The Assault

**Spoiler Warning:** *This article contains content relating to the plot and/or storyline*

## The Assault

###

Series 1, Episode 2

### Running Time

60 minutes

**"The Assault"** is the second episode in Series 1 of *Line of Duty* and the second overall episode. It was first broadcast on BBC Two on 3rd July 2012.

## Summary

Having been duped into covering up Jackie's crime, Gates is desperate to sever ties with her. But, as Arnott and Fleming close in on his secret, Gates is plunged into an even more dangerous situation than he first thought.

## Details

### Before first interview with Wesley Duke by TO-20

DS Steve Arnott arrives at Kingsgate Station to see DS Matthew Cottan and DC Nigel Morton are waiting outside. Cottan goes into the station after referring to Arnott as an arsehole. Morton then tells Arnott that DCI Tony Gates ordered him to escort Arnott into the building. Morton begins talking about Gates, referring to him as the best detective in the city. Morton claims that if AC-12 see someone getting results they have to bring them down. Arnott says Morton is safe, then. Morton says he never worked hard enough but Gates has; he cares about solving crime. Arnott has had enough and heads into the building with Morton following. Arnott arrives at the offices and tells Gates he has signed action assigning him access to TO-20 files. Gates tells him he's a bean counter and asks how that feels.

Gates goes over the crime at Greek Lane with the squad. Two drug dealers found dead and were tortured for information prior to their deaths. All of their fingers were removed, most likely with bolt cutters, leading Gates to believe that they didn't have any relevant information to give up. DC Deepak Kapoor suggests that this could have been a warning. Wesley Duke, a local drug dealer who was known to TO-20 previously to the deaths, was seen coming and going from the crime scene. Gates suggests that the offenders broke in via the window in the 15-minute window between Dot and Deepak leaving and the next surveillance shift arriving. Gates then recieves a call from Jackie Laverty, which he ignores. A brief glance at his call history shows that this the third missed call from her today. Gates then tells his team that they will make up for the messed up surveillance by nicking whoever did it. Fleming confirms that Duke is now their primary suspect. Morton asks if they can pick him up now, Gates says he's already had uniform pick him up and he's in interview room one. DC Kate Fleming wants to look over their workloads and starts looking through the case files. She sees the hit and run file and texts Arnott, asking him to interview Rita Bennett, the civilian officer who was assigned the case. Arnott sees Bennett in the corridor but decides against talking to her. Fleming looks annoyed at this.

### First interview of Wesley Duke by TO-20

Gates begins interviewing Duke with his solicitor, Lis Burton, about his activity in Greek Lane. The whole of the TO-20 team are watching from behind the one-way mirror. They have both had the benefit of disclosure so are aware that TO-20 have evidence that Duke was a regular visitor to the house on Greek Lane. Duke's excuse for being in the Greek Lane is that he was borrowing some DVDs from the house. Gates tells Duke that those lads were brutally murdered, and he is the only person they can connect to the house and so is prime suspect. Burton says that Duke had nothing to do with the murder and he knows it. Gates asks Duke where he was between 11pm on Wednesday 4th and 6am on Thursday 5th. Duke offers no alibi. Gates tells Duke that TO-20's line of inquiries will hit him like a steamroller unless he starts telling the truth. Burton says that Duke strenuously denies the allegation and points out that they have no forensic evidence as per disclosure. She says that there will be a claim for wrongful arrest. Gates terminates the interview and thanks Duke, telling him that he has been a great help and that, as thanks, Gates will arrange to have him dropped back to the estate in a marked police car, be thanked in front of the whole estate, and then have community officers make a blatant point of turning a blind eye to any illegal activity he is undertaking. His solicitor interjects that he isn't a police informer, and Gates stares down Duke waiting for an answer and restarting the tape. Duke nods and agrees to talk, and confirms that the Greek Lane dealers set up a month ago at most. He doesn't know names, but thinks that they were maybe Arab or Muslim, and had large quantities of good quality materials that weren't mixed up. Gates presses Duke more and Duke tells him that the drugs came in white sacks. Gates thanks him and says he won't be able to leave until the paperwork is sorted. Burton then advises Duke that he will be fine, as the police are only into burglaries this week.

### After first interview of Wesley Duke by TO-20

PC Karen Larkin brings Jackie Laverty in to see Bennett regarding the hit and run. Bennett tells Laverty that Gates has taken on the case, and takes her to see him. Gates is shocked to see Laverty and pretends he doesn't know her. He then gives her an update on the case with the door open for people, including Fleming, to hear. He tells her that the police are satisfied that there was a break in at her home that enabled thieves to steal her vehicle, which was then involved in a fatal hit and run with a pedestrian, and that the police identified the victim through missing persons, but that is no longer an active line of enquiry. He hands her a note that says "I know what you did. We're finished." Bennett shows Laverty out.

