Angie Roscoe was a wife and mother of two. In 1988, Angie's husband Brian Roscoe sought assistance from Councillor Deirdre Barlow to get his family re-housed. Originally housed in Murray Street, the Roscoes had been struggling with money and in October 1988 the council had placed them in a seedy tower block, Turner House. A month later, Brian was made redundant, putting further strain on the family.
An emotionally fragile man, he was constantly angry and bitter, and shouted at the slightest provocation. Appealing to Deirdre for help, Brian told her that living in the "coffin in the sky" Turner House was causing him to row with Angie every five minutes, and making him a bag of nerves at job interviews. Deirdre failed to get the Roscoes re-housed in time for Christmas, and, fed up living in squalor, Angie left Brian, taking their daughters with her. Having subsequently held Deirdre Barlow prisoner in his flat for several hours only for the Councillor to escape, a desperate Brian turned up at his in-laws' house, where Angie was seeking refuge, and attacked his father-in-law while trying to get to Angie. He was subsequently taken into police custody, facing charges of abduction and assault.