Next week on Home and Away in the UK, Irene’s day in court arrives, and a tough magistrate means she could be facing her final night of freedom.
Irene is currently awaiting her day in court charged with hindering a police investigation, after she let wanted fugitive Dana Matheson (Ally Harris) hide out in her beachside home.
Believing that Dana was innocent, Irene let her stay, but it wasn’t long before corrupt cop Detective Madden (Jonny Pasvolsky) stormed in and discovered Dana’s hiding place, with Irene and Harper (Jessica Redmayne) arrested shortly after.
While the charges against Dana were soon dropped, it meant nothing for Harper and Irene’s charges, and they both face sentencing after pleading guilty to the offences.
When we leave things at the end of this week, Irene receives a surprise call from her lawyer, Greta (Amanda McGregor), informing her that her sentencing has been scheduled for the very next day.
Greta offers to try and get it pushed back, but Irene sees no point in delaying the inevitable, as she’s already convinced herself that she’s going to prison.
As she sits alone on one of the park benches, she burst into tears, feeling more alone than ever.
As the day rolls around, a despondent Irene arrives at Reefton Lakes District Court ready to meet her fate, but is stunned when Harper (Jessica Redmayne) and Dana (Ally Harris) appear from nowhere.
In next week’s episodes, Greta is equally surprised to see Harper and Dana, suggesting that Harper’s lawyer would have recommended that she keep her distance from Irene.
Harper explains that he did, but that Irene was acting out of kindness and deserves her support.
“Unfortunately, Ms Roberts’ ‘kindness’ is not on trial,” Greta coldly retorts.
It’s at that moment that John (Shane Withington) bounds up and asks Irene why he had to find out from Alf that she was being sentenced that morning.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” is Irene’s response, but John isn’t having any of it as he asks Greta for all the details – what kind of magistrate are they dealing with?
“He’s a tough cookie and a stickler for the rules,” Greta explains. “Part of the reason I was keen to delay.”
As proceedings begin, there’s a surprise request from the DPP, whose lawyer Matthew Filmore (Gerard Carroll) asks to make a statement before sentencing.
He tells Magistrate O’Connell (Ritchie Singer) that the facts of the case are very simple – Irene chose to ignore the law, and it’s not the first time she’s done it.
He ask the magistrate to take note of her criminal record, which clearly shows that Irene believes herself to be above the law.
“And for that reason, we ask that the maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment be applied.”
When it’s Greta’s turn to address the magistrate, she explains that while they aren’t trying to diminish the seriousness of Irene’s crime, there are extenuating circumstances to explain her actions.
The magistrate replies that while he understands that, he also knows that the prosecution has a point – it’s not the first time Irene has broken the law.
Her previous convictions “speak to a history of this kind of behaviour,” and he will be taking them into account.
Things are looking bad, and as the magistrate prepares to hand down the sentence, John, who is sitting behind them in the dock, whispers a panicked “do something” in Greta’s direction.
“I do have something to add, your honour,” Greta adds, in a bold and unrehearsed move. “Ms Roberts would like to make a statement.”
“What the flippin’ heck are you playing at?” asks Irene, who had no idea she would be asked to speak.
The magistrate is willing to allow the statement, and grants Irene a short recess of half an hour to allow her to prepare, and, more importantly, to calm her nerves.
Outside, Greta explains that while she can prompt Irene with some questions, the point of the exercise is for Irene to convince the magistrate what kind of person she is.
Irene is still unsure, pointing out that she’s no public speaker, but Greta insists that they have to try something.
“I’ll be honest with you, Irene, we’re in trouble,” Greta explains. “So you need to convince the magistrate that you’re a fine, upstanding citizen who made a mistake. And if you don’t, you could be doing serious time.”
On the dock, Irene struggles to control her nerves as Greta asks her to explain why she permitted Dana to stay in her home.
Irene explains that Dana was in trouble, and while she knew that Dana was hiding from the police, she was being hunted by a crooked cop.
“She didn’t know who to trust, she was terrified, and she had every right to be, because that Madden is bad news.”
Matthew, the lawyer for the prosecution, stands up and reminds the judge that the case isn’t about Detective Madden, but about Irene’s actions, something which riles Irene up.
She gives the lawyer an angry serve, telling him that she’s fed up of him talking about her as if she’s the bad guy.
“You are the bad guy, Ms Roberts,” he retorts. “By your own admission, you are guilty of hiding a known fugitive.”
Greta shuts things down as she tells the judge that Irene has the right to make her statement without interruptions, before making sure that Irene is calm enough to continue.
On the verge of tears, Irene tells the judge that while she pled guilty, she’s not the one who should be facing trial.
“Yes, I helped Dana, but she was innocent, and if you want me to say I’m sorry then you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
In a daring move that could see her sent down, she tells the court that she doesn’t regret a single minute of it, and would do it again in a heartbeat.
“And if you want to lock me up because of that, then go for it.”
Magistrate O’Connell adjourns the court for the day, giving him time to consider the statements. Greta is frank with Irene, telling her that it didn’t go as well as she was expecting, and Irene needs to “prepare for anything.”
Later, when she’s alone with John, Irene lets her true feelings show – “Can I tell you something? I’m scared to death.”
Back in Summer Bay and as Harper and Dana debrief, Harper gets a furious email from her lawyer.
Someone from their firm saw her at court that morning, and he’s angry that she’s still associating with Irene, as it’s destroying any chance of her getting a light sentence.
She comes to the realisation that if it’s looking this bad for Irene, it’s going to be even worse for her.
It doesn’t take long for the magistrate to make his decision, and Irene gets a call from Greta the following evening – her sentencing will resume the following morning.
After closing up the diner, Irene makes one last call to “the family.” She doesn’t mention the charges, not wanting them to turn up at the court the following morning. “The last thing they need is to see me hauled off in handcuffs.”
The following morning, the magistrate begins his final words. He tells the packed courtroom that there’s no denying the complexity of the case, but that by Irene’s own admission, she should have called the police as soon as she knew that Dana was in her home.
“These situations are to be handled by the police, and the police alone.”
However, he goes on, the fact that police corruption was in play means that it was difficult to expect Irene to seek assistance from the law when the law was failing her.
“It is also worth considering how late you came into this situation. It is clear the crime was already being committed by others long before you became involved.
“So, with due consideration, Irene Roberts, I find you completely and unreservedly exonerated. Therefore no charges will be given, and all charges dropped. Case dismissed.”
Irene is a free woman!
However, with the magistrate’s words about “crimes already being committed” ringing in Harper’s ears, she’s convinced that she won’t be let off as easily.
She then receives a call from her lawyer, with a major update. Is she facing her final days as a free woman?
Here’s the full spoilers for next week’s Home and Away episodes in the UK:
Monday 22nd January (Episode 8146)
Felicity faces the consequences of her actions. Tane closes a door. Irene prepares to hear her fate.
Tuesday 23rd January (Episode 8147)
Will Irene go to prison? Leah is haunted from nightmares of her cult ordeal. Is Roo playing with fire?
Wednesday 24th January (Episode 8148)
Alf uncovers Roo’s plotting. Justin surprises Leah. Rose worries for a friend.
Thursday 25th January (Episode 8149)
Leah placates Justin with a lie. Bree worries for Leah’s welfare. Lyrik play their first gig back at Salt.
Friday 26th January (Episode 8150)
Tane breaks Felicity’s heart all over again. Remi extends an invitation to Bree.