Superintendent Ted Hastings informs Arnott that he received a phone call from Fleming about the hit-and-run case. Arnott says he skimmed the file, it's a red herring. Arnott thinks that Gates has deliberately chosen a low-profile case with virtually zero chance of a clean-up due to the AC-12 investigation. Arnott then advises Hastings that he has evidence of Gates laddering for years, adding four charges for every crime committed. Hastings then tells Arnott that when he joined anti-corruption, there were a minimum of ten bent coppers in every station. He says that the new procedures aren't putting things in order, they're bringing more problems in. Referring to Gates as 'your bent copper for the twenty-first century', Hastings claims that Gates is using the messed-up system to climb to the top, but Hastings doesn't see why.

Gates arrives home to pick up his wife, Jools Gates, and takes her out to his daughters piano recital at Edge Park Preparatory School.

### First interview of Nadzia Wojcik by AC-12

Arnott goes to the Sunflower Cafe in Kingsgate and speaks to Nadzia Wojcik who was the waitress that gave Gates a free breakfast after he stopped the mugging. Arnott wants to know if he regularly receives a free breakfast, which Nadzia denies saying she'd never seen him before, but they were quiet, no trouble. Arnott asks who he was with, and whether she was a police officer. Nadzia says she doesn't know, but she didn't do anything to stop the mugging, like Gates did. Arnott presses her further and Nadzia realises that he wants to know if the woman was Gates's girlfriend. Nadzia asks if it is a problem fore policemen in England to have girlfriends. Arnott says it depends on who the girl is. Nadzia suggests that she mustn't be a criminal, which Arnott confirms. She then asks if they can be a witness. Nadzia gives a brief description "Tall, slim, dark hair, mid-forties, well-dressed." Intrigued by this information, when Arnott returns to HQ he looks at the hit and run file and finds the connection to Laverty, who matches the description.

### After first interview of Nadzia Wojcik by AC-12

A burglar breaks into a nice flat with an alarm on the window. He picks up the expensive items and throws them over the balcony into the canal in a black plastic bag. He then moves on to the next flat and repeats.

PC Larkin is taking a statement from a young woman, Keely Pilkington, who's ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend is posting unflattering comments about her on Facebook. She requests that she would like her 'done' for this, though quickly gets annoyed about the amount of paperwork necessary. DS Leah Janson interrupts the interview to advise Larkin that a silent alarm is going off at Kingsgate Canalside. Larkin complains she hasn't finished all the paperwork for the woman's complaint. Janson confirms it's a CS 'Control Strategy Crime' which means the department's focus is on burglary - dwellings for the week and cannot ignore them. Larkin is also forced to take the new guy PC Simon Bannerjee as no one else is available. Whilst investigating the burglary they run into the burglar and Bannerjee chases him through the block of flats. The Burglar, who appears to be on some kind of drug, climbs onto the balcony and when the police close in he jumps, but doesn't land in the canal like the stolen goods, he makes it to the concrete bank and ends up in hospital with multiple fractures. Larkin reprimands Bannerjee as they now have 'so many more forms to fill in'.

Janson arrives to interview Lee Plater, the burglar, and advises him that as his offence happened in a CS hot spot, and that when he left the hospital they would charge him with the full force of the law. Janson advises that it will help him enormously when it comes to sentencing if he admits to other offences that he has committed. Lee says 'TIC. Oh, nice one. Yeah, I don't want prison. I've got Benidorm booked.' Janson then reads through a list of open burglaries in the area with Lee admitted to each one as read out. Back at HQ with Morton looking over her shoulder, Janson marks all her open burglaries as solved. Chief Superintendent Derek Hilton arrives to congratulate Janson and confirms that the Crime Audit Office will be delighted. Once Hilton leaves the room, Janson comments sarcastically that she looks forward to that automated e-mail.

Hilton calls Fleming into interview room three to see Alf Butterfield, who Fleming has to persuade not to lodge a formal complaint. Luckily, one of the open burglaries that Lee confessed to was Mr Butterfield's. Fleming advises him of this update and confirms that a complaint will use up police time that could be better spent investigating this person who has confessed, and Mr Butterfield's other complaints. Mr Butterfield agrees not to file a complaint. Gates is outside listening. He is impressed with Fleming, and agrees to put a priority on any future calls to 999 from Mr Butterfield.

