Richard Hillman
From Coronation Street Wiki
| Richard Hillman | |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Born | 20th December 1955 |
| Died | 14th March 2003 |
| Spouse(s) | Marion Hillman (1971) Patricia Morris (1997) Gail Platt (2002) |
| First appearance | 20th June 2001 |
| Last appearance | 14th March 2003 |
| Duration | 2001-2003 |
| Played by | Brian Capron |
Contents |
[edit] Backstory
Richard Charles Hillman was a financial advisor with two previous marriages before arriving in Coronation Street. His first wife was Marion, who wanted children, but Richard wanted to take care of his sick mother. Not wanting to look after an old pensioner, Marion left him and divorced. After his mother died, he married Patricia. She wanted children as well, but they found out that Richard was infertile. She left Richard as well and they divorced.
[edit] Arrival and relationship with Gail Platt
Richard first arrived in June 2001 at Alma Baldwin's funeral, claiming to be her cousin. However, some believe he was lying and was an opportunist, but it hasn't been confirmed in the show if he was lying or not. He began a relationship with Gail Platt who had just divorced her husband Martin. He moved in with her and the kids, and won them over by buying them expensive gifts. However, David was suspicious of Richard, nicknaming him 'Icky Dicky'.
[edit] Murders
Richard is well known for the string of murders he commited over the time he was a resident in the Street.
[edit] Duggie Ferguson's death
Richard set up a business called Kellett Towers, which specialised in buy-back mortgages where he would buy a person's house outright, but they would be free to reside there until their death. Richard also went into business with Duggie Ferguson, building an estate of new homes. Hillman confronted Duggie at the flats during a disagreement about Duggie's shoddy workmanship. During the argument Duggie fell several floors when a bannister gave way (ironically, due to his own shoddy workmanship). Duggie was critically injured, however, Richard left him to die, opportunisticly allowing the incident to remove his unwanted business partner. He panicked at first, whipping out his mobile and dialling emergency services. However, he only dialled '99' before stopping, then he went to Duggie's flat to steal the large amount of cash Duggie stored there.
[edit] Patrica Hillman's death
Richard's ex-wife Patrica returned to the Street demanding money from Richard for their business. She was moving to Australia and wanted the money from the share of the business. Richard was furious and smashed her face in with a shovel after she threatened to tell everyone about Richard's past. She was killed instantly and buried under cement where new flats were being built. Relieved, Richard married Gail a couple of months later.
[edit] Audrey's Roberts'inheritance
Richard learned that when Gail's mother Audrey died, Gail would inherit a quarter of a million pounds. To save himself from financial ruin, Richard hatched a plan to convince everyone that she was losing her mind, little things like leaving the radio on, leaving a window open that Audrey could not remember opening, then he got Audrey into such panic about a missing dress (that later turned up that Richard had taken it to the dry cleaners). Eventually Richard hated a plan by where he could get the money he needed to save him from financial ruin. In early 2003 Richard let himself into Audrey's house and put sleeping tablets into her mug of warm milk, before Audrey went upstairs, she made sure that she had turned off the stove, when she had gone upstairs, Richard lit the stove ring and placed cloths on the stove to cause a fire. When Richard got home he could not sleep because he thought the fire would not take hold, when Audrey's friend Archie Shuttleworth came to the door, Richard thought that he was going to tell them that Audrey was dead but when they got to the hospital, Audrey was still alive and only suffered minor smoke inhalation.
[edit] Attempted murder of Emily Bishop & the murder of Maxine Peacock
With time running out for Richard, he started thinking of people who he could get money off, then he realised that Emily Bishop was an investor and that he held the deeds to her house, when he learned that Emily would be baby-sitting for the Peacocks during Maxine's Mother's birthday party in the Rovers, he could sneak out un-noticed.
He also knew that Sarah-Louise had been taking bad-boy Adrian Critchley goods, on the day of the murder Richard delivered the goods meant for Aidan when he was not there. Richard had put Diazipam tablets (Sleeping Tablets) in a bottle of Vodka. During the party Richard snook out to Aidan's squat and found him asleep, he then put on Aidan's trainers, hat and jacket and silently broke into the Peacock's house through the back door. Emily was watching a film on the television with her back to him, armed with a crowbar Richard brought it down on Emily's head with a sickening thud. The front door opening startled Richard and he saw Maxine in the doorway, Maxine's final words were "Richard, What are you doing!?" to which Richard responded, "You should have stayed at the party, Maxine". He then bludgened Maxine to death and ransaked the room to make it look like a burglary gone wrong. Later that night Richard learned that one of his clients had died, he had never needed to try and kill Emily, Ashley would still have a wife and baby Joshua would still have his Mummy.
[edit] Confession and Fleeing
Audrey worked out that whenever Richard was away she did not have any senile moments.
Eventually Gail started to have suspicion and confronted Richard who confessed to everything to which Gail ended up calling him "Norman Bates with a briefcase!".
Just as Gail was about to call the police, Richard fled. After Richard had gone Gail had the locks changed and had panic buttons installed.
People who had lost money from investing with Richard held Gail partly responsible.
[edit] Return and attempt to murder the Platt family
With Richard gone Gail tried to get her life back on track.
On 14th March 2003 David arrived home to find Richard inside who then kept David quiet when his friend called through the window. When David's friend went, Richard bound David's wrists to his legs, gagged him and then put him in the car. Later in the evening Sarah-Louise arrived home and put Bethany on the couch while she said goodnight to her boyfriend, Todd Grimshaw. When Sarah came back into the room, she wondered where Bethany had gone when she saw Richard her blood ran cold, Richard told her that her and Bethany would both be OK if she did exactly what he said, he led Sarah into the garage and bound her wrists with the palms of her hands up. Half an hour later, Gail returned home from shopping and came face to face with Richard, she panicked and tried to get out of the front door but Richard was too quick for her and slid the bolt on, Gail tried to press one of the panic buttons but he dragged her away and pinned her to the floor. He told Gail that the children were safe, he then put a confession that would clear Gail's name on the kitchen table. After telling Gail they were "Going somewhere nice, better than here", he told Gail he had to bound her wrists in case she tried to get away. When Richard led her to the garage she looked on in horror as her children were bound and gagged, she pleaded with Richard to spare the children's lives, but he refused. He let Gail kiss the children one last time, As she kissed Sarah she placed a pair of manicure scissors in her hand as Gail held David's hand she broke down. Richard then gagged Gail and put her in the passenger seat. He attempted to Gas them, however Audrey interupted. Richard sped of towards Weatherfield Quays, with Tommy Harrison, Kevin Webster and Martin Platt in a car driving after them. David and Sarah manged to get untied, and managed to untie Gail. they tried to stop Richard, but he sped into the canal with his final words shouting "This is it, I love you"!
The Platt family where rescued. Richard's body was later found and identified by Gail, who later through her wedding ring into the canal.
[edit] Beyond the Grave: Richard's ghost
Three years on in January 2006, Sarah recieved a birthday card from Richard. The Platts just saw this as a sick joke and ignored it. But throughout the months, cards came in at different times. Gail recieved a Valentines card from Richard stating that he will see her soon. Audrey got a card on mother's day, and David got a get well soon card when he wasnt feeling well. However, this card had a red stain on it, and Audrey said it might be blood, from a papercut. When Gail later found out David had a papercut, she suspected him. She later told David that it was Richard's birthday coming up in June. A card arrived on that day and she was horrified, and told David that Richard's birthday is in December.
