Smiffina Episodes: Appropriate Force
Gina leads a briefing that targets youths gathering on the high street. The relief know the youths will return as soon as they leave. Gina suggests using stop and search as a deterrent "Isn't that like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut?" Roger asks. "Maybe it is but we have certain powers at our disposal and it would be silly not not to use them." She replies before telling Smithy and Callum that they're to be paired together for the afternoon - they're... delighted. They follow Gina to discuss them being paired together for a shift.
They tell Gina that it 'isolates them from the team' who should feel their Sergeants are working with them and pairing them together sends the wrong message. Gina tells them they need to set an example. "Don't think I haven't seen you butting heads." She sends them out of her office and back to work. All completely normal. No tension whatsoever. Definitely no glaring involved.
Heaton pays Smithy a surprise visit to talk about his concerns for Gina. He asks how things are within uniform and Smithy tells him things are fine and Inspector Gold is running a tight ship. "She can be... uncompromising." Smithy cuts to the chase. "Is there something I should know?" Heaton tells him Gina threatened to leave. (Funny Money). "She offered her resignation? (His face! My heart!)
Heaton explains it was about the gun trouble yesterday and he doesn't think she was serious but thought Smithy should know as her closest friend. He asks if there's anything he should be worried about and Smithy assures him not. He's not being honest.
Millie and Rachel attend a disturbance at a bank where a customer is behaving out of character and demanding access to her safety deposit box. She knew she'd need to make an appointment but jumped the queue and attacked security when he intervened. As the manager describes what happened she's pacing the floor. Sandra literally begs for access and then switches and wants to go home. Rachel is forced to arrest her because of her behaviour.
At the station Rachel explains to Smithy and Callum that Sandra is manic and hyper focused on getting her box and then that focus switched to going home when the police arrived. Callum's interest is piqued when he hears about Millie smelling petrol on Sandra. He goes to speak to her in her cell and is very gentle. He tells her she's safe now and asks if she or anyone in her family is in danger or has been threatened. She immediately tells him she doesn't know what he is talking about but he takes hold of her arm and rolls her sleeve up to reveal a burn. Rachel asks if someone did it to her but Sandra insists it was an accident from the hob. Callum knows it's from a lighter. He tells her it's ok, gets the FME to see her and then rushes with Smithy to her house, telling Smithy that her husband and children will be being held hostage by whoever burnt her.
The door is open when they get there with evidence of the family being disturbed suddenly. Leon calls out from upstairs as he finds Sandra's husband. Smithy and Callum go to the children's bedroom and brace themselves as they see two very still bodies covered with a blanket. Smithy lifts the blanket and thankfully both children are alive but they've been doused in petrol and threatened with being set on fire. Smithy's never seen anything like this before but Callum has.
Callum leads a mixed CID and Uniform briefing and explains when he was a PC at Stafford Row 5 years ago they dealt with a series of aggravated burglaries where two men in ski masks and gloves would burst into a house and take the occupants hostage. They would tie the parents up in front of the children, brand the mother with a searingly hot petrol lighter and then they'd pour petrol over the children and make demands of the parents. The parents were so terrified they'd never testify but despite this they caught the ringleader, Martin Donovan through an anonymous tip and he's serving a 25 year sentence in Longmarsh. His son, Glen Donovan was known to be involved but they never got the proof to put him away. Callum is adamant that it's Glen who took the family hostage now he's back in Sun Hill after 5 years in Birmingham. Callum wants to arrest him. "On what grounds?" "He's guilty." Nice try Callum but that's not proof. Callum thinks if they act now they'll get forensic evidence like the ski masks/gloves etc.
Max rings the bell and Donovan opens the door in his dressing gown to see a mix of CID and uniform staring back at him. "Officers... what seems to be the problem?" "You." His focus is immediately on Callum.
"Sergeant now I see? Haven't we moved up in the world." Callum angers Donovan by asking where his wife is. "You have a nerve." Callum arrests him for suspicion of aggravated burglary and they search the house. Max asks him if there's anything he should know about and Callum tells him to keep him talking long enough for them to nail him to the wall. Max takes Donovan back to the station.
