Blue – The episode opens with two on-duty Morgan Road officers, PC Joel Kingston (Wolfe Miller) and probationer, Naz Singh (Nikita Mehta) answering calls. 25-year-old Joel is later seen deceased in a pond.

DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) and DS Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty) arrive at the crime scene. Foxwood Park warden, Leanne Waller (Nicola Alexis) discovered Joel’s body at 9am while doing rounds. DC Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison) says Joel was identified by Constable Pearson. Dr. Paul Bennett (Sarah Kameela Impey) complains about Waller removing Joel’s body from the water. She describes it as a “violent attack” that potentially stemmed from an altercation.

Sergeant Jim McDonnagh (Bill Blackwood) tells Vera and Aiden that Joel clocked out at about 6am. He describes him as a “good lad” when Gary Sickert (Ellis Eyres) and Lisa Hendrix (Emily Dowson) approach. Lisa says they last saw Joel yesterday morning. Sickert claims to have sustained a hand injury while subduing a suspect. McDonnagh asks if he had the injury assessed. Sickert assures him that it’s fine.

Joel’s father is the former police sergeant, Phil Kingston (Matthew Marsh). Phil tries to console a distraught Deb Kingston (Lizzie Hopley) but she refuses. He claims there was nothing odd about Joel’s demeanor when he last saw him at 5pm. Joel and his brother, Shane Kingston (Billy Gunnion) get along all right. Vera discovers a Whitley Bay souvenir in Joel’s belongings.

After leaving Morgan Road at 6am, Joel landed in Foxwood Park at 6:20am. DC Jacqueline “Jac” Williams (Ibinabo Jack) asks if Joel was robbed. Vera tells her that it’s possible since his phone or wallet weren’t found at the crime scene.

Naz tells Vera that she and Joel responded to a domestic incident at Jermaine Street. Dean Lennon (Kem Hassan) assaulted his girlfriend, Ria Leggate (Jesse Akele). She claims Joel had been called to the residence before for domestic disputes.

Joel’s body camera shows Lennon threatening to kill him. Aiden tells Vera that the police received dozens of complaints from Lennon’s neighbors over the last six months. The flat is about 15 minutes from Foxwood Park. Leggate denies any knowledge of Lennon threatening to kill Joel. Vera informs her of Joel’s death. Leggate claims Lennon didn’t leave the flat after Joel left.

Aiden reads a crumpled paper in Vera’s vehicle. He says she is receiving the “Outstanding Service” medal. She informs him of her decision to not accept it.

Bennett tells Vera that the suspect murdered Joel before putting him in the water between 7am and 9am. Cerebral hemorrhage from blunt force trauma is the cause of death. A rock contaminated with blood may be the murder weapon. Vera says the killer came empty-handed. Aiden suggests it was a random killing. Bennett shows them a potential stab wound on Joel’s upper left arm. Vera questions if he had it treated. Bennett tells her it was probably a doctor.

Lockhart informs Vera that McDonnagh claims there isn’t an incident report on file for the stabbing. Aiden suggests it happened when Joel was off-duty. DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones) tells her that Joel’s phone last pinged in the city at 8:56am. Jac says less than six muggings were reported in Foxwood Park last year.

Shane claims he and Joel were at the Emerge nightclub when he got into a scuffle. Joel stepped in when he got stabbed. Vera asks why Joel never reported the assault. He tells her that Joel said it would be too much hassle. Shoving Shane against the wall, Phil blames him what happened to Joel. Phil says Shane was in rehab three times for drug addiction. Vera reminds him that Shane just lost his brother. He asks if Dean Lennon murdered Joel. She orders him to not get involved in her investigation. He informs her of Lennon’s arrest when her phone rings.

Vera and Aiden question Lennon about Joel’s murder. He claims to have been at the flat with Leggate when Joel was killed. Aiden asks where he was this morning. He says it was a personal matter.