Morton and Fleming drive to the crime scene. Fleming comments that TO-20 get the best job cars and phones, and that it must have been hard getting on the squad. Morton says that it was touch-and-go for a while whether he would ever get out from behind a desk. Fleming asks him why he walks with a stick. Morton lies and says he took a bullet for someone else in the line of duty. Morton says that he considered retiring, that it was Gates who gave him back his motivation, that he's a good man and Fleming should remember that.

Morton and Fleming arrive at Greek Lane. Gates is already there. Fleming theorises that the drugs Wesley Duke mentioned were stolen. Gates argues that they may just be well-hidden. Gates then notices the unusual appearance of the carpet on the stairs and tears it up, but finds nothing. Gates asks Morton to get a search team in. Fleming tries to question Gates about his motives for bringing her into the squad. He says that he didn't do it to tick a diversity box, he thinks she's a good detective, but that Hilton cares about box-ticking, whereas he cares about cracking cases. Fleming says she does too.

Arnott goes into the TO-20 squad room and asks Bennett for the hit and run files. Morton, Cottan and Deepak wind Arnott up about the shooting incident from episode 1. Arnott wants to talk to Gates and Gates requests a formal interview with his police federation representative. Arnott presses that he only wants one minor detail, why Gates would take on a minor hit and run case. Gates trots out his excuse that he believe it was related to an ongoing TO-20 investigation, but that information turned out to be false. Arnott keeps pushing him, asking why he hasn't bounced it back to traffic. Arnott begins to caution Gates, and Gates snaps at him that he is busy on a double murder and doesn't have time for this. Gates leaves and Arnott waits for the hit and run documents.

Gates reads to the daughters, Natalie and Chloe, at bedtime and receives a missed call from Jackie Laverty.

Fleming meets Arnott in a car park to catch up. Fleming apologises for laughing with the TO-20 boys at him today. Arnott says he doesn't care, what pisses him off is her going to Hastings behind his back. Fleming argues that every piece of information she feeds them risks blowing her cover. Arnott shows her the info on the hit and run file and Laverty. Fleming remembers seeing Laverty in the station and thought it was odd. Arnott confides his suspicions that Laverty is Gates's girlfriend, as she isn't named as a witness in his statement. They then start speculating on Laverty calling Gates to help her the night of the hit and run, which is a minimum offence of perverting the course of justice. Arnott confirms he's going to work the case and try to identify the DOA.

Jools checks on the kids and Gates. Laverty tries to call him again. Gates goes for a drive and Laverty calls him several more times. He eventually answers and she apologises to coming to the station, saying she just wanted to see him. Gates complains that her explanation that the guy just jumped out in front of her on a dark country lane makes a lot less sense when it turns out it was her accountant that she hit. Laverty says it was so good having him back in her life after all these years, and she can't lose him again. Laverty then starts dirty talking to distract Gates from the hit and run, tell him nothing is off limits between them. Gates admits he's at her house and wants to see her.

Laverty then comes up with a new story of how she managed to hit Gurjit Patel with her car. She now admits she was giving him a lift, and telling him she was going to expand her business but there wasn't a place for him anymore. She claims he became aggressive and was going to attack her. She claims that she panicked but never meant to hurt him. She claims that no one else would believe her, only Gates, and that's why she came to see him. Gates finally admits that he's being investigated, possibly because of her. She gets him to confirm that no one knows anything about their affair, not even his wife. Laverty immediately backs off and claims she doesn't want to hurt him or his family, and that she understands if she can never see him again. He follows her upstairs anyway.

Bannerjee and Larkin are driving patrol in the Bog. Food and rubbish is thrown at their patrol car. Bannerjee is shocked at the amount of children not in school and that they have surrendered the streets. Duke is dealing drug whilst leaning on a lamp post. Mr Butterfield is being harassed by local children throwing food and garbage at his flat. He calls the number Fleming gave him and asks for someone to come round straight away. A kid on a bike, Ryan Pilkington, who was earlier seen posting rotten food through Mr Butterfield's letterbox, circles Duke and starts trash talking him about his shoes. Duke grabs him and Ryan says that Tom wants to talk to him and hands him a burner phone. Tommy tells Duke that he knows he was dealing with 'them Arabs'. Duke denies it. Tommy tells Duke that they lost their fingers and if he doesn't want to go the same way as them he'll hand over his whole score to Ryan. Duke hands it over to the kid, who rides away past Mr Butterfield's house. Ryan insults him and Mr Butterfield, who is way past his breaking point, smacks Ryan with his cane repeatedly. This is the moment the police turn up. Larkin and Bannerjee stop the assault, and Larkin confirms that she has no option but to arrest Mr Butterfield under the Public Order Act. Bannerjee tries to search Ryan's pockets, but he slips away and runs off, tossing the stash from Duke over a fence. Larkin shouts at Bannerjee that they never leave the vehicle in the Bog and he stops chasing.

