Mark Bails

DI Mark Bails is Harriet Finch's former boss who has a longstanding grudge against Charity Dingle.

Bails often used to arrest homeless teenage prostitute Charity for soliciting. She was relieved when it was him who picked her up, as he would let her away with a caution if she played her cards right. Bails ended up installing Charity in a flat. Naive Charity thought Bails was going to save her, but really, he abused her months on end. Charity eventually did a runner and reported Bails for beating her up. This resulted in Bails' wife leaving him, and although he managed to hold onto his job, he lost out on a big promotion so blamed Charity for ruining his life.

In October 2014, DI Bails believed he finally had evidence to send Charity down after Charity's estranged husband, Declan Macey, implicated her in insurance fraud. Charity highly doubted DI Bails would be able to prove anything as the insurance fraud was all Declan's idea and she could lie on the stand that violent Declan made her provide him an alibi as he was threatening her son, Noah.

Unable to make anything stick to Charity, DI Bails turned his attention to Charity's daughter Debbie's boyfriend, Pete Barton. DI Bails produced a photograph of Pete dealing ecstasy then accused Pete of supplying a student with the pills that killed her. Pete was arrested and charged with manslaughter.

On the day of Pete's plea hearing, DI Bails called round to Mulberry Cottage and explained he pulled a few strings and arranged for the plea hearing to be postponed. DI Bails made it clear to Pete he had stitched him up, and to make this go away, he wanted evidence that would send Charity down. Pete talked things over with Debbie. They were unsure what to do, but when Debbie discovered Charity was running a chop-shop, she decided to set up her mother up to keep Pete out of prison.

DI Bails informed Pete he had until the next day to get Charity to go to the station and make a full confession. Debbie and Pete knew that wouldn't be an easy task so Debbie decided they should try to get a recording of Charity confessing, then use that against her. Debbie invited her mother round to Mulberry Cottage and attempted to extract a confession from her but as Debbie tried to get Charity to admit her involvement in the insurance fraud, Pete blurted out they were recording her. Pete informed Charity that unless she confessed to insurance fraud, DI Bails would ensure he went down for manslaughter. Pete decided to call the deal with DI Bails off as he didn't want to further damage Debbie and Charity's already strained relationship, even it meant he went to prison.

Charity filled Debbie and Pete in on her history with DI Bails and how he used to abuse her. In order to make things right with Debbie, Charity went to the police station and confessed to her involvement in the insurance fraud much to DI Bails' delight. Subsequently, Charity was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

2015

 * Tue 20th Jan