Jim McDonald

James "Jim" McDonald is the father of Steve and Andy and ex-husband of Liz.

Before moving to Coronation Street in 1989, Jim served with the Royal Engineers. On civvy street, he worked as a builder, mechanic and repairman and briefly managed The Queens pub with Liz in 1993.

Jim's cool reserve hides a temper which flares up violently when his family or pride are hurt. He and Liz had a stormy relationship; Jim's fists and his paranoia over Liz's affairs drove them apart but they always reconciled. Their first marriage ended in 1996 when Jim beat Liz when she confessed to a fling with his colleague Johnny Johnson years earlier. They re-married in 2000 prior to Jim being sentenced of the manslaughter of drug dealer Jez Quigley, who had beaten up Steve. They split again in 2005 when Liz had enough of waiting for Jim. He was released from prison in 2007 and remained a free man until 2011, when he was given a seven-year sentence for trying to rob a bank to give Liz enough money to buy the Rovers Return.

Jim hails from Northern Ireland and is noted for his usage of Irish sayings like finishing his sentences with "so it is" and calling people by their full forenames.

1955-1999: Marriage to Liz
Jim married Liz Greenwood in 1974 when, they had twin sons, Steve and Andy. Jim served in the army for a few years, and later moved to Weatherfield with his wife and sons in 1989. Jim got a job as a mechanic working for Kevin Webster in 1992, but trategy struck when Liz and Jim lost their premeture baby daughter Katie, which led to a split up but they later got back together again.

Liz confessed to having an affair with another man in 1996 when Jim was in the army as she was lonely when they where heading back home after going out with some of his old army mates. Angered, Jim beat Liz and left her at a gas station, and she had to make her own way home. Jim later tries to break into the house with a spade and is arrested and a restraining order is put on him, and he later spends a few weeks in prison for burglary.

In 1998, Jim suffers fatal injuries when he falls from a scaffolding after a brawl with Steve and is put in a wheelchair, but gets a physiperhapist to help him to walk again. When Liz has an affair with his physical therapist, an angry Jim throws her out the house, and they later get divorced.

2000-2007: Prison Sentence
In 2000, Steve gets beaten up by drug dealer and gangster Jez Quigley due to testifying against him for Jez killing Tony Horrocks. In revenge, Jim goes round to Jez's house and severly beats him up, resulting in Jez dying later in hospital with a ruptured spleen (after also attempting to kill Steve in his bed). Jim hands himself into the police and is remanded in custody. Liz returns and they get remarried again in November 2000 before his trial, and is later sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaugter.

Three years later into his sentence, Jim fears Liz is having an affair with her manager in Blackpool, so breaks out of prison and with the help of Stevee, gets to Blackpool to meet Liz. Jim and Liz plan on fleeing to Ireland and look forward to life as fugitives, however stop to help Claire Peacock who is trapped adrift on a boat. When they get back on land, Jim is arrested and sent back to prison. In 2005, he was meant to be released on parole, but it was cancelled due to him beating up a cellmate. Liz visited him and wanted to divorce him for the second time.

2007-2010: Release
Jim is eventually early in November 2007 for good behaviour. Jim appeared to be a changed man and Steve gave him a job at Street Cars, and he was able to see his granddaughter Amy. But Jim still had feelings for his ex-wife Liz, who was set to marry Vernon Tomlin. On the day of Liz and Vernon's wedding, Jim gives his undying love for her and they kiss, which ends with Vernon launching at Jim, but Jim gives him a severe beating. Steve interupts and breaks up the fight, and tells Jim that he is not welcome with them, and Jim leaves the street. However in August 2009 he returns along with Andy for Steve's fourth wedding to Becky Granger. When Becky is arrested due to drugs being planted at the pub by her ex-drug dealing boyfriend Slug, Jim suggests to Steve that he puts photos in his cabs in case people recongise him. With that he leaves once again with Andy for Spain. He turns up a year later when its his birthday and to visit everyone, but wants to see Liz in particular and isnt happy about Liz's new boyfriend Owen Armstrong. Annoyed by Jim turning up looking for Liz, Owen hired some of his builders to beat Jim up, putting him in hospital. Steve went to see him and when Jim was discharged, he warned Steve about Owen. Sometime later, Owen was told by Steve that Liz wanted nothing to do with him.

2011 onwards: Back in the big house
In 2011, Jim returned again to the street when Liz had a fallen out with Steve and Becky due to Becky making a mess of Steve's life. After a talk with Liz, he came up with a plan to buy up the Rovers Return to pay off Steve's debts, as he got into problems due to buying Becky's nephew Max from her sister Kylie. Steve was angered by the idea and felt betrayed. But when Becky came up with an idea to run of to Spain with the kids Max and Amy to get away from her sister Kylie and away from Tracy Barlow, Steve agreed to sell the pub to Jim. Jim and Liz accepted the idea of Steve, Becky and the kids running away, and looked forward to running the pub together and giving their relationship another go. However Jim was having problems with getting the money. On the day when Steve and Becky planned on fleeing, Jim was unable to make up the money for the pub. He met up with his old cellmate from prison, and got himself a shotgun. He then went round to the bank intent on robbing it so he could get the £120,000 to buy the pub. However, the panic button was pressed and Jim ended up taking everyone in the bank hostage as the police arrived. Liz and Steve were called to the scene and Liz managed to talk Jim out through the phone. Jim let the hostages go and planned on killing himself, but decided to give himself up. He was arrested and put into a policecar, and told Liz he was very sorry for everything. She visited him in prison and promised that she would wait for him when he would be released. However later that night, she left the street, and Steve visited him the next day with a letter she left for him and Jim blamed himself for everything.

Later in the year (off-screen) Jim was given a sentence of 7 years. Steve was the only one to attend the trial; Liz chose not to return as she felt it would be too humiliating.

Other information

 * Jim is currently due to be released from prison in 2018, but subject to the parole board he could be released as early as 2014.

Background Information

 * Jim was written out of Coronation Street after 10 years in 2000 as the character was axed. However Charles Lawson continued to make guest stints from 2003 onwards, his most recent being in April 2011.

Quotes
"Hi. Listen, sorry just to drop in on you like this but we've just seen your house in the estate agent window and was wondering if we could have a wee look around." (First line, to Audrey Roberts)

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"You don't believe that for one minute." (Final line, to Steve McDonald)