### Before Arnott's meeting with Jackie Laverty

Arnott starts investigating Laverty, and Laverty Holdings. He finds numerous cases relating to various properties around the city, including a hairdresser and a garage. There is a burglary on file for the hairdresser's which Lee Plater confessed to doing. Arnott investigates and goes to have a look at the property. It's closed, looks run down and when someone eventually answers the bell it's a man, Miroslav, who says that Mrs Laverty owns the property and agrees that she's a big blonde lady. Deepak is shown to be following Arnott and has seen him stop at the hairdresser's.

Deepak returns to the station. Gates calls Deepak into his office and asks him what he's seen, Deepak voices his reluctance to be spying on AC. Gates says that he understands and that's why he really appreciates Deepak doing this for him and that they're all in this together. Deepak says not exactly. Gates asks if the means that Arnott is his problem and his alone, and tells him that if he can't do this, he'll find someone who can. Deepak confirms what Arnott was up to, and Gates doesn't understand the significance but gets suspicious.

### Arnott's meeting with Jackie Laverty

Arnott goes to visit Laverty at work, where she is buying more property in a market at a marked discount, 15% off the asking price, accompanied by her PA, Mark. She already has four units at a discounted price. Arnott reveals that he is suspicious about her large amount of property with businesses that claim she's involved with, including the hairdresser's in Moss Heath. Laverty repeats that she only owns the property, that the businesses are run independently. Arnott reveals that the manager of the hairdesser's indicated that there was a direct relationship with her personally, but fortunately he didn't seem to know her from Adam. Laverty asks why should he know her? Arnott acknowledges that she has dozens of these places and suggests discussing this somewhere less public. Laverty says that she is happy to cooperate, but as this is a commercially sensitive area, she'd prefer her solicitor be there to verify all the small details. Arnott asks her if she knows what Captive Businesses are, where services are paid for in cash with no paper trail or ID. Earnings from illegal activities can be hidden through the books of the salon, on market stalls where laundering money is easy, they bank the cash and it's clean. Laverty repeats she's happy to cooperate. Arnott asks her like she did when her car was stolen for a hit and run, and does she know Gates. Laverty replies that she met him briefly at the police station. Arnott asks if that is the extent of their relationship, and tells her that he has a witness to them having breakfast the morning before. Arnott then requests that she attends a meeting under caution the next day with her solicitor at AC-12. Laverty looks like she's seen a ghost and Arnott looks happy.

### After Arnott's meeting with Jackie Laverty

Arnott bounces back into the office to be met with stares from his colleagues. Hastings takes him aside and tells him that the coroner has set a date to reopen the inquest into the shooting that was shown in episode 1 and Arnott will be expected to testify again. Arnott isn't phased, he was expecting this. Hastings then reveals that the firearms officers have resubmitted their statements, saying that Arnott was responsible for sending them to the wrong flat. Hastings says he has his back, but that his position at AC-12 is at risk.

Gates looks into the hairdresser that Arnott visited, and sees that it's connected to Laverty Holdings. He ignores another call from Laverty. He zones out and is interrupted by Fleming who wants him to go over the Greek Lane files. Gates leaves quickly and Fleming watches him go, looking suspicious. Gates goes to see Laverty to confront her about what he's found. He tells her that Arnott's onto her because of the hairdresser's and that she might as well have put up a sign saying 'launder your drug money here.' Gates has put it all together now. She operates money laundering businesses out of her properties to launder drug money, and her accountant Gurjit Patel found out about it and decided to talk, so she lured him into the country and ran him over. None of it was an accident and she's dragged Gates into all this. Gates tells her that he's not some 25-year-old that's wet behind the ears, that was the poor sap that fell for all her lies. He accuses her of not loving her ex-husband, Andrew Laverty, and only loving his money. Laverty tries to manipulate him again, telling him that she's made everything up to him. Gates has had enough and arrests her for manslaughter, ignoring her protests.

Arnott is then seen returning to the Sunflower Cafe to see Nadzia.