CCTV footage shows Joel leaving Morgan Road at 6:42am. He crossed Arnholt Street, entered City Works Gym around 7am, and left about 30 minutes later. At 7:42am, he returned to Arnholt Street, a 10-minute walk from Foxwood Park. Jac informs Vera of someone trying to utilize Joel’s debit card at an online gambling site an hour ago.

Aiden accuses Waller of robbing Joel’s corpse. She claims to have discovered the wallet on the ground but denies killing Joel. Vera asks how long she’s had a gambling problem. She tells her that it’s been about a year. Vera asks what happened to Joel’s phone. She admits to tossing it in a trash can near the pond. Vera warns her that she’ll be charged with fraud.

Lockhart informs Vera of a racial harassment complaint that Joel filed against Sickert on Naz’s behalf. Naz claims McDonnagh did nothing when Joel complained. Sickert and Joel got into a verbal dispute in the rec room.

Kyle Marks (Connor Crawford) denies ever seeing Joel. When Aiden leaves, he warns Gerry Farr (Gary Mavers) that they have a problem.

McDonnagh describes Joel as being “difficult.” Vera asks if it had something to do with Joel not wanting his partner racially abused. He says the complaint could have been harmful to Sickert’s career.

Rose & Anchor – Aiden asks Sickert why he and Hendrix returned to the police station until their shift ended Saturday morning. She claims they were at the hospital. Aiden tells Vera that the hospital confirmed Sickert was treated for a hand injury around 10am. Jac informs them of Joel booking three nights at a Whitley Bay guest house when he was scheduled to work nightshift.

Irene Francis (Su Elliot) tells Vera that their only guest in the last two weeks was Leggate. Vera and Aiden confront Leggate with the evidence. She claims Joel insisted on her staying in a women’s shelter but she refused. He booked her a room at the Whitley Bay guest house for three days. Carter told Lennon on the same night he threatened Joel’s life. Vera asks if Lennon was at home Saturday morning. She admits he left Friday evening and didn’t return until noon on Saturday. Vera discovers Phil in his vehicle in the parking lot. She orders him to leave.

Shane admits to lying about starting the nightclub fight. He tells her that Joel was everything Phil wanted in a son. She asks if he had any resentment toward Joel. He professes to love him. Joel became irate when one of the men made a comment about him being a police officer. Vera tells him that Joel’s phone shows the last call was from his phone. He claims to have called to tell him that he couldn’t make the rugby game.

Jac tells Vera that he’s in debt to “serious people.” Lockhart says Sickert has faced disciplinary actions twice for inappropriate comments to female officers over the last 18 months. Sickert and Hendrix’s radios were off between 7am and 9am on the morning Joel was killed.

Sickert claims Joel was taking bribes before admitting to disliking him. Lockhart tells Vera that none of the Morgan Road officers call Joel corrupt. Vera questions if Joel was accepting bribes from Gerry Farr, a drug dealer and owner of City Works Gym.

A vehicle plows into Lennon.

Gerry denies knowing Joel and why he visited his gym. He claims to have spent most of the day doing the books at the gym.

Leggate informs Vera that Lennon was involved in a hit-and-run.  Lennon claims to have cleared his debt Saturday morning. He believes Joel’s police mate is following him.

Vera asks Phil where he was last night. Irate, Deb claims he was at home with them. Shane validates her claim. Aiden tells her that the driver appeared to accelerate, not brake before hitting Lennon.

Naz claims she and Joel pulled Gerry over last week for reckless driving. She tells Vera that Joel didn’t arrest him. Lockhart says Joel never filed a traffic stop report. Aiden says Hendrix called Sickert’s phone four times when they were supposed to be working together. Hendrix claims Sickert returned after an hour with a laceration on his hand.

Sickert is arrested. He claims his wife, Joanne Sickert (Rebecca Bowser) is having an affair with her boss, Martyn Taylor. He claims to have broken into and vandalized Taylor’s flat at the marina. There is a police report on file for the break-in. The license plate of the vehicle that plowed into Lennon was reported stolen. Lockhart says Naz called in Gerry’s car registration at 10:15pm last Friday.

