Mr Charlesworth (2002 character)

In late 2002, Richard Hillman, up to his eyes in debt and his business interests failing, concocted a plan to convince everyone that mother-in-law Audrey Roberts was entering senility and then kill her in a fire in her house which would be put down to an accidental death and her estate would be paid to daughter Gail. When Audrey started to receive medical opinion that there was nothing wrong with her mentally, Richard had to bring his plan forward. Spiking her drinks with extra gin, she was taken home in a taxi by Steve McDonald. Richard followed and began the fire while Audrey slept soundly in bed. However when Steve discovered she had left her glasses behind in her cab, Archie Shuttleworth tried to raise her by phone and, unable to do so, the two men went back to her house where the fire was spotted and the emergency services were called while Steve pulled Audrey from the inferno.

Mr Charlesworth was the doctor in intensive care who reassured Gail that the breathing apparatus that Audrey was linked to was just a precaution as they couldn't be sure how much smoke she had breathed in. However, as she had fallen down the stairs and knocked herself unconscious trying to get out of the house before Steve had rescued her, she had lain underneath the bulk of the smoke. He commented that she was a lucky woman and Richard snarled his agreement.