Episode 5425 (22nd January 2003)

Plot
Ciaran has spent the night with Sunita. He arranges to see her again and she's delighted. Toyah tries to talk to Maria about the baby's father but Maria refuses to discuss it. Richard receives the cheque for £23,000 from an Equity Release Scheme - he knows that this money could have saved Maxine's life. He pays it into the bank. Ken continues to protest Aiden's innocence. Gail is appalled. Roy tells Ciaran that he's got cold feet about expanding the cafe and going into partnership. Ashley asks Martin, Kevin and Curly to be pall-bearers at Maxine's funeral. Norris overhears Ken talking about Aiden and how he reckons that Aiden has been set up and is actually innocent. Norris thinks Ken might be right. Ashley visits Emily. Emily tells him how she wishes that she had died rather than Maxine. Ashley tells her she mustn't think like that. Sarah tells Ken that she also thinks Ade is innocent and that he was far too drunk that night to have killed someone. Norris tells Emily that he thinks Ade is innocent and that he thinks Richard had something to do with the murder. Emily is disgusted with Norris and orders him to move out. Norris is gutted. Toyah buys Maria a present to cheer her up. Maria is wracked with guilt. Shelley finds out that Sunita is seeing Ciaran. Shelley feels betrayed. Richard is alarmed to hear Ken's theory of Aiden's innocence. Ashley is outraged to hear Ken's theory regarding Aiden.

Regular cast

 * Sunita Parekh - Shobna Gulati
 * Ciaran McCarthy - Keith Duffy
 * Toyah Battersby - Georgia Taylor
 * Maria Sutherland - Samia Ghadie
 * Norris Cole - Malcolm Hebden
 * Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire
 * Gail Hillman - Helen Worth
 * Richard Hillman - Brian Capron
 * Sarah Platt - Tina O’Brien
 * Deirdre Rachid - Anne Kirkbride
 * Ken Barlow - William Roache
 * Roy Cropper - David Neilson
 * Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne
 * Fred Elliott - John Savident
 * Shelley Unwin - Sally Lindsay
 * Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold
 * Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls

Guest cast

 * John Arnley - Paul Warriner