Vera asks Gerry why Joel pulled him over. He admits to being intoxicated but Joel propositioned him before letting him go. He claims Joel confronted him about money at the gym before asking why he’d need an informant. Vera suggests he sent him away without money. He claims it was the last time he saw him.

McDonnagh confronts Vera about Sickert’s arrest. She assures him that his permission wasn’t needed. He asks if Sickert is facing murder charges. She tells him that the arrest is associated with a break-in at his wife’s affair. Aiden says Sickert confessed. She asks if Joel was corrupt. He says no way. Lockhart informs her that the vehicle involved in Lennon’s hit-and-run is found torched. She questions where Phil’s money came from while McDonnagh is still working.

Lockhart tells Vera that a Jesmond teacher, Steven Dale reported the vehicle missing. Steven claimed someone stole the vehicle three nights ago in front of his home. She discovers the burnt remains of an inhaler.

Kyle is brought in for questioning. Vera tells him that his mother claims he wasn’t at home when Lennon was involved in a hit-and-run. The same accelerant utilized to burn the vehicle was detected on his shoes. She asks who’ll tend to his mum if he’s imprisoned. He claims to have been ordered to scare Lennon, a favor Gerry owed Phil. He tells her that Phil believed Lennon murdered Joel.

After pulling Gerry over at 10:15pm, Joel called Phil at 10:18pm. Vera warns Phil of a witness coming forward with information about his relationship with Gerry. When he refused to talk, she informs him that Gerry claims Joel was corrupt. Phil admits to selling Gerry information about drug dealers. He claims Gerry insisted on Joel calling him and he told him to let him go. She questions how Joel felt when he discovered his father is corrupt. He says Joel threatened to turn him in if didn’t do it himself. After agreeing to keep it under wrap, Joel went to the gym to ask Gerry to release Phil or he’d turn them both into the police.

Joel was a fan of Hartlepool Tigers that played in Portsmouth, the weekend before Joel was murdered. Vera asks Shane how Joel would make the Portsmouth game if he was working nightshift. Phil demands to know what’s going on. She suggests Shane called Joel to discuss their father being involved with a criminal. She says it’s no wonder Joel got into a scrap at the Verge nightclub. Shane claims Joel was upset because Phil was too scared to turn himself in. When he failed to convince Joel to protect their mum by not turning Phil in, he beat him in the head with a rock. Vera informs him of Joel changing his mind about reporting Phil to the police. He questions why Joel never said anything.

Vera doesn’t show up to receive her “Outstanding Service” award.

Vera sees Leggate and her son, Carter off as they leave for her mum’s. Naz tells her that she’s decided to stay on the police force for Joel as the episode comes to an end.

 

Vera Review

PC Joel Kingston is murdered in Foxwood Park. Vera and her team set out to find the murderer. The first suspect, Lennon threatened to kill Joel during a domestic call. He has an alibi, his girlfriend, Leggate for the morning Joel was murdered. Joel booked Leggate a three-night stay at a guest house in Whitely Bay to protect her from Lennon.

Joel’s brother, Shane struggles with drug addiction. He is the last person to call Joel before he was murdered. Shane claims the call was about a Hartlepool Tigers game in Portsmouth.

The second suspect is police officer Sickert who Joel filed a racial harassment complaint for his partner, Naz. Sickert’s alibi is his partner, Hendrix. He claims to have sustained a hand injury during an arrest.

The third suspect is Gerry Farr, owner of City Works Gym. Gerry is involved in organized crime.

Vera removes Sickert from the suspect list after he confesses to a break-in. The flat is the home of a man who’s intimately involved with his wife.

Joel discovers his father, Phil is selling information to Gerry. He demands him to turn himself in or he’ll do it. Shane pleads with Joel to not go to the police for their mum’s sake. What he doesn’t know is Joel already agreed to not turn Phil in. Shane beats him in the head with a rock.

Another great episode. A bit long-winded but definitely worth a watch. The episode deserves a 7. Get more Vera recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Ask about our advertising packages.