As a Coroner's inquest is held into new mum Helen's recent death in Tuesday's In The Club (BBC1, 9pm) midwife Vicky Brierly is terrified that she'll be held responsible for the tragedy. Actress Christine Bottomley tells us more...
Pregnant Helen and husband Gareth were overjoyed when midwife Vicky helped deliver their beautiful baby girl. Events soon took a tragic turn, however, when after a seemingly straightforward birth, Vicky discovered Helen had died! How did she feel?
"Vicky was utterly distraught and in total shock. Vicky's a conscientious midwife, who's always tried to do the best she can, but this incident really made her question herself."
Why is that?
"While raising her son single-handedly, Vicky's been working long hours, doing lots of overtime and she's struggled to juggle it all. Because she's been a bit frazzled, she started thinking: 'Did I do everything right?'"
Vicky's panicking as she prepares for her day in court
In this week's In The Club, a Coroner's inquest is held into Helen's death. How’s Vicky feeling on the day?
"That morning, when she's at home with her mum, waiting to head off to court, she's so scared. It's almost like she reverts back to being a young girl again, needing reassurance from her mum."
So we bet she's gripped with nerves once she actually gets to court…
"Vicky's absolutely terrified – this is somewhere she thought she'd never be. But, the fact is, a life has been lost – Vicky will be devastated if it turns out there was something she could have done differently."
L-R: Diane, Kim, Jasmin, Dev and Geraldine are in court to support their friend Vicky
As the inquest begins, a few of Vicky’s mum friends are in court. Do they believe she’s innocent of any wrongdoing?
"They're definitely there to support her. Vicky's been dealing with some pretty fraught situations and they've been aware of that because they're her friends. So they're concerned for Vicky and I'd like to think they've got her back!"
During the hearing, it’s revealed that Helen’s husband Gareth (ex-EastEnder Jack Ryder) said that, on the day in question, Vicky 'stunk of alcohol'. Was she drunk on duty?
“Vicky's been stressed, so she has been going home after work and having a drink. But she knows she never felt drunk at work – she's certain she never crossed that line.”
Helen's husband Gareth (ex-EastEnder Jack Ryder) and her mother are in court to hear the Coroner's verdict
Vicky has a glimmer of hope as friend and fellow midwife Geraldine (Lorraine Cheshire) is called as a witness. But when the Coroner reads out Geraldine’s statement about the day’s events, it looks like Vicky’s on shaky ground – why is that?
"Geraldine said Vicky was distracted by her 10-month-old son being brought onto the ward, suggesting she may have left Helen for too long. Geraldine didn't realise what the ramifications would be of saying that… but it certainly throws Vicky's case into doubt."
