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Barbara Fields (Susan Guerin)

First seen interviewing Doreen for a job at the shoe factory owned by George Logan (301), but when Doreen sees a consignment of shoes being loaded onto a van and starts asking questions, Barbara is told to sack her (302). Eager to take advantage of a dubious land deal proposed by her boyfriend Phillip Langdon, Barbara helps herself to some of the cash from the shady deal from the firm's safe. Unfortunately, she chooses the same night that her boss has set fire to his factory to claim the insurance (303), and a nightwatchman is killed in the fire. Phillip suggests to Barbara that the fire may work to her advantage: if traces of any of the money she left behind are found near the safe, it will all be assumed to have been destroyed in the fire, and she will not have to repay it. Unfortunately (again), it was George Logan who took the rest of the money himself, and he plants it in Barbara's flat to frame her. When the police find the money in a search, Barbara is charged with arson, theft and murder (304) and taken to Wentworth on remand in the same van as Paddy Lawson (305).

Barbara is at first persuaded to keep quiet, so as not to expose the land deal, but veiled threats from Bea make her give the police all the details, and Phillip quits as her solicitor (306). Her new solicitor (who is much more effective than Phillip) has the charges of arson and murder against her dropped (308) and Barbara tries to blackmail George Logan into giving her a half share in his new hotel (310), but she is sentenced to six months on the theft charge (311). Phillip brings her the papers to sign and she keeps a copy (312), but this is confiscated by Joan (314) and used by her to force Barbara to inform on the plot against Joan by Bea and Steve Fawkner (316). Joan gives Barbara her papers back, but keeps a copy (317).

In order to counter Joan's threat, Barbara arranges a break-in at Joan's house and gets hold of Joan's personal diaries (321), and hides them in Erica's office, to which she has access through her work assignment (322). Bea finds out about the diaries, and uses them to lure Joan to isolation to bash her at the same time as diversionary fires are started in other parts of the prison.

The fire causes much more damage than intended, and Barbara breaks into Erica's office to try to recover the diaries, but is overcome by smoke and dies in the fire (326).

Updated ~ 01 June 1997

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