Rachel and Millie watch over the Marks family as they try to come to terms with what has happened in a private room. Gina arrives for an update and Millie is concerned as all have remained silent and are just holding hands - deeply traumatised by what has happened. Sandra's husband, Nathan, asks them to leave them alone and insists they don't want to talk to the police. Gina tells them they've arrested a suspect and that she needs their help. Nathan says there were two of them so there's one out there still and either way - what if they have the wrong man or what if they have the right one and have to let him go? He fears retaliation and does not want to be involved. Gina agrees they've suffered enough but asks them to give it some thought and speak to them if they change their mind.
Donovan sticks to the story that he's been home with his wife the entire morning but she's gone shopping so isn't there now. He insists he's not his father and that Callum is a corrupt scumbag. He tells Stevie and Max that he's trying to fit him up and not for the first time 'Callum has a sleeping problem. A sleeping around problem. He likes other peoples wives. Five years ago he had an affair with my wife. I put an end to it. Callum didn't like that so he tried to frame me for my father's crimes. That's the kind of person Callum Stone is."
Gina goes back to the house to check how uniform are going on their search. Unfortunately nothing has been found, Callum suspects that he got rid of it because he knew they'd come knocking. They've sent his clothes off in case there's any residue left on them from the petrol. Megan 'Meg' Donovan, Glen's wife, returns home and it's a toss up for which she's more surprised about - police searching her home or seeing Callum. He tells her Glen has been arrested and taken to Sun Hill. "It's been 5 years Callum, why can't you let it go?"
Meg backs up Glen's story that he was at home with her in bed all morning until she went shopping at 10.30am. She didn't let him out of her sight - not even at 5.30am because 'she's an early riser'.
She insists Donovan was wrongly suspected the last time and that it's simply a coincidence that this has happened again when they moved back. She insists she'd know if her husband was involved and that the real criminal that Stafford Row ignored moved boroughs.
Max confronts Callum about his relationship with Meg in the middle of the CID briefing room in front of Stuart, Smithy, Stevie and Gina. Callum admits they were friends. Stevie tells them Glen is accusing Callum of having a vendetta against him after he had an affair with his wife. His solicitor is claiming it is harassment and that Donovan needs to be released immediately. Max doesn't think they can avoid releasing him given there's no evidence, the victims are too traumatised to talk and Meg's given him an alibi. Callum insists if he is bailed now then they'll never get him. Gina and Smithy suggest checking out his associates to see if any are Canley based, if they have any similar history and if there has been any contact between father and son recently incase his dad has given him any advice on who to contact and who to work with.
Smithy and Callum try to get the family to testify. Callum tells them he knows how they operate - that they knew personal things about the family like where the kids went to school, where their parents live and made them feel like those closest to them as well as their children were vulnerable to being assaulted or killed if they didn't give them what they wanted. They told them they'd find them wherever they went and that they'd never be safe if they informed on them. He explains he worked with families that it had happened to and 5 years ago they caught the ringleader but his accomplice is at it again and he needs their help to catch him. Mark insists that once the children are discharged they're going to move far far away. Rachel asks if they don't get them... will they ever truly feel safe again? Sandra tells Callum to look her in the eye and promise her that he'll get them. Callum promises her - much to Smithy's concern.
Sandra tells them there were 2 dressed in black with gloves and ski masks. One was approx 6ft and the other shorter. The taller was the one with the petrol and the threats. She came down to find them in the house having already tied up her children. Then they made her shout for her husband. The shorter one said nothing the entire time. Nathan thrust £200 at them from the safe but they were after a diamond necklace that was an anniversary gift that is worth £15K. It normally was stored in the safe but she moved it to their safety deposit box as she was about to have it valued because money is tight and she was considering selling it. Smithy points out to Callum that they were talking a lot of risk for a relatively small payment. £15K is a lot of money but in the grand scheme of things it's a huge risk for a payout that isn't worth it as she could have gone to the police. Sandra tells them that the shorter guy was following her to the bank which means hopefully he - or the car - will show up on CCTV.
Gina arranges to speak to Martin Donovan, Glen's father, at Longmarsh prison. He tells her it's nothing to do with him but Gina tells him he knows who did do it. Martin claims if she's asking about Glen she'll be disappointed as he hasn't seen him since he was convicted because Meghan doesn't approve of him.
