Rob Donovan

Robert Darren "Rob" Donovan is the younger brother of Carla Barlow who spent time in Strangeways before returning into her life in 2012. He is currently the owner of Barlow's Buys alongside girlfriend Tracy Barlow. He also acted as a temporary manager of Underworld along with Michelle Connor for a period from July to December 2012 when Carla left Weatherfield with Peter Barlow.

Rob was responsible for the murder of Tina McIntyre, one of Tracy's (many) arch nemesis and who had an affair with Peter Barlow, Rob's brother in law.

Background
Rob was born to Sharon Donovan and the family resided on a run-down council estate. After Carla had left home to marry businessman Paul Connor, Rob was left to support his mother. When she ran up debts to drug dealers, Rob took part in an armed robbery as the getaway driver. However he was caught by police, and sentenced to eight years in Strangeways. When his mother died in June 2011, he contacted Carla to inform her.

Release from prison
He was released in July 2012 and tracked Carla down to her business Underworld in Coronation Street. Rob came across Carla's boyfriend Peter Barlow giving her a hard time, and stepped in and told Peter to stop having a go at his sister. Later on Carla met up with Rob in the Rovers to catch up, but the reunion didn't go well when Rob began to have a go at her for abandoning him and their mother and hardly keeping in contact. He went to stay with Carla's friend and ex-sister-in-law Michelle. Later on he got a job in the factory, although lost an order with a client while having a go at her when she complained about the prices, angering Carla. He later got the order when he won her round.

Rob took control of Underworld when Carla left Weatherfield with boyfriend Peter. Rob continued to run the factory with Michelle until Carla made a return to Weatherfield with Peter from Los Angeles in December that year. She decided that she wanted to return to America to start afresh and planned to sell Underworld so put it on the market. Rob knew that he couldn't make the bid, so he amended the books so the broker gave them a low valuation. Carla later came back to Weatherfield, planning on staying for good and running the factory again, causing Rob and Michelle concern. When Carla discovered what he had done, she sacked him. Angry and feeling betrayed for the work he had put in, Rob set up his own business and began stealing Underworld's clients and contracts. Fed up with his tricks, Carla decided to give Rob his job back, however he wanted a share of the factory. She agreed to give him a 45% share of the business, much to Michelle's dismay.

Teaming up with "Toxic Tracy"
In 2013 Rob started dating Tracy McDonald and gave her a job at Underworld in packing. Prior to their relationship, he had previously dated Eva Price and got her a job as a machinist, but was dumped after being caught cheating with a hotel waitress when he attended a business meeting in Sheffield.

In April, Carla bought the rest of the shares of Barlow's Bookies from Peter's ex-wife Leanne Tilsley hoping to help him to turn the business around when he began having financial problems. She approached Rob for advice, and he planned to modernise the premises and install top of the range TV screens to garner more custom. Peter wasn't happy to discover Rob working in the bookies and having carried out alterations. However, Rob took some delight in winding Peter up about it, as business steadily improved. Peter then devised a plan to get his own back; by being nice to him and playing Rob at his own game, although Peter made Rob work the evening shifts. As Tracy vowed to move in with him, Rob became unsettled and Peter believed that Rob wasn't committed to their relationship.

In July 2013, Rob and Tracy took over the bookies' rent-free for six months when Peter couldn't afford to pay out Rob after winning £35,190. As a result, they revamped the premises and reopened as Barlow's Buys. In October, Tracy ripped off Dennis Tanner after he'd pawned Rita's engagement ring and subsequently caused a feud between Tracy and Tina McIntyre, who had offered to buy the ring back for Dennis.

Despite his arguments with Carla, he cared for his sister deep down and didn't want to see her getting hurt. Prior to her wedding to Peter, Rob warned her that she was too good for Peter but seeing that Peter meant the world to her, he gave her his blessing and wished her the best of luck. Carla asked him to give her away and he accepted.

In January 2014, Rob moved out of his flat in Victoria Court and into 1 Coronation Street with Tracy and her mother Deirdre in a money-saving exercise. The following month, Rob attempted to make more of an effort with his relationship with Tracy especially as he realised that she wanted to spend more time with her daughter Amy. However, through Norris Cole, Tracy soon discovered that Rob had a brief fling with Tina McIntyre, and although he had tried to deny it she kicked him out, much to the relief of a smug Peter. Rob moved into 9a Rosamund Street in the knowledge that his relationship with Tracy was over. Carla attempted to trap Rob into a date with Tina by inviting the pair for dinner at Nick's Bistro only for Tracy and Deirdre to walk in, leading to her causing a scene and subsequently attempting to sell his possessions at their shop. After telling Tracy that he wouldn't be punished for one simple mistake for the rest of his life. Tracy realised that she did in fact love him and having made up, Rob moved back into No.1 and the pair announced their engagement in April 2014.

Rob the killer
In May, Rob began to support his sister after Peter had hit the bottle once again, and discovered that she was pregnant with his child. He began to suspect that Peter was having an affair with Tina, after seeing them secretly meeting several times and given the fact that Peter acted shiftily when Rob spotted them. When Peter refused to give Rob answers, he decided to ask Carla about the matter. However she suffered pains and Rob rushed her to the hospital. Although it was a false alarm, Rob decided not to tell her about Peter's affair, instead warning him that if he hurt Carla he would kill him.

Near the end of the month, Rob and Tracy held their engagement party at the Rovers. Tracy had slipped out of the pub (unbeknownst to Rob) in order to help Tony Stewart deliver stolen goods to his lockup, the situation gave Rob and opportunity to call round at Tina's flat after seeing that she appeared distraught after walking into the Rovers and overhearing Peter's announcement of his wife's pregnancy. Rob went to check on Tina and tried to assure her that she was better off without Peter. However Tina was enraged and angry, threatening to tell Carla about her affair with Peter, and said that she would report Rob and Tracy to the police for their dodgy dealings. Worried, he chased her onto the balcony of the Builder's Yard where the pair had a confrontation. When Tina attempted to leave, Rob pushed her away causing her to fall. Thinking that he had killed her, Rob faked a robbery in the flat, but when he left the flat he heard Tina groaning. Despite trying to convince her she had an accident, Tina still threatened to expose him for his crimes. Desperate, Rob grabbed an iron bar and attacked Tina with it. He returned to No.1, however Carla was later arrested as she had also gone to the flat to confront Tina over the affair. Tina survived the bludgeoning and was taken to Weatherfield General.

Over the next few days Rob was guilt-ridden especially as his sister was being accused of the attack and he tried to pin the blame on Peter. He was also angry when he learned that Tracy was delivering stolen goods during that evening. Tina passed away in hospital on 2nd June, and Rob relayed the news to Carla in the Rovers. Over the next few weeks Rob had attempted to lay the blame on Peter, and tried to convince people he was the killer. On the day of Tina's wedding Rob got into a fight with a drunk Peter by the graveside, which resulted in Peter stating that he and Tina were "even", which had helped put suspicions into people's minds he may of been the killer. Weeks after the event, Rob was relieved when Peter was arrested and charged on suspicion of Tina's murder and held on remand.

Background information
Prior to his debut, Carla had mentioned time and time again about having a brother, and also gave this information in interviews related to Coronation Street. The brother was always referred to as "Darren", which caused confusion as to why he was called "Rob". According to an interview given to DigitalSpy by producer Phil Collinson, Darren is Rob's middle name. .

Quotes
"Did you speak to your mother like that?" (First line to Peter Barlow)

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"You'll die gobby too!" (Line before attacking Tina McIntyre)