earlier for the tax disk and he thinks that it's because of the disk. He tells Bob that his wife know nothing and that he's already sorted it. Bob assures him it's nothing to do with that, he's here for the meeting.
Jim insists it's an inside job from the brewery. He reckons the delivery boys are taking the barrels, claiming they only collected say 5 when they took 6 and selling the 'lost' ones for scrap. "It's delivery boy perks." Mike isn't listening, instead he's fuming that Viv went behind his back to Alec and thinks that Leroy is now laughing at them for 'getting off' with his crimes. He drinks more, rambling about how sometimes 'you've just got to!' Yorkie and Nick moan about Taffy only putting £50 behind the bar because it 'isn't enough! What's he thinking? Half a shandy each?"
Bob is told by the committee that they think the councillor is a disgrace. He tells them to stop the letters, phone calls and threats because they're serious offenses. They insist they are all innocent. Bob says he's not accusing anyone specifically but the police know it's someone in the street and they have to stop it before it becomes official.
After a hell of a day, Taffy loses his temper at Nick moaning about him being tight and he stands up, shouting at him to shut his mouth. Nick is amused and mocks him for a 'great party'. Taffy shouts at him to not take his 'being stuck inside all week' out on him and the boys separate them before a fight can start with Taffy storming into the gent's loos "He's gone to sulk!" Reg claims.
Roy sulks that they're not due any real results as there's no lead yet about where the tax disks are really coming from, Jim landed them with no real result for the barrels as they can't prove it is the delivery boys. Bob joins them and laughs that Roy must be on the gripe water as he hears him moaning. Roy tells Bob he hasn't made inspector yet because he can't spell "inter-departmental co-operation!" The fellow uniform Sergeant's tell Bob that he has at least sorted out things for the councillor as Barbara's husband will be too busy taking things out on her to make a statement against her so not only has she got the committee off her back, she's also gotten away with assault.
Outside, Jim drunkenly counts the barrels claiming that as there's 12 they will collect 10 and hand 2 into the scrap merchant. Mike rolls his eyes and walks off, leaving him to it.
Inside the toilets, the Sun Hill boys are 'treating' Taffy to his stag night ending. They've stripped him and cuffed him naked to a lampost to be found by Viv as she approaches the pub. "I told you you didn't have any secrets from me, Taff!"
