Episode 2876 (20th March 2001)

==Plot==
Andy and Robert are having breakfast in their house. Andy says that Richie was lying in court. Kathy asks Robert if Richie had told him that he saw Jack light the fire. Andy tells Robert not to be influenced by Richie. Robert denies that Richie had said anything to him. Angie is looking through the blinds into the courtroom. Diane goes up to her. Angie says she can't hear anything but she knows the jist of it; cause of death, asphyxiation, confirmation definitely arson and traces of petrol found on Jack's clothes. Kathy calls Andy and Robert and asks them to get changed as the court are sending a car. The boys say that they want Kathy to go with them to court. Kathy tells Victoria not to worry and says she will call Emily to look after her. Angie is questioned in court, Angie says that she went to check on Sarah as a friend. Sarah was agitated, and was talking about leaving Richie and going back to her husband. Angie tried to persuade her not to, but Angie returned later to drop off her daughter so she could go round to the farm and talk to her husband. Angie says she was concerned for Sarah's safety. Sarah didn't want any action taken against Jack after he attacked her in the pub as she blamed herself. Angie didn't go up to the farm as Sarah wanted her to look after her daughter and she wanted to make amends with her husband because she felt responsible. Angie says that she advised Sarah not to go up to the farm. Angie says she has been a police officer for 11 years. Emily is sitting on a bench in the village when Ed gets off a bus. He calls her name, and asks her if she wants to have lunch with him, he has his sandwiches with him. Ed has come back for a job interview. Viv comes out of the shop and tells Emily that she has to look after Victoria whilst Kathy takes the boys to court. Ed asks if he can see Emily later. Viv asks for an introduction and suggests that Ed should keep Emily company up at the farm. Diane goes up to give evidence in the court. She swears her oath. Emily and Ed arrive at the farm, Kathy says it is OK for Ed to stay. Kathy and the boys leave. Ed tells Emily that he has just realised who the Sugden family are. Diane has told the court about the events at the pub on 15th November and says that she saw Jack the morning after, he was tired and upset. Diane says that Jack did not withdraw his threat to kill Sarah and Richie. Jack also told her that the farm was worth more on paper than it was as a working farm. Diane said Jack was depressed and said that it made him do terrible things. Diane is then asked to step down but she continues saying that Jack is a good man. She accuses the jury of twisting everything she says. Diane returns to her seat. Betty tells her that she didn't do Jack any favours. Jack is called upon to give his evidence. Zak is at Pollard's Shop asking Eric for more cash. Eric tells him to get Lisa to order everything and to send him the invoices. Zak tells him that is an expensive way of doing it. Zak asks for £1000 cash. Zak says he will save 20% on materials. Eric tells Zak to turn around whilst he gets the money out of the safe. He gives him £500. In court, Jack is being questioned about his words, 'I could kill you'. Jack tells the court about his herd being diagnosed with TB and his failure to get a grant. He says that it was a struggle keeping the family together and he hadn't slept for ages. The incident with Victoria was the last straw and he lost the plot. Jack says that he wanted to shake some sense into his wife, he is ashamed by his behaviour. Jack admits to saying that the farm was worth more on paper than it was as a working farm. He denies setting fire to the barn. He says he is always dealing with petrol, and he spilt some that morning, filling the quad. He said they were his gloves, he had been burning some rubbish and the gloves got burnt. Ed and Emily are looking after Victoria. Ed asks Emily what she was doing when he got off the bus. Emily says that is where the lorry crash was a year ago and Butch had the accident. Butch had been on the way to Hotten to see her Dad, they were going to get married. Emily explains that they got married later, when Butch was in hospital. Ed says he will go, but Emily says not to, she explains that she thinks Ed is supposed to be there. Jack tells his version of what happened on the night of the fire. He says he called to Robert to call 999, then he ran into the barn which was full of smoke. He said he tried to find Sarah and eventually he saw her on the haybarn. He called out to her, but she was already unconscious. Everything was on fire and there was nothing he could do so he ran out of the barn. The female QC asks about Jack's intentions to kill Richie and Sarah. Jack says he did not want to kill or fight with Richie even though he blamed him for the destruction of his family. Miss Browning says that Jack did want to harm Richie as he tried to strangle him in Hotten General Hospital on 21st November. Jack claims that it was different in the hospital because he believed that Richie had murdered Sarah. The QC asks Jack why he didn't tell the police of his suspicions. Jack says he was too tired. The QC asks if the incident in the Woolpack was the first time he had abused his wife. Jack confirms that it was. Jack says he is telling the truth but the QC says he is trying to deceive the court.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Andy Sugden - Kelvin Fletcher
*Robert Sugden - Christopher Smith
*Kathy Glover - Malandra Burrows
*Angie Reynolds - Freya Copeland
*Diane Blackstock - Elizabeth Estensen
*Victoria Sugden - Hannah Midgley (uncredited)
*Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
*Ed Wills - James Midgley
*Emily Dingle - Kate McGregor
*Viv Hope - Deena Payne
*Betty Eagleton - Paula Tilbrook
*Alan Turner - Richard Thorp
*Richie Carter - Glenn Lamont
*Zak Dingle - Steve Halliwell
*Eric Pollard - Christopher Chittell
===Guest cast===
*Louise Salisbury - Caroline Strong
*Hilary Browning QC - Sarah Parks
*Geoffrey Hamilton-Jones QC - Nicholas Blane
*Clerk - Tim Swinton
*Justice Michael Thornton - Anthony Schaeffer
==Locations==
*Melby Farm - Farmhouse (kitchen)
*Hotten Crown Court - Foyer and courtroom
*Hotten Road
*Main Street
*The Antique Barn - Shop floor
==Notes==
*Caroline Strong makes a pre-Mel Doland appearance as Louise Salisbury.
*Viewing Figures: UK broadcast - 10,470,000 viewers (13th place).
Category:2001 episodes
Category:Emmerdale episodes