PC Gabriel Kent

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Police Constable Gabriel Kent (real name David Kent) was a character in The Bill. Gabriel was considered by some to be the most villainous character in the show's series and considered by others to be one of the worst characters ever but no-one denied that he was one of the darkest and most memorable.

Gabriel arrived in the series in 2003 and was immediately at the centre of controversy when he seduced June Ackland only to produce his adopted brother Gabriel's birth certificate claiming it was his and that he was the son she had given up for adoption. He later repented (after discovering Gabriel had been the product of a rape when June was only a teenager) and told her the truth.

Gabriel used unorthodox methods to stop criminals; beating up criminals and fabricating evidence to stop people who the law could not touch. His controversy continued when he raped Kerry Young and later shot her dead (resulting also in the death of his unborn child).

For many months Sun Hill was terrorised by a serial sniper who targeted criminals. Other officers suspected Gabriel of being the sniper, but Gabriel appeared to be cleared when he was almost shot by the sniper himself when dealing with a suspect. It was later revealed that the real sniper was Jason Hardy, an ex-navy friend of Kent's, who Gabriel was supplying the names of the victims to. When the net began to close in on Hardy and officers arrived to arrest him, Kent was one step ahead of them and threw Hardy from his high-rise balcony to protect his secret. PC Steve Hunter witnessed this, but Kent convinced him that he was trying to hold onto Hardy to prevent him falling, when in fact he had let go of his hand deliberately.

PC Andrea Dunbar discovered Kent's true identity after finding a photograph of Hardy and him posing together in the navy. After she was exposed as an undercover journalist, Kent confronted her and admitted all his crimes. He appeared repentant and ready to give himself up, but when an explosion tore through Sun Hill minutes later he seized his opportunity of a second chance and left Andrea to perish in the resultant fire.

Gabriel was hailed as a hero after he rescued Smithy from the fire. He appeared to be a changed man, keeping himself out of trouble and performing good police work. He later began a relationship with PC Sheelagh Murphy.

Gabriel's world started to collapse when his long-lost brother showed up at the station asking to see his mother. Gabriel tried to convince his colleagues that his brother was an insane person who had stolen his identity and attempted to silence him once and for all; after his brother was shot and fell off a balcony at a Sun Hill siege, he visited him in hospital and tried to kill him.

Ultimately Gabriel committed suicide. Trapped at the top of a block of flats with his world in ruins, he decided to take his own life by throwing himself to his death rather than spend decades in prison.

Gabriel was played by Todd Carty.