Max and Stevie hear back from Birmingham Police that Glen not known to be criminally active whilst he was living there. Donovan has had no contact with any known associates of his or his fathers and there's no irregularities in his FIU check. Maxc is wondering if there's something to what Donovan said about Callum having a grudge.
Gina has been delaying the solicitor for as long as she can but as nothing new has come forward then she has to let Donovan get bail. Before she can, Nathan comes in to do a voice ID. He listens to several men with similar accents repeating the same line and fails to pick Donovan out. Callum is furious but Donovan is released. Smithy and Max have a look through the CCTV footage that Roger and Leon have found showing someone following Sandra to the bank. There's a lot of cars double parking but there's a red Honda that keeps driving round the block and only drives off for good when Millie and Rachel appear. The car is registered to a Alan Duncan with form for armed robbery and violence. He's also only 5ft 6".
Gina asks Callum about his anonymous source that lead to Martin Donovan being caught in the act. Gina asks if it was his daughter in law - Meg - that told him. That tip off helped break the case and earnt Callum a promotion to Sgt. Gina has looked back through Donovan's record and found that Callum has also arrested him for domestic violence against Meg in the past. The charges were dropped as Meg wouldn't go to court so he couldn't take any further action. He brings it back round, telling Gina they want the same things. Gina tells him she only wants to get whoever it was who terrified the family and Callum insists that's exactly what he wants too, only he's adamant that can only be Donovan. She trusts his word but reminds him, he needs to find the proof, ordering him not to let her down.
Stuart returns to CID after working with the FIU department over the Marks' finances. He tells them that they're heavily in debt and that he knows what it was that the burglars were after. "The necklace?" Smithy asks. The wind has been well and truly knocked out of Stuart's sails as he's told that Sandra already told them both pieces of news. He does however have some new information, the necklace is insured for £30K and Nathan renewed the policy two weeks previously. Smithy frowns and tells him that Sandra told them it was only worth £15K.
Callum assures the Mark's family he knows that he has the right man and that Donovan might be out for now but it won't last long. Nathan tells him that if he really wants to help he'll leave them alone. Smithy interrupts, Callum over to him, and telling him they've got a name for the short man. Smithy, Max and Callum rush to Duncan's address with Stevie, Leon and Roger, however they just miss him with the TV and lights left on and a hot cup of tea. He must have been warned. They call 1471 on his telephone and see that he's had a call from the last few minutes and it came from a pay phone in the front office.
The Sergeants update Gina that someone phoned from the station to warn the Duncan the police were on the way. Smithy suggests Nathan Marks and suspects he was in on it from the start given how desperate he is for cash and that he took a £30K policy out on a necklace worth only £15K. Could he really do that to his own wife and children? Leon has watched the CCTV footage of the front office back. Nathan Mark's is seen making a telephone at the exact time Duncan received a call. Thankfully they know exactly where he is - at the hospital waiting for his kids to be discharged. Gina orders Millie and Rachel to bring him in and agrees with Callum that it's likely Marks failed the voice ID on purpose. Glen Donovan is back in the frame but Gina urges them to get Marks to confess in interview rather than hurry straight to arresting Donovan again.
Marks acts offended that they'd even consider him to be involved. Max and Stevie tell him they know how much debt he's in, that he's insured the necklace for twice what it's worth and that he has been seen on CCTV making the telephone call to Duncan. He plays dumb when asked how he met Glen Donovan and Max reminds him that he's the man who burnt his wife and poured petrol over his children. They know he rang Duncan, they know Duncan spent time in prison with Donovan. What they don't know is his connection to them.
Marks breaks and tells them that he met Duncan a few years ago when he did some building work for him on the cheap because he wanted to build a business after qualifying in prison. He met him again recently in a pub and they got talking. He told him how much debt he was in and Duncan told him he knew someone who might be able to help and that it would be a win win situation. He can't name the second man because he knows everyone that Marks cares about and he won't be afraid to hurt them. It wasn't supposed to happen like it did. The necklace was supposed to be in the safe as he didn't know Sandra had moved it. When it wasn't there he lost it - and that's why Sandra got burnt. Max tells him the only way he can make amends now is to tell them who the second man is. It's Donovan.
