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Colin Michael Fishwick was a teacher and old colleague of John Stape's. In 2010, John "borrowed" Colin's identity so that he could teach, as he had left the profession in disgrace after having an affair with pupil Rosie Webster and later kidnapping her. Using Colin's name set in motion a sequence of events which led to John's downfall and Colin's death.

Colin's parents were John and Joy Fishwick. He was born two weeks late and had claustrophobia later in life. When looking back on Colin's life, Joy would later recall that Colin had no friends in school and that he was closest to her, but that this changed when he graduated with an Honours degree in teaching and that by 2010 he was barely in contact with her. According to neighbour Clifford, Colin was a terrible son who would probably only regain contact to collect his inheritance in the event of Joy's death.

Colin's love life was equally disastrous. After his wife Glenda left him for a man she met at weightwatchers, he had an affair with a woman whose husband, Ben Fielding, was in prison for assaulting a policeman. When he heard in April 2010 that Ben was about to be released, Colin, fearing that Ben would hunt him down, immediately made plans to uproot and move to Canada, explaining to friends that he wanted a fresh start as he hated his job. At a leaving party, Colin met up with his old colleague John Stape and enjoyed sticking the knife in over John not being able to get a teaching job because of his past. Unbeknown to Colin, John stole some documents from his office and used his identity to apply for a teaching position at Daisyfield High School in Rochdale.

In July, Colin returned to the UK, having apparently had a change of heart. He told Charlotte Hoyle about his plans to return and Charlotte in turn warned John, as she was in on his secret. On his return, Colin got a job at a bookshop but really wanted to teach again. He was surprised when John and Charlotte met with him to break the news about John using his identity. Colin, however, agreed not to go to the police. A few days later he was approached by Ben Fielding, who had been told where to find him by Fiz, as she thought Ben was going to batter John thinking he was Colin. Colin received a severe beating and decided to be harder on John, blackmailing him for £2,000 in exchange for him returning to Canada. When he arrived to collect his money, Colin was met by Charlotte and John and only £500. He was about to go to the police but suddenly fell to the floor, dead. Realising that the police would think he murdered Colin to cover his tracks, John got Charlotte to help him move the body to the building site at Underworld while they decided what to do next. Before John returned to retrieve the corpse, it was buried under a load of cement, and the factory became Colin's grave.

Almost a year later, in May 2011, drainage problems on the factory side of Coronation Street resulted in the foundations of Underworld being dug up. Still living at No.5, John realised that Colin's body would be discovered and joined Owen Armstrong's digging crew. Working late, he unearthed the body himself and dumped it in the canal. Fiz had found him with the body but had reluctantly agreed to help him dispose of it as she had committed fraud by using Colin's bank account, accessing money "Colin" had inherited after Joy's death in January of that year, by pretending to be Colin's wife. (John had befriended Joy in her final days and smothered her after confessing to Colin and Charlotte's murders.) It was later found out that John had buried Colin's body and Fiz was put on remand, accused of Colin's murder, as well as Charlotte and Joy's deaths. Although technically, John did not kill Colin, the beatings caused by Ben Fielding (who hasn't been linked to Colin) made it look like John must have done it himself to cover his tracks.

Colin made another "appearance" in June 2011 wrapped up in the carpet, with his feet shown and a decomposing hand also briefly appearing.

Colin portrait

Colin Fishwick's graduation picture in Joy Fishwick's home

In scenes inside Joy Fishwick's home in January 2011, a graduation photo of Colin hangs on Joy's wall (right) but it is unclear whether the likeness of actor David Crellin was used.
For more information on Colin Fishwick as an alias of John Stape, see John Stape.

List of appearances[]

2010

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