50 ways to leave your lover. Get on the bus Gus, give a knife to your wife, Rob. How not to write helpful storylines masterclass from The Archers.

[PseudoBadger]

Poor poor Henry

Phew, so glad Rob's not dead as hopefully that will mean Helen won't be charged with murder/manslaughter. (Always assuming that the scriptwriters don't toy with us by having Rob die of his injuries.

However that does leave alive Rob able to testify against Helen on an attempted murder/GBH/wounding charge.

Thank goodness Kirsty had the sense to check on Rob, discover he was alive and call an ambulance. She also attempted to prevent Helen incriminating herself. Helen needs a good lawyer pronto. Hope someone thinks of this.

I've only listened once, but am I right in thinking that the country's worst policeman expressed surprise when Helen, covered in blood, confessing to anyone who'd listen and the only adult in the house when Rob received multiple stab wounds, was arrested?

I think they were concerned about Rob because they were told he was injured. I think it's pretty normal to focus on what you've heard.

I found tonight's more upsetting than last night.

Yeah that bit with Tony and Pat having a normal unsuspecting conversation was a real 'Oh god' moment...that bit if little else was very well done.

Just been teviewing soap abuse sl

EE:
Little Mo's husband. Deadded.
Phil.Mitchell. convicted? Then everyone forget about it. Not dead.
Derek Branning. Deadded.
Michael Moon. Deadded.
Lucas .very deadded.
Alan Lamb's character (child abuser and rapist) dead.
Probably several more since I gave up watching EE.

Corrie:
Charlie Stubbs. Deadded.
Whatsername the female abuser. Not deaded obviously because women kill men not the other way round. Convicted.
Gail's psycho husband. Deadded.

Brookside
Trevor Jordache. Deadded and under the patio.

Women who escape to refuges - none that I can think of.

But Rob not being dead isn't very different because if Helen had her way he would be.
And this is looking set to be a rehash of the Corrie Tyrone sl with the genders reversed (inc pregnancy) and without the intervention of Fizz.

Still wouldn't have expected him to collapse unconscious within seconds with those injuries though shiny?

Anyway, PC Plod was v good and Peggyactress played a blinder!

Patbot needs someone to jolt her to her senses, although then we will have the endless self-recriminations "How could I have been so blind?!" "I should have realised," etc etc

I thought the specialist medical opinion of 'this person wasn't messing about' probably didn't need years of medical training either - the pools of bloody custard and unconscious man who was barely breathing were prob a bit of a clue even to the most incompetent PC Plod.

Didn't mind the rest of the medical stuff but that really pissed me off.

Is there a chance Helen will be sectioned under the MHA rather than being arrested?

Can Helen be charged with anything or does Rob make that decision when he recovers? That'll give him ultimate power over her until she finds the right help to escape, and Harrison uncovers something solid to convict him of (Stefan's murder).

Thank you to those providing information on police and ambulance service procedures .

So am I right in thinking that Helen may end up in hospital within a few hours and then possibly out on bail in 72 hours?

But Usha will know of the best criminal defence lawyer there is and be able to make a late night call to a contact for him to attend, or at least a member of his chambers with respectable years call. And Tony and Pat and Peggy should be good for the first £25k at least.

Swallows hard. That is how it works, even at Paper Buildings or Pump Court for the lady up thread.

If she spontaneously goes into labour now, this minute, could that count as mitigating circumstances?

Just listened again. Harrison couldn't find the bunting thief (bound to be the Button girls) so no wonder he was surprised Helen was arrested. Agree that they would have been better without voicing Henwee in this episode.

I would really like an episode where we hear the other villagers' take on it all. Especially Susan.

Think the CPS have call on that one. An individual.doesn't press charges but they can withdraw testimony. However, there are ample witnesses to him having received stab wounds so I am not sure it would matter.

Stab wounds to the wrist? Most people have defensive wounds when they are attacked. Mostly to the arms, wrist and hands. It doesn't look too good for Helen.

And Helen is Tony's only daughter, shame on him too for not noticing the change in his child.

I listened to the World at One talk with the QC who wanted to defend Helen and it's possible she may not be charged at all but could certainly plead diminished responsibility.

Oh please don't let them only save Helen because Rob has murdered someone himself (though there was that suspicious little bit about 'Is Rob capable of murder? Well...' from SOC or the SW, can't remember which).

But we need Helen to be saved just because what Rob was doing to her was evil and despicable enough to be a mitigating circumstance, surely.

Why would going into labour be mitigating? She is heavily pg and has apparently brought this on herself by stabbing her loving husband.

Do you think Peggy is still standing outside? I do hope someone has at least got her a chair.

Maybe he'll recover, no charges and then set about getting revenge?

Elendon agree about Tony but she fell out with him very badly around the time of Henry's conception and didn't reconcile until the birth. He also doesn't like Rob so would expect Helen to always defend him and would be much more wary of rocking the boat. Their relationship's always been a bit more fragile, no?

Still wouldn't have expected him to collapse unconscious within seconds with those injuries though shiny

True. And we still don't know whether the custard stirrer was inserted into his 2nd intercostal space

It will be interesting to hear what Fall9n says to Harrison. Hopefully "Helen must have had a really good reason to stab him."

Thinking about it she is also a potential defence witness after tearoom incident for Helen's very very shaky defence.

I think it will play out Cortie style.
He'll accuse her of DV.
Everyone will believe him because you know they've seen Corrie and like men can be victims too yeah.
It will look like she is going down.
Then he will somehow get caught in the act thus saving her bacon.

But I am really not sure I should losten anymore because I am still furious she stabbed him. Repeatedly.

Oh I do hope Peggy has got a chair. And a blanket. Maybe she would like a little bit of pie? Not being nasty, I just want some of the tension relieved.

I unsuspectingly peeked at the thread last night - and was so horrified by what I saw I didn't feel up to listening to it this morning, which is what i normally do with my wake-up coffee. I felt let down, deflated, upset, for all the reasons many eloquent people have said - ridiculously upset considering it's 'just a radio script' - but then again it isn't 'just' that, not if they'd gone full-out for 'mad Helen's killed him and no-one will ever know what a bastard he was now'.

Nervously followed the thread tonight and see it's not as bad as it could have been... will brave both episodes tomorrow morning now.

Thanks all you brave people for listening in real-time and updating us!