Verity Hutchinson

Verity Hutchinson was the daughter of Edward Hutchinson and Charlotte Hutchinson, the sister of Eric Foster, the half-sister of Tony and Eva Hutchinson, and the adoptive half-sister of Dominic Reilly.
== Biography ==
=== 2020-2021: Relationship with Sami ===
High-powered London-based lawyer Verity arrived in the village in January 2020, meeting Sami Maalik whose law firm attempted to recruit her. Verity accompanied Sami to 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 4 so Sami could return his ex-fiancée Sinead Shelby's belongings, only for Verity to find Sinead's mother Diane Hutchinson kissing Verity's father Edward. At a winter ball at The Loft, Sami and Verity got along well and the pair ended up spending the night together.
Verity ended up meeting her half-brother Tony in unusual circumstances: in hospital after Tony was rescued from the clutches of serial killer Breda McQueen. After Edward advised Verity to give Tony some time to come to terms with all that had happened, Verity decided to return to London. She arrived back in Hollyoaks in March 2022, with a drunken Tony attempting to kiss her. After re-encountering Sami, the pair ended up picking up where they had left off. Deciding to establish her own law firm, Verity recruited Sami and James Nightingale as partners. After a failed relationship with Kurt Benson, Verity and Sami eventually started dating.
After discovering that Edward had attempted to destroy Tony and Diane's marriage by falsely diagnosing Tony with a brain tumour and framing him for the attempted murder of Diane, Verity planned to expose her father. However, Edward ended up consuming a poisoned mince pie intended for Tony, and died of a brain haemorrhage on Christmas Day. After having Edward cremated, she poured his ashes down the storm drain outside of The Dog in the Pond.
Diane discovered that she was pregnant, but did not know if Edward or Tony was the baby's father and confided in Verity. After Tony found the positive pregnancy test, Diane convinced Verity to claim that it was hers. Tony excitedly informed Sami and Verity kept up the lie, until Sami's step-brother Shaq Qureshi discovered the truth and told Sami. Sami broke up with Verity, but eventually decided to take her back. After Verity helped Shaq search for his biological parents, the pair slept together and Sami broke up with Verity for good. After Shaq discovered that he was conceived when Ali Shahzad raped Misbah Maalik, Verity attempted to help the Maaliks get justice against Ali. After Sami threatened Ali into making a confession, he gave Verity and Shaq his blessing to continue their relationship before moving to London.
=== 2021-2022: Relationship with Shaq and Death ===
thumb|left|Verity issues Shaq an ultimatum.
Verity and Shaq's relationship had a very rocky beginning as Shaq was taunted by the fact that his biological father was a rapist. The pair had repeated brief separations due to Shaq's feelings until Shaq had a one-night stand and refused to reconcile with Verity out of fear of turning out like his father. Verity, however, was desperate for a reconciliation, expecting Shaq to change his mind and ask her back. After learning that Shaq's matchmaker friend Nadira Valli planned to arrange a marriage for him, Verity gave him her grandmother's ring and issued an ultimatum: propose now or lose her for good. Shaq turned her down and instead got engaged to Nadira, so Verity decided to move on from him.
After learning of Nadira's affair with Juliet Nightingale, both Shaq and Nadira jilted each other as Shaq realised that he loved Verity. Verity, however, stuck to her word and rejected Shaq, his attempts to win her back only infuriating her. She prioritised helping her brother Eric, who had given himself a poor reputation due to several unpleasant encounters with other villagers. During a fire in the village carnival, Shaq and Verity ended up trapped on the climbing wall over The Cunningham Grande Bazaar. When the bazaar itself exploded and Shaq fell, he was rescued by the people on the ground below and Verity decided to give him another chance.
thumb|Verity is attacked in the law office.
When Eric attempted to defend himself against allegations that he had been spiking drinks of several women at the local bars, Verity grew suspicious and checked his computer. After discovering Eric's involvement in misogynistic online forum Men First, Verity threatened to go to the police, but was left conflicted by how her brother would be affected by prison. Meanwhile, Goldie McQueen approached Verity, asking her to hold onto evidence that Bobby Costello murdered her brother Sylver McQueen. In December 2022, Verity was attacked and crushed under a bookshelf in Dee Valley Law. Making it out into the village where a statue unveiling was taking place at Jubilee Gardens, Verity collapsed and died in the ambulance.
=== 2022-2023: Death Aftermath ===
Most of the village was left devastated by Verity's death. Verity's killer was revealed to be Bobby, but the police ruled Verity's death an accident. The Hutchinson family were hit the hardest, with Eric falling to the more extreme side of his incel ideologies. Tony discovered that Verity had purchased and wrapped Christmas presents for those close to her before her death, which he made an event out of. During Verity's wake in January 2023, Eric took the attendees hostage in The Dog in the Pond, armed with a crossbow. Later in the month, Bobby confessed to Verity's murder after being sentenced for killing Silas Blissett and the attempted murder of DeMarcus Westwood.
==Appendices==
===Residences===
Address 	Duration
London 	Until 3rd March 2020
3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 4	3rd March 2020 to 26th October 2021
1 Stockton Lane 	26th October 2021 to 7th December 2022
===Employment History===
Job 	Duration
Lawyer 	Prior to January 2020 to 7th December 2022
Dee Valley Law owner	2020 to 7th December 2022
== Background Information ==
* In September 2019, it was revealed that Tony Hutchinson's sister, whom he had no knowledge of, would arrive in the village alongside his long lost father. More specific details, such as character and casting information, were not revealed until December 2019.
== Introduction Sequence ==
*2020-2022: Verity attends a party outside The Hutch with the Hutchinson family.
*2022: Verity walks out of The Dog in the Pond with her family and watches as Scott Drinkwell appears from under a pile of jackets.
== Quotes ==
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== See Also ==
* List of appearances
* Hutchinson family
==Gallery==
Verity Hutchinson promo.jpg
Verity Hutchinson gravestone.jpg|Verity's Grave
Category:Hollyoaks characters
Category:Hollyoaks Later characters
Category:2020 debuts
Category:2022 departures
Category:1996 births
Category:2022 deaths
Category:Deceased characters
Category:Murder victims
Category:Hutchinson family
Category:Lawyers
Category:Businesspeople
Category:Dee Valley Law employees
Category:Residents of 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 4
Category:Residents of 1 Stockton Lane