EPISODE 269 First broadcast ... 1982 (Melbourne) Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 12 May 1998 04:40 DVD release: volume 17 disc 4 (AUS) Duration: 0:46:58

Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Kate ~ Olivia Hamnett Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Marie ~ Maggie Millar Janet ~ Kate Sheil Margo ~ Jane Clifton Ian ~ Peter Curtin Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Mark ~ Nick Holland Wally ~ Alan Hopgood Charge Nurse ~ Berrie Cameron-Allen Wendy Scott ~ Helen Noonan Policewoman ~ Honor Walters Lil Stokes ~ Judith McLorinan Hospital Receptionist ~ Evelyn Bowie Written by Ian Bradley Directed by Juliana Focht

Judy sits Kate down and tells her to keep quiet and let her do the talking. Lil is the clerk of the court and reads the charges : lagging to the cops and the screws, spoiling the kitchen racket and getting her mates longer sentences. Kate retorts that she hasn't got any mates, but Judy pleads not guilty on Kate's behalf. Bea says there is another charge that will be revealed later. Steve calls the police to give them information about Sandy: Colleen snidely hints he ought to be careful or he'll confirm the rumours about him and Sandy. Margo is on lookout outside the rec room and reports an officer approaching. Kate tries to call for help and is "suppressed" by Judy. Margo and another prisoner (the one usually called Joy Andrews ) go to meet the officer, and seeing it's Colleen, let her overhear a conversation about drugs hidden somewhere in the prison to divert her away from the rec room. Marie "turns Queen's evidence" and says that Kate intercepted and replied to a letter from Fitzwater, and helped her to get Sandy by making her sick with drugs from the infirmary. Finally, Marie tells everyone that the knife Sandy had is now in Kate's possession, and that Kate must have taken it from Sandy just before she killed her. Kate denies it vehemently. Bea remarks that Judy seems to be taking her role as defence counsel very seriously, but Judy insists that Kate must have a fair trial. She then argues that by Marie's own testimony Sandy was going to use the knife to kill Kate, so Kate only acted in self defence. Another officer approaches, which gives Kate the chance to make a run for it. Bea lets her go, saying they can continue the trial another time. Kate runs straight into Steve and tells him about the mock trial, but he only asks if she's being tried for Sandy's murder. If so, she can get all the protection she wants by confessing her guilt. Steve continues his patrol to the rec room, and warns Bea that as much as he'd like to see Kate pay, he will hold Bea responsible if any harm comes to her. After a bottle of wine, Janet invites Ian to stay the night, so he does. Kate searches her cell for the knife. Judy sees her and realises she is guilty. Marie walks in brandishing the knife, but Steve's lockup rounds saves Kate's neck. Janet leaves for work early and sets the alarm again for Ian - wrongly, as it turns out. Colleen asks Wendy to call and find out where Ian is, but Janet jumps in and calls him herself, though Wendy's sly smile shows she knows what's going on. Wally visits Judy to say he'll be a character witness at her trial, but she seems resigned to being found guilty. Kate wants Judy to back up her claim that she's being threatened to get herself a transfer, but Judy tells her she can only help herself if she admits to Sandy's murder. Meg tells Kate she thinks her claims of persecution are exaggerated. Susie is recovering in hospital guarded by a policewoman. A male nurse tells her she'll be well enough to go back to Wentworth in a couple of days. Meg reports Kate's wild accusations of a conspiracy against her to Erica: they agree that Kate is more likely to be pretending to crack up. Bea is a little concerned that so many of the women want Kate killed before the end of the trial, which is just about to resume in the garden. The final witness is Doreen, who wheels a pram outside and passes the baby to Lizzie, who uses it to distract Meg and Steve. Doreen reports that she saw Marie glance at Kate to send her after Sandy when she was taken ill. Colleen visits Susie out of uniform, and asks directions from the male nurse who assumes at first that she is Susie's mother. Bea seems to be having second thoughts about having Kate killed because of the repercussions for all the women, but Marie convinces her Kate is more of a danger alive. Bea tells Margo to pass the word along that it's time. Kate watches as the women give her the thumbs down one by one and rushes screaming from the dining room. Steve follows her: Kate almost goads him into hitting her , but he draws back at the last moment and refuses to put her in solitary. Next morning a van arrives for transfer of prisoners to Barnhurst. Meg goes to collect Kate and finds her still in bed, but she moves fast enough when she finds she's going to be transferred. In fact, she's in such a hurry to leave that when Meg tries to check out her property, Kate tells her to keep it, as if giving a tip in a restaurant. The male nurse brings Susie a bunch of flowers. Kate breathes the air outside and gloats to Steve that he's lost. But the smile is wiped from Kate's face when the van door is opened and she sees the other occupant. Marie Winter chuckles a greeting: "G'day Doc! Looks like we're going to be making this trip together..." ***

Script Editor: Ian Smith
Storyliners: John Mortimore, Andrew Kennedy, Michael Freundt, Dave Worthington

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