Roy Johnson was the violent, abusive husband of the younger Lynn Johnson. He regularly beat her and she sought the help of Councillor Len Fairclough although she proved reluctant to take any advice which involved going to the police or a woman's refuge or getting involved in a divorce. She finally broke and fled to 9 Coronation Street, telling Len she would go to the police but wanted him to go with her. He had an urgent business appointment and left her in the house, pending his return. Roy Johnson had followed his wife to the street and gained entry to the house where his latest assault resulted in him killing her. Albert Tatlock heard her screams from next door and Ray Langton and Jerry Booth found the young woman's battered corpse.
Len was arrested for the murder while Johnson got his friend and lodger Clifford Fenton to provide an alibi that the two were playing snooker at the time. He stayed calm and quiet under questioning, saying that Lynn had been having an affair with Len. Det. Chief Insp. Patterson investigated the case and for a time believed Len to be guilty until two pieces of evidence came to light: the first was a statement from Ken and Janet Barlow that they heard Lynn through the walls begging Len not to leave her and questioned why she would say that to someone she was afraid of, and the second was that the autopsy showed older bruises on her body which pre-dated any involvement with Len. Patterson didn't trust Johnson, even when he admitted to giving Lynn the "odd slap" and he put pressure on the weaker Fenton. The young man cracked when he was told that he could be charged with being an accessory after the fact and concealing evidence. He admitted the alibi was false and Johnson then confessed to the murder.