It can be hard to keep a secret at the best of times. But for Irene, the shocking truth about her role in what happened to Bella’s online groomer sends her into a downward spiral.
Standing tall, she bravely walks into the police station to confess everything. Will Irene go to jail?
In recent episodes of Home And Away, the former foster mum arrived home to find Bella (Courtney Miller) fighting off her unhinged online attacker Tommy (Adam Sollis). In a panic, Irene (Lynne McGranger) struck him over the head with a vase and grabbed Bella.
Her brave actions saved the day, but Tommy attempted to strike again – sending Irene into a violent rage. Grabbing a nearby champagne bottle, Irene repeatedly hit him over the head, knocking him unconscious. But now, he’s in a grave condition.
Tommy’s condition continues to decline.
“It’s a full-on reaction to what Tommy says, and it dredges up everything about her traumatic past that she’s tried to bury,” Lynne, 66, tells TV WEEK.
Both women immediately panicked, and resolved to drop him outside the hospital and forget anything ever happened.
But, of course, it’s not so easy. Irene violent reaction was triggered by her past experience with sexual assault and now she’s consumed by grief and guilt.
“She tussles with it for a while, but eventually says no, they have to tell the truth,” Lynne says. “She’s listened to her friends who’ve heard about the attack and are labelling whoever did it a ‘monster’, and she just can’t handle the guilt. It’s too much.”
With her sanity hanging by a thread and Colby (Tim Franklin) investigating the “mysterious attack”, Irene resolves to tell the truth – no matter the consequences.
Bella confesses and pleads with Colby to intervene.
The next day, Bella arrives at Colby’s apartment and asks him to drive her to the station. On the way, she spills everything and urges him to stop Irene from turning herself in. Colby is rattled by his sister’s words and sad he couldn’t be there to stop the attack.
At the station, the siblings find Irene filling out paperwork and preparing to make a statement. Are they too late?
Home And Away airs Monday to Thursday at 7pm on Channel Seven.
