The Bloke was an innocent victim of Todd Grimshaw's machinations to split up his former boyfriend Billy Mayhew from his new partner Paul Foreman. Paul, a victim of sexual abuse in his childhood, had trained to be a counsellor at a phone helpline named Survivors' Support. Knowing of Paul's fragile state of mind, Todd hired a young schoolboy he knew called Will to act as a caller, claiming his stepfather was beating him and his mother up and pushing Paul to help him beyond the advised limits, including personal contact. Will and Todd both worked in their own way to push Paul where, beside himself with anger, he drove in the Underworld van to Will's supposed address of 19 Hammond Road to confront the stepfather but found no one in.
After trying to break in an open window at the back, and damaging its frame, Paul returned to the factory but was followed by the true house owner who had been told by a neighbour of his visit. The livid man had called the police and was stumped when asked what he had done with his stepson. Denying he even had a wife, the man assumed Paul had mental health problems and taunted him, leading to Paul punching him, just as a police car drew up. Paul was arrested and charged with criminal damage and assault, though the incident caused no rift between Paul and Billy. In fact, to Todd's frustration, it brought the couple closer together.