Rob - dead? No, no, he's, er, resting. He's just pining for the Canadian plains. As Helen is taken into custardy, discuss the Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

24 hours for 1 thread!!

It seems wrong to laugh through tears at that Jenny. I am so angry. But I can see that that's genius. Scans perfectly. Well done

It's clear that it's going to be made to look hopeless for Helen at this point as possible. The ratings and all that.

I think she stands a chance if the marks which she can't now explain are shown to be made by him forcing the knife into her hand. I have no idea how this will come out though unless she gets her ducks in a row. He forced her to hold the weapon and was goading her to kill herself. 'He made me choose.'

God the penny dropping with pat and tone. Tom sounded very wooden. In fact it did highlight how well acted the hellrob scenes have been.

It's 'good ' in a sense Hellin has some marks if it can be argued recent abuse or defensive hitting but all the rest it's just she said she said. Very little has been witnessed directly by third parties, apart from henwee.

Blood pressure ok so clearly death of Helen happily grossly exaggerated.

Kirsty does know about the rape though doesn't she? I'm sure h said to her at one point' he forced me'

Not read most recent posts as was caught up in own domestic drama thus:
Boy cat not home at usual time search party of neighbouring streets launched only to find feline snoozing on bed in spare room

Stubble which is what we, the listeners, had expected. And why we respected the slow pace of developments and, despite finding it uncomfortable listening, were prepared to put up with it for as long as it took.

Helen told womens aid and Jess that she had been raped

vango - I meant K'a relationship with H has historically been difficult after the fallout from her non-wedding. She has no motive to assist H in murder, let alone orchestrate the whole thing. Knob didn't persuade everyone she was bad for H - he persuaded only H and Arsula of this. K has no history of violence or any sort of non-standard behaviour and no reason at all to do it. Giving a secret phone to a friend you think may be in a difficult relationship is standard advice, and suggesting she talk to an ex is hardly unreasonable. The only evidence they have is that she was at the scene of the crime, but she was the one that called the ambulance!

English, where do you get the view that there's no evidence that he was going to touch Henry?

In the interests of research, I've forced myself to listen to That Scene again. The sequence was:

Rob shouted at Henry to go upstairs, he didn't;
Henry asked why Mummy was upset;
Rob said "I'm warning you, do as you're told this second or I'll .."
Henry: "No"
Rob: (growls): Right, come here you little ..
Helen: "No! Get your hands off him, (screams) don't touch him!"
(Various grunts and gasps)
Helen: "Oh, oh, sorry"
Rob: "Helen"
Helen: "Sorry"
Rob: "Put the knife down. Helen!"
Helen screams, more grunts and cries, sound of knife falling.

Sounds to me as if he was definitely going for Henry.

If I'd wanted to listen to an episode of the Bill I'd have built a time machine and stuck a blind fold on.
I preferred the scenes at Bridge Farm. Felt so, so sorry for Tony - the drama should be in how every one picks up the pieces after a devastating life event, not yet another police procedural.
Thank you Augusta for explaining re the "no comment" interview - I was worried she'd blown it then, glad she hasn't.
If he doesn't die what are the police/CPS likely to go with? I'm guessing anything from attempted murder to common assault - probably something in the middle like malicious wounding (was GBH) or the next one down?

[Dons hard hat]

I would have preferred a different outcome for Helen, but in defence of the plotline....

• it highlights that leaving is the most dangerous time. If she'd taken advice she might have realised that the plan of sitting down to discuss it rationally was naive and high risk. And that thing with the tuna bake, testing him, was unwise.

• it raises awareness that DV/coercive control can happen in plain sight, and can happen to anyone.

Leaving is most dangerous for the victim though!!

I don't like the way WA are pushing this as almost 'if you don't engage with us fully you can't get out'

Great post Imbroglio

I wonder if Helen is going to start feeling more herself now that Rob isn't forcing 'tea' on her all the time. Will forensics examine her hair for drug use?

Absolutely Annie.

I don't want to listen to endless police procedure. I want to know how the characters I know and love in Ambridge are reacting.

Augusta has he hit Henry before? Sorry to ask, I'm one of those who switched off for a while.

If not, I think chasing and yelling, whilst scary, isn't necessarily the same as "going to deliver a beating to"

I don't like the way WA are pushing this as almost 'if you don't engage with us fully you can't get out'

This, with bells on.

I think the strange robot child is going to be a problem. Just LA and pat said that poor Henry was still asking about daddy. From the tone, it sounds very much like he is coming across as a poor little child missing his darling daddy, not that he is a traumatised child terrified of having been attacked by his father, who had been abusing him for months. I hope a child psychologist can get to the bottom of what's actually been happening to Henry, but at the moment he doesn't sound like he's going to be stellar for Helen's defence.

We all know via the relationships board that telling someone you are in an abusive relationship with that you are leaving is dangerous. Helen thought she could do it her way.

Jess was raped as was Helen. Someone wise once said it takes a village of women to convict one man of rape.

Helen was beyond daft thinking that she could calmly tell Rob she was going after the bloody pie and custard.

This is what makes it difficult for me. I've never really liked Helen previous to this so these sorts of stupid decisions for me risk switching me off her as a victim

"I don't like the way WA are pushing this as almost 'if you don't engage with us fully you can't get out'"

What on earth does this mean?

English he confiscated his Easter egg and threw his Easter bunny in the bin. Then sent him to bed post a party in which Henry was being so naughty, Rob had to go early and take him from. That is just the recent ones.

Thanks for the transcript , Augusta, that makes it clear in my mind that the wrist injury was accidental, as she tried to pull him off Henry and brought both hands up forgetting she was holding the knife. Then when Rob came towards her to take the knife, she flipped...

I take it to mean that WA are riding on the back of this to push themselves to the fore in helping women leave abusive relationships. For you either go to WA or you don't get out?

English, Helen shouted "Get your hands off him!". That sounds like more than chasing and yelling.

I get that Elendon but nothing tells me that Helen needs to stab him because he's about to pummel Henry

Fair enough Augusta. But was he pulling him toward him, or pushing him to his room?

Neither of which are good, obviously, but in order for three stab wounds to look proportionate Rob has to be about to seriously hurt Henry.