Helen Titchener (Louiza Patikas)
Following a minor accident, Rob and Pat feel that perhaps Helen should stop driving for the time being.
You may remember that this isn’t the first time Helen has been involved in a driving accident. On 31st December 2006, Helen had a far more serious encounter - she had been drinking and knocked someone over on her way home from a bar.
Here is a clip of that moment - warning: contains the dramatic moment of impact.
It's New Year's Eve, which is also the birthday of John, Helen's brother who died in a tractor accident. Pat's keen for the family to be together for dinner, but Helen needs to get out. She promises to be back by 8:30 for dinner, but texts Tom to say she's stopping out. Worried Tom goes after Helen, to Pat's dismay.
Drunk Helen’s making a fool of herself chatting up a man in a bar. Tom’s determined to get her home, physically dragging her away. Helen insists on driving her own car, insisting she’s ok - but with terrible fog and Helen not paying attention she knocks somebody over...
Helen's dangerous driving - 2006
In shock, Helen drives off. Tom persuades her that they must go back, but Helen becomes hysterical and admits she’s had far too much to drink. On the spur of the moment, Tom makes her swap seats - at least he won’t be done for drink-driving. They establish that nobody’s seriously injured but Tom knows they have to go to the police...
Sober Tom is released - the guy they hit only had minor injuries - but Tom's berated by Tony and Pat, as guilty Helen sobs her apologies. They can’t believe Tom has been so reckless, tonight of all nights. Things can’t get any worse for Tom, until Brenda calls. The person they hit was Mike Tucker...
Desperate Tom tells Brenda the truth - he hadn’t really thought it all through. Mike discovers Tom was to blame and refuses to speak to him. Brenda's furious with Helen for letting Tom continue to take the fall. Pat and Tony insist Tom deserves everything he gets. Helen can't stand it and blurts out the truth to her parents - she's going to own up to everything. Pat and Tony don't want Helen to tell the police the truth - it'll only make things worse, even though they're not happy about the deceit. Pat realises that Helen's a mess and worries she might be depressed. She just doesn't know what they're going to do with her...
A few days later Helen tells Mike the truth. Mike agrees with Pat and Tony that it'll be worse if she goes to the police now, but he can't get his head around what has gone on. Helen spills out her true feelings. She realises that she hasn’t dealt with any of her problems. All she wants is to be the person she once was but she can't even remember who that is. Mike doesn't know what to do but he realises how much she’s been through and how hard it must have been to lose Greg. He tells Helen she has to start believing in herself again. Her parents believe it probably goes even further back, to the death of John. They arrange for Helen to have counselling.
Tom has to do a driving course, which Helen willingly pays for...