Uniform rush to Donovan's house to arrest him. They check the downstairs as Callum and Smithy run upstairs. Callum goes to the bedroom to find a battered and beaten Meg laying on the bed. He rushes to her aid but Donovan is waiting for him. He blames Callum for trying to take Meg away and for getting in her head. 'it wasn't enough for you taking my father away you had to take her too." Smithy runs in and sees Callum and Meg and arrests Donovan. Donovan takes advantage of the distraction to attack Smithy, knocking him out for a few seconds. Callum drags him away and the two men have a violent fight. When Smithy comes round he calls on the radio for the others to come upstairs (Seriously? How could they not have heard it all!) He has to literally pounce on Callum's back and drag him off to stop Callum relentlessly punching Donovan. Both men slump to the floor, gasping for air.
Max tells Heaton it was an insurance fraud gone wrong and that Marks has been very helpful with information now he's been caught out. Donovan's solicitor has made an allegation of police brutality and Heaton asks how they think he should proceed. Stevie says Callum should have a medal considering what Donovan did and that it's a bogus allegation. Max reckons he likely assaulted his wife knowing Callum would be riled and waited for the reaction.
Gina tells Heaton that Smithy witnessed what happened and that she will speak to them. Heaton tells her that he doesn't want the allegation to overshadow a fantastic result and she promises she'll sort it. "I don't want Sun Hill getting a reputation." he tells her. "... For getting results?" she asks. "For the means not justifying the results." "As I said sir, I'll take care of it." Smithy is adorably standing to attention when Gina enters and Callum pulls himself up to standing from a filing cabinet. She asks what happened with the air of an exasperated mother. Smithy says Callum was under a lot of pressure. Callum said he knew what he was doing and can't see what the fuss is about. Callum's recollection is that "Donovan assaulted Smithy, resisted arrest and needed to be ...subdued." Smithy hesitates and Gina asks him if Callum used excessive force. "Not that I saw." says Smithy. Callum tells her it was appropriate force considering what was happening and he'll face the consequences if people feel differently. Gina reassures him that they believe it's a baseless complaint that has been born out of spite and that she doesn't think it'll go the distance and she excuses him. She can tell Smithy isn't happy with that and asks him what the problem is. "Is that it?" he asks, telling her that the DPS will expect more of an inquiry. Gina tells him there won't be any DPS involvement because she'll 'have a word' and make him an offer he can't refuse.
Gina goes to see Donovan and tells him to drop the allegation or she'll make sure he spends remand on the same wing as his dad who will be told who grassed him up. She tells him she knows that Meg told Callum that he and his father were about to terrorise another family and as his victim, Meg was used to making excuses for him so she told him what she'd done and that he had to choose between her and his dad because she'd protect him but not his father and Donovan let his dad walk straight into the trap without a warning. Glen fears his father will kill him so she reminds him what he has to do to prevent it.
Smithy catches up with Callum and asks if he's heard from the hospital. Meg will likely lose the sight in her right eye. Smithy asks him why he went looking for a fight. Callum reminds him that he was beating him as he intervened to restrain him. "Restrain him? Looked to me like you were going to do a bit more than that." He asks if it's worth losing his job over and Gina appears and tells them that won't be happening because Donovan has dropped the allegation.
Callum goes home and Smithy follows Gina up the ramp. "And how did that happen?" Gina tells him he realised it was in his best interests to drop it. "You threatened him?" "I did what I had to do. Most people would think Glen Donovan got what he deserved. " "Most people weren't there, I was." Smithy snaps back. He tells her it's not as simple as she thinks and that he doesn't know what Callum would have done to Donovan if he hadn't been there to stop him. Gina points out Smithy told her that Callum had used appropriate force. "What's going on with you Gina? The Gina I know wouldn't believe something this black and white?" "Maybe I've changed." "For the better?" he asks before sighing and telling her he's worried that if they start turning a blind eye then they'll start setting the wrong example. Gina responds that she's fed up of watching coppers rather than the streets. "We're supposed to protect!" "And that's exactly what Callum did!" Gina replies. Smithy argues back that part of Gina's job is to protect her officers and keep them in line. "If you don't understand that then maybe you should resign!" he snaps, instantly regretting it. Gina freezes then turns slowly. Smithy apologises and says he didn't mean to say it. "Didn't you? This conversation is over, Sergeant." she says, walking away from him.