Gates takes Laverty out to his car and puts her in the back seat. He drives her towards the police station. Laverty starts talking, tell Gates that Arnott questioned her earlier and that he's putting it all together. That Arnott really wants Gates not her, that she can tell him that she was in fear for her life and she'll get away with it but Gates will go to jail. A copper in jail is a hard life. Gates says that will never happen. Laverty tells him that his wife and kids will find out what he was up to, that he cheated, that it's not his future or hers, it's theirs. Gates gets upset and Laverty knows shes managed to manipulate him. She tells him that she'll fix it and to leave it to her.

Fleming tries to call Arnott, but he's on a date with Nadzia. She leaves him a message saying that she thinks something's happened and that Gates went off in a weird mood earlier and no-one knows where his is, but she can't track him down without raising suspicions. She tells Arnott to call her when he gets her voicemail.

Back on the Bog, Duke is trying to make up for his earlier losses, not knowing that Ryan had to chuck his score over a fence. A car pulls up to him and Ryan leans out, shouting 'That's the wanker! He's the one who wouldn't give over his score!' Duke legs it whilst Ryan watches laughing. Duke isn't fast enough and is later found dead, shot in the head and missing his fingers, hanging from a lamppost by a bike tire. Bannnerjee and Larkin investigate and try to get the crowd to disperse. Keely arrives and tries to take a photo. Larkin takes this opportunity to get Keely to confirm she's dropping the charges about the Facebook abuse but moans that means it's a 6-page form to convert it to a non-crime crime number. Morton, Cottan and Fleming arrive at the Duke crime but Gates is nowhere to be seen. Fleming says that they know who killed him -the same outfit that killed the two dealers. Fleming asks if they've called Gates and Morton says that he left a message on Gates's mobile. Fleming wants to call him at home but Cottan says no, we don't want to wake his missus. They try to break up the crowd. Cottan claims that they're more likely to talk on the quiet. As the crowd breaks up, a kid steals Duke's shoes.

Fleming calls Arnott and tells him that she thinks Morton and Cottan are covering for Gates and that he's at Laverty's now. Arnott apologises to Nadzia, saying that he can't carry on as she's a witness, and runs off to Laverty's house. At Laverty's house, Gates is drinking heavily with Laverty on her sofa having given in to her. Laverty wants to go back upstairs, and there is a knock on the door, but they didn't hear the security gates. Gates prepares to leave by the back door, as Laverty gets ready to open the door and distract whoever is there. Laverty opens to door to three men, one is Miroslav, wearing balaclavas and black jackets, who grab her. She screams for Gates who comes back in and announces he's police. The men knock Gates semi-unconscious and slit Laverty's throat in front of him. He can only watch as they put his fingerprints on the knife they used and she bleeds out in front of him. He slowly drifts into unconsciousness.

## Cast

### Opening Credits

* Lennie James as Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Tony Gates
* Martin Compston as Detective Sergeant (DS) Steve Arnott
* Vicky McClure as Detective Constable (DC) Kate Fleming
* Gina McKee as Jackie Laverty
* Adrian Dunbar as Superintendent (Supt) Ted Hastings
* Craig Parkinson as DS Matthew Cottan
* Kate Ashfield as Jools Gates
* Paul Higgins as Chief Superintendent (CS) Derek Hilton
* Neil Morrissey as DC Nigel Morton

### Closing Credits

* Faraz Ayub as DC Deepak Kapoor
* Alison Lintott as Rita Bennett
* Dylan Duffus as Wesley Duke
* Toni Midlane as Lis Burton
* Fiona Boylan as Police Constable (PC) Karen Larkin
* Saffron Davies as Chloe Gates
* Jordyn-Eve Davis Greene as Natalie Gates
* Elisa Lasowski as Nadzia Wojcik
* Shaun Mason as Lee Plater
* Lauren O'Rourke as Keely Pilkington
* Claire Keelan as DS Leah Janson
* Neet Mohan as PC Simon Bannerjee
* Brian Miller as Alf Butterfield
* Gregory Piper as Ryan Pilkington
* Tomi May as Miroslav Minkowicz

### Uncredited

* Mohan Randhawa as Detective Inspector (DI) Singh
* Nick Owenford as Parent

## Locations

Scenes from this episode were recorded at Shannon Road, Tay Grove, Teviot Grove, The Fold, Kings Norton, Birmingham, of which was a partially a derelict housing estate awaiting new housing developments in 2012. Other filming locations include Birmingham Municipal Bank (AC-12 Building), The House of Sport on Bridge Street (Kingsgate Station), Millionaire's Row (Millionaire's Row), Small Heath (Moss Heath) and The Queen's Arms, Newhall Street (The Queen's Arms pub).