Coronation Street’s Roy Cropper accused of a second ‘murder’ as his ordeal escalates
Coronation Street legend Roy Cropper (David Neilson) has been dealt a further blow after hearing from late wife Hayley’s (Julie Hesmondhalgh) son Christian Gatley (Andrew Turner).
Roy is currently prime suspect for the apparent murder of troubled teen Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton), who went missing at the end of February.
After firing her from his café, he called round to her flat to drop off her wages – unwillingly becoming the last person to see her alive.
He further implicated himself when he agreed to clean her precinct flat, accidentally disposing of evidence in the process.
Since then he’s been questioned by authorities and fallen victim to a vile online hate campaign and has received nuisance calls for weeks.
In a dark twist, far right extremist friends of Lauren’s dad cornered him behind his shop counter.
Tonight’s (10th April) episode brought further woes for the Street stalwart as best pal Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman) informed him that his step-son Christian had spoken to journalists to give his account of Roy’s behaviour.
Christian was conceived after Hayley lost her virginity with a friend as a teenager, and she was unaware of his existence until years later when she tracked him down using a private investigator.
Initially unable to come clean about her transitioning, she lied and told him that she was his aunt and that his father Harold, which was her dead name, had passed away.
Reacting badly after learning the truth, transphobic Christian punched Hayley and told Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly) that he didn’t feel like he’d attacked a real woman.
Six years later, he offers to make amends but it later transpired that he would only introduce his children to her if she handed over £5,000 to pay debts.
The following month, in some of Corrie’s most emotional scenes, Hayley took her own life after a battle with pancreatic cancer with Roy by her side.
In Christian’s tell-all interview, which had been published across the internet, he questioned whether he had anything to play in the death of his mum and accused him of being a double murderer.
Shona Platt (Julia Goulding) was visibly shocked by his claims, and Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher) assured her uncle that even if he had assisted in her suicide, she wouldn’t have judged him.
As the group reeled from the unfolding events, a visitor (Hannah Almond) arrived downstairs wanting to speak with Roy.
Announcing herself as Lauren’s mum Kerry, the two chatted about her final days and she seemed to be genuinely sorry for the trouble that had arrived on his doorstep.
Offering her a room to stay overnight, Evelyn warned that he should be more careful.
As the two headed upstairs, the woman took a phone call saying she was ‘in’, and revealed pepper spray hidden away in her bag.
Will Roy be okay?