Manchester barrister stars in Coronation Street
Barrister Paul Dockery of Manchester set 18 St John Street Chambers made a return appearance on Coronation Street last night, playing a court usher as Gail McIntyre was put on remand for murder.
Dockery has appeared on the soap several times, having advised its script writers for the past six years on all things legal, from court-room dialogue to prison sentencing.
“Once a storyline is conceived they’ll come to me and ask for the potential defences and what sentences should be given if someone is convicted,” said Dockery.
And a perk of being the show’s legal adviser is that he gets to appear as an extra. The first time he appeared on the soap he sat between character Cilla Battersby and Norris Cole in the court gallery then in a later appearance he told Gail that her son must face trial for pushing her down the stairs. Last night he watched the same character being put on remand for the murder of her husband, Joe McIntyre.
When Tracy Barlow was jailed for bludgeoning her boyfriend Charlie Stubbs to death, Dockery advised on her sentencing - she was given a life sentence.
He also advised on the legal aspects connected with Tony Gordon’s crime spree and has spent recent months giving tips on the trial of Gail, which will appear on screens in July.
“Everybody wants to know whether Gail gets convicted,” said Dockery. “Even judges in the Magistrates Court have asked me that question - but I can’t say.”
By day Dockery is a criminal barrister involved with serious crime cases involving drugs and money laundering.
He spends weekends on set in court.
“It’s great fun,” he says. “By and large it’s all my area of work and it’s not too difficult.”
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Readers' comments (13)
Anonymous | 19-Mar-2010 2:45 pm
Let us hope that Gail gets life as well - I cannot abide the sight of her ugly, frog-like face.
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Anonymous | 19-Mar-2010 3:10 pm
she's more of a hamster. an ugly one, mind.
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Anonymous | 19-Mar-2010 4:29 pm
she's not a hamster she's clearly a prairie dog
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Anonymous | 19-Mar-2010 4:31 pm
Mmmmm ! How does someone just pop down to the local magistrates and get an "Interim Residence Order" without the parents knowing about it? That awful grandfather in Coronation Street did just that.
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Anonymous | 19-Mar-2010 4:37 pm
Is this article really worthy of the Lawyer, surely you cannot be running our of material........
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Anonymous | 19-Mar-2010 4:40 pm
I was think a cross between a chipmunk and a hamster
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John Walton | 19-Mar-2010 5:27 pm
I think that the Tracy Barlow issue is actually quite important; does the fact that she got life represent a lack of undestanding of the issues by the UK legal system? In France prior to the 1970's of course she could have sought to rely on the crime passionnel defence - in US law the same principles might supply her with a valid defence of temporary insanity...
What is Gail 'up for' by the way, being a diligent law student I haven't watched Corrie for quite some time..
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Jonathan Stirland | 19-Mar-2010 9:22 pm
Not sure how Mr Dockery missed the obvious change in the law relating to Bail Applications following a charge of Murder - as a 01.02.10 those charged with Murder have no right to make an application for bail in Mags Court.........let Granada TV have my email address for further accurate criminal law advice.
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Anonymous | 20-Mar-2010 11:10 am
Setting aside the personal comments regarding the physical features of the actress "Ms Helen Worth"; the character of Gail McIntyre appears to have poor judgement when selecting partners, i,e, Richard Hillman et al!
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Anonymous | 24-Mar-2010 11:13 am
I see no reason why you shouldn't run this type of story. Some of us find this rather more interesting then the cliquey copy relating to the huge city firms and their grotesque fees, partner poaching and other conduct that would be thought incredible if it appeared on a TV soap!
As regards the posters who made cruel personal comments on the appearance of the actress who apparently plays the character, perhaps their own appearances are indicative of the reason they stay home and watch TV soaps.
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