Joyce Smedley

Joyce Smedley, the mother of Judy Mallett, was always in perpetual debt. She worked as a cleaner at the Rovers, Sunliners Travel and Alec Gilroy's flat, but in April 1996, she was offered extra hours as a barmaid at the Rovers.

Joyce lived in Gable Street with her dog, Scamper. Her weakness was Turnbull's Catalogue - from which she would order anything and everything, even if she didn't need it, let alone affording it. She turned to lottery scratchcards as a way of relieving her debt problems, but this only made things worse.

Things came to a head in December 1996 when she turned up on daughter Judy and her husband Gary Mallett's doorstep complaining of sexual harrassment by her landlord. It transpired that she actually owed him £450 - three months' back rent. Worse was to follow; Joyce had been stealing from both the Rovers and Sunliners tills, and Alec had caught her. He declined to take the matter to the police, but she lost her job. Fortunately, Gary and Judy paid her rent - much to her annoyance. She deeply loved Judy but resented her help.

In February 1997, while out walking Scamper, he slipped his lead and ran across Ashdale Road. Joyce gave chase, but ran straight into the path of Tony Horrocks in his new car. Scamper escaped, but Joyce was killed instantly.