Marty Murray (Brookside)

Martin "Marty" Murray is a character from Channel 4 soap Brookside played by Neil Caple from 2000 until 2003.^[1]

Introduction

When Lindsey Corkhill sold No.9 the Murray family moved in. The Murrays were billed as an attempt to return to its original form of conventional families rather than the waifs and strays it had become better known for. The Murrays were a hard-working upright working-class family, and comparisons could be drawn between them and the earlier Grant family, with Marty filling a similar role to that of Bobby Grant.

Character

Marty Murray was a school caretaker at Brookside Comprehensive. He was a mild mannered and unambitious man who was protective of his family. Marty was often shown to be the practical and rational member of the family.

Loss of unborn baby and Diane's IVF

Marty's children were from his first marriage with Jan. Diane was desperate for a child with Marty and the two tried for sometime. In 2001 Diane became pregnant however she miscarried shortly after. The two then decided to begin IVF treatment and Marty borrowed money to fund it. The financial strain of the IVF put great pressure on the family with Marty wanting to stop and Diane wanting to sell the house in order to fund it. Eventually Marty persuaded Diane to finish the treatment.

Adele's pregnancy

Later in 2001 Marty's 15 year-old daughter Adele became pregnant by Leo Johnson. Adele announced that she wanted an abortion, a decision that offened Diane's Catholic views but one that Marty supported. Adele felt guilty that she was having an abortion while Diane had misscarried and was struggling to conceive. Diane offered to bring up Adele's baby but Adele with her fathers support went ahead and had an abortion.

Reaction to Tony's bullying

When Marty learned that son Tony was being bullied by two schoolgirls, Imelda Clough and her friend Paige. First Marty, after seeing the girls humiliate Tony he pulls them away, in doing so he injures Imelda. Marty then tells Tony to stand up for himself, something he does by attacking Imelda with an iron bar. Imelda's brothers turn up and a fight takes place and after learning that Imelda's family are looking to press charges Tony resolves not to return to school and Marty agrees to home-school him.

When Marty finds Brigid, Tony's tutor, educating him about religion rather than the academic content she was supposed to, he threw her out. Marty felt that Tony's piety had led to him being bullied. Despite her usual Catholic perspective, Diane supports Marty in his decision.

Later Tony returns to school and Imelda is caught soaking him and ripping his clothes off. The head-mistress suspends Imelda but when she returned she continued to bully Tony.

After school Tony was chased by Imelda and he ran into the woods. In the ensuing struggle that took place, Tony knocked Imelda into the pond and she hit her head on a rock, drowning.

Accusations of Murder

After the Clough family had turned up at the Murray house intending to force a confession from Tony, the police later turned up to question Tony. The police soon dropped their interest in Tony and turned their attention to Marty after learning that a girl had gone missing in similar circumstances at a previous school where he had worked in Doncaster.

After being interviewed by the police, Marty was abducted by Imelda's brothers and given a beating.

Jan returns

In 2002 Jan returns wanting to see her children. Steve at refuses to see her, however he later has a change of heart. The presence of Jan however puts pressure on Marty and Diane's marriage.

The siege

In November 2002 the police chased a group of armed robbers onto the Close. Finding they were at a dead end the robbers ran into the houses and kept the residents hostage. Marty, Jan, Steve, Adele and Tony are held hostage while Diane is at work. The gunmen search the house to pass the time and find letters accusing Marty of paedophilia in a video case. The gunmen then decide to lock Marty in the cupboard. One of them then gives Adele a gun and tells her to shoot her father. When Adele is unable to do so, the gunmen make their best attempts to treat Marty sadistically, denying him drinking water, soaking him with it instead.

One of the robbers shoots Steve and believing him to be dead left him on the doorstep. Steve in fact was not dead and was treated in hospital later for his wounds.

Cracking under pressure, Tony admitted to Jan that he had killed Imelda. Jan tried to listen however the conversation between the two stated annoying the robbers and their hushed tones were stopped.

Eventually when one of the robbers, Terry tried to escape he ran across the woods. Pursued by a police helicopter Terry shot at it causing the helicopter to stall and crash into the petrol station where Diane was working killing her. Terry escaped while the other robbers were apprehended.

Arrest for Imelda's death

After Jan told Marty about Tony's confession and Tony later confirmed it, Marty decided he wanted to be sure and so visited the pond. This however was seen and reported to the police and Imelda's body was discovered. Marty was then arrested.

Fearing that his father would be convicted for his crime, Tony confessed to killing Imelda. Marty was released and Tony was arrested.

Tony's trial

Tony was later charged with Imelda's murder with the prosecution accusing him of luring Imelda into the woods with the intention of killing her. After a harrowing wait for the verdict Tony received a not-guilty verdict much to the relief of Marty.

Marty and Jan were at this time growing closer following the death of Diane and Jan suggested that Tony could get away from his trouble by going to live with her in Salford.

Romance with Jan

After growing close Marty invited Jan to move in. Adele was against the idea and issued an ultimatum to Marty that she would move out. Much to Adele's surprise, Marty told Adele to go. Adele then left and moved in next door with Jimmy Corkhill and Tim O'Leary after persuading Tim to let her stay. After an altercation with Tim however Adele returned home and accepted Marty and Jan's relationship.

Marty proposed to Jan and she accepted. On the eve on their wedding Christie told Marty that he was not in favour of their marriage. When Marty quizzed him as to why Christie confesses to Marty that he had slept with Jan leading to Marty hitting Christie. Marty decided to marry Jan irrespective of this revelation, however Christie lost his place as best man, a position which was given to Tony instead.

Adele leaves and trouble with Christie

Adele later left home bound for the University of Leeds, while Christie split up with Leanne and pretended to have leukemia hoping Leanne would stay with him out of sympathy. Marty later found Christie in his van about to take an overdose.^[2]

Vendetta with Jack Michaelson

After Cinerco tried to but up the houses the residents were relived when Max Farnham sold his house to a private buyer rather than Cinerco. This relief was short-lived when violent drug-dealer Jack Michaelson moved in.

Michaelson's daughter Suzi became friends with Tony and the two started taking drugs she had stolen from her father. When Jack discovered cannabis in Suzi's room he stormed around to the Murray's and accused Tony of being a bad influence on Suzi. When Jan protested Tony's innocence Jack hit her.

Furious that Michaelson would hit his wife Marty, Steve and Christie attacked Jack with planks of wood. Jack however then attacked Christie with a pick-axe handle causing him such injury that he required a kidney removing.

Jan tried to persuade Marty to move and sell to Cinerco but he refuses, seeing it as him being forced from his own house.

Marty later received a call from the hospital saying that Tony and Suzi were found collapsed in the park after overdosing on drugs. Marty decides this is the last straw and something must be done about Michaelson. After a visit from Barry Grant stirs things up the neighbours lynch Michaelson from his front window. The exact culprits weren't revealed however it is strongly implied that Marty and Steve were amongst them.

Departure

The Murray family left after Jan persuaded Marty to sell the house. Adele returned to Leeds, Marty, Tony and Jan left for a new house while Steve went into business with Tim in Wales.

References