The Don Beech Scandal

The Don Beech Scandal was a storyline in the long-running police procedural British television series, The Bill.

Background

The Don Beech Scandal was one of two major storylines centred around corrupt Detective Sergeant Don Beech. Since the character's debut in 1995, his corruption had steadily grown, taking backhanders from suspects, making deals with dodgy criminals, and getting himself immersed into the underworld of crime. The Scandal played out over three years in the show - beginning with the introduction of DS Claire Station in 1999 and Beech's imprisonment in his second major storyline in 2001. The storyline concluded with a "clean sweep" of CID, removing six well-standing officers, and introducting six new cast members to the show.

Synopsis

After it was suspected that he had been involved in corrupt criminal activity, unbeknown to Beech, a new Detective Sergeant, Claire Stanton, was placed at Sun Hill. An undercover officer from the Complaints Investigation Bureau, she infiltrated Sun Hill CID to gather evidence and expose Beech's corrupt activities. Beech revealed his activities to fellow officer, DS John Boulton, and offered him a bribe for his help in escaping his superiors. Bolton refused, and in the resulting fight, Beech headbutted Boulton, breaking his nose, and causing him to collapse. Boulton responded by trying to strangle Beech, but Beech slammed his head against the floor, killing him. Nobody suspected Beech of being the killer, and his eventual downfall took place when he entered into a corrupt business relationship with local crime-boss Howard Fallon, which resulted in Beech destroying evidence implicating Fallon, intimidating witnesses and supplying intelligence on the progress of police investigations into Fallon's empire. When his actions began to come to light, Beech fled, and was not seen again until his arrival in Australia.

Characters

Removed

• Chief Superintendent Charles Brownlow - as the Station commander, he was seen responsible for failing to notice Beech. He later resigned from the job, rather than being transferred, which would result in the loss of his pension and his employment being terminated.
• DI Chris Deakin - as Beech's immediate superior, Deakin was considered responsible for not noticing his activties, and was transferred for his lack of supervision amongst CID.
• DS Geoff Daly - had suspected Beech's corruption, but never managed to gather enough evidence. Due to being the same rank as Beech, he was transfererred to Barton Street.
• DS John Boulton - knew of Beech's corrupt activities, and would have been transferred himself, had he not died after fight with Beech, after he failed to help Beech escape justice.
• DS Claire Stanton - received a transfer and promotion after exposing Beech's corruption. As she was already a member of CIB, she was not suspected of any kind of corruption herself.
• DC Kerry Holmes - applied for a transfer after being outraged that CIB wrongly suspected her as being involved with corruption. Meadows stuck up for Kerry, but ultimately, it was her decision to leave.

Survived

• DCI Jack Meadows - as head of CID and Beech's superior, Meadows was seen to have given Beech freedom to carry out his actions. However, when he was presented to a disciplinary board, he was cleared from wrong-doing, later revealing that he only survived due to his connections at New Scotland Yard.
• DC Duncan Lennox - as Beech's subordinate, he had no control over his activities, and after being investigated, was not found to be involved in corruption.
• DC Mickey Webb - as Beech's subordinate, he had no control over his activities, and after being investigated, was not found to be involved in corruption.
• DC Danny Glaze - as Beech's subordinate, he had no control over his activities, and after being investigated, was not found to be involved in corruption.

Introducted

• Superintendent Tom Chandler - Chandler arrived as Brownlow's replacement, but soon turned out to be as corrupt as Beech. He later shot himself after Mickey Webb and Jack Meadows discovered what he was up to.
• DI Alex Cullen - Cullen was possibly one of the most clean-cut DI's that the station had ever had. He left Sun Hill after he was promoted to DCI at another local station.
• DS Vik Singh - Vik ended up causing a race war between the Asian and White Supremacist communities, and resigned after he beat a White Supremacist outside the local pub.
• DS Debbie McAllister - Debbie ended up marrying Tom Chandler, and the pair also had a baby together. Debbie decided to leave Sun Hill to look after their sun, when she found it difficult to juggle both jobs.
• DC Paul Riley - Paul died in the Sun Hill fire of 2002, which was set by PC Des Taviner. Paul was a kind hearted detective, who appeared to be a little bit on the dim side at times.
• DC Kate Spears - Kate died in the Sun Hill fire of 2002, which was set by PC Des Taviner. Kate had an affair with Tom Chandler before his marriage to Debbie McAllister.

References

Preceded by Sun Hill Explosion 1988

Notable storylines 1999-2001

Succeeded by Beech is Back