Terry Boyle

**Terry Boyle** is a vulnerable adult with Down's syndrome. He is exploited by the Organised Crime Group. He was originally shown in Series 1, later again in Series 5 and as the main suspect in a murder inquiry during Series 6.

## Background

Terry has Down's syndrome. It is suggested by Ryan Pilkington that he survives off disability benefits provided by the City Council. From Series 1 to 6 he resides in a small council subsidised flat in Dorton Villas, a residential building located in the Kingsgate area.

## Series 1

### Terror

Unable to comprehend that they are using him, Terry lets Ryan Pilkington, Carly (not to be confused with Carly Kirk) and Dean into his council flat in Dorton Villas. Taking advantage of his kindness, they eat and drink his food whilst verbally and physically abusing him. In his kitchen, Ryan notices a large freezer Terry has been given by the council to store his food.

Later on, two men working for Tommy Hunter enter Terry's flat, carrying with them Jackie Laverty's frozen body in two suitcases. Unaware of what their true intentions are, Terry lets them in. Later realising that Ryan and his friends have been abusing him, calls Central Police to report them. PC's Karen Larkin and Simon Bannerjee respond to the call, but Larkin gets frustrated and impatient when Boyle cannot properly articulate what happened. Pretending they have received an urgent call, she and Bannerjee leave Boyle's residence, whilst unbeknownst to them Jackie's body is being stored mere metres away.

## Series 5

### Episode 4

Boyle (now played by Tommy Jessop)'s flat is revealed to be in Kingsgate, opposite Kingsgate Printing Services. Despite many years having passed, he is shown to still being manipulated and used by Ryan Pilkington. Pilkington, Miroslav and Lisa McQueen visit his apartment, where he is questioned as to why he didn't tell them when Central Police raided the print shop. When Miroslav looks through Boyle's kitchen, the body of Jackie Laverty is shown to still be in his freezer, unmoved since 2012.

Boyle apologises that he can't remember what the officers who raided the shop looked like, but shows them pictures he took instead. Lisa McQueen identifies both Superintendent Ted Hastings and DS Steve Arnott (who had previously tried to track the Organised Crime Syndicate the same way as PC Maneet Bindra), and discovers the group must have a rat.

## Series 6

### Episode 1

After being tipped off by a CHIS, officers from Operation Lighthouse led by DCI Joanne Davidson prepare a raid of a location to arrest a suspect using the alias of "Ross Turner" in connection with the murder of reporter and investigative journalist Gail Vella

The intelligence leads them to Flat 4F Beechwood House, where Boyle is taken into custody by Authorised Firearms Officers after he is found as the only occupant in the apartment. Inspections of the flat by the Forensic Unit reveal he had several photos of Vella taped to the wall. After being determined as mentally fit to be interviewed, he is questioned back at Hillside Lane Station by Davidson and DS Chris Lomax in the presence of his solicitor Margaret Moore. Through his solicitor he reveals his real name, and that he mistakenly agreed his name was "Ross Turner" during initial questioning as he was asked a leading question.

His solicitor informs the officers that Boyle does not reside regularly at Beechwood House, but instead in a flat in Dorton Villas in Kingsgate. This location is also searched by the Murder Investigation Team, who discover that the fridge had been removed from his kitchen (potentially because of the presence of body parts) and more photos of Vella, this time with traces of his semen present. Traces of Class A drugs, and an item of Boyles clothing with gunshot residue is also found in the flat.In interview Boyle reveals very little, much to the frustration of Davidson and Lomax. Davidson hypothesises that Boyle stalked and wanted to have a sexual relationship with Vella, whom he called "nice lady" in interview. She further implies that he became angry because he was unable to be with her and thus shot her in anger.

However, further examinations from the Forensic Unit uncover a second set of fingerprints at Beechwood House belonging to a convicted criminal named Carl Banks. Banks and Boyle are of similar appearance and build, and unlike Boyle, Banks has prior convictions for firearms offenses and links with organised crime. Due to a further issue with surveillance of Beechwood House having to be halted for 3 hours before the raid, it becomes clear to Davidson the two could have been mistaken and Banks could have escaped after framing Boyle. This, as well as no traces of neither Vella's blood nor body tissue being present in his flat leaves Davidson with little choice but to release Boyle on conditional bail, knowing there is not enough evidence to convince the Crown Prosecution Service to charge him. This is negatively received by DSU Ian Buckells, who is under pressure from the Chief Constable to get a breakthrough in the case. Boyle is escorted from Hillside Lane Station to a waiting police car to be taken to secure bail premises, with his solicitor assuring him he will be safe.

### Episode 3

A new witness, Deborah Devereux, makes herself known to Operation Lighthouse and positively identifies Boyle in a PACE compliant line up as the man who was arguing with Alastair Oldroyd the night intelligence was received. This surprises DS Chris Lomax and DCI Joanne Davidson, who had begun to assume that Carl Banks was the more likely perpetrator.

Boyle is brought back to Hillside Lane Station for interview by PC Ryan Pilkington. Whilst waiting in the lobby, Ryan assures Terry that he is still his "best mate" and that everything will be fine as long as he keeps his "mouth shut" in interview. Boyle is questioned by Davidson and Fleming in the presence of his solicitor, Margaret Moore. He denies knowing Oldroyd and interacting with him in the pub that evening, insisting that "it was the other man". When Davidson tells him the witness claimed she only saw two people, Boyle becomes increasingly distressed and unable to answer questions. Despite being pushed by DI Kate Fleming, Davidson terminates the interview so Boyle can calm down. This is due to concerns that if they charge Boyle, his defence lawyer could argue that the "oppressed and intimidated a vulnerable witness into incriminating himself" and thus the case could collapse.

He is escorted into a police car by PC Ryan Pilkington and PC Lisa Patel, with Pilkington sitting in the back next to him. Pilkington lies to Patel that the route back to the approved premises has been changed, and redirects her to a small road alongside the Edge Park Reservoir. Boyle falls asleep as the vehicle is driving. Ensuring his rear window is open, Pilkington attacks Patel and forces the car into the water, in the hopes that because she and Boyle are belted in they will drown. It is presumed that Pilkington has been instructed by the Organised Crime Group to kill Terry, as he is aware of their activities and can link them to the murder of Gail Vella via traces of the body of Jackie Laverty found in his disposed refrigerator.

After Ryan escapes the car and drowns Patel after she survives the crash, it is revealed that Terry also survived and escaped the car before it sank. Ryan re-enters the water to do the same to him, but is forced to stop and actually rescue him when DI Kate Fleming arrives on the scene. Boyle is left with Fleming whilst Pilkington pretends to go back in the water to save Patel. He is checked over by medics from the Meridian Ambulance Service and then taken back to his secured premises under guard. It is uncovered that Deborah Devereux, the witness who identified Terry, was likely lying about seeing him as a favour to DSU Ian Buckells, (who previously assisted her in escaping an assault charge when he was an Inspector at Kingsgate Station), thus throwing his culpability in the murder of Alastair Oldroyd and Gail Vella back into doubt. At AC-12, upon realising the importance of Boyle to their investigation into Operation Lighthouse and the Organised Crime Group, Superintendent Ted Hastings authorises DI Steve Arnott to have Boyles approved premises placed under permanent surveillance.

### Episode 7

All criminal proceedings against Terry Boyle have been dropped, he has since been rehoused to a new location by Social Services. An enquiry to look into the systemic failings by the authorities when safeguarding Terry has been authorised.