Joe Donnelli
First appearance: 1967
Last appearance: 1970

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An American GI who murdered Steve Tanner in 1968 by pushing him down a flight of stairs. He returned to Weatherfield in 1970 and lodged with Minnie Caldwell at No 5 before taking Irma Barlow hostage in the Corner Shop and confessing to Steve’s murder. After Irma escaped, Joe fled back to Minnie’s and held her (and Bobby the cat!) at gunpoint before Stan Ogden intervened. A siege on the Street saw Joe eventually turning the gun upon himself.

Alan Bradley
First appearance: 1986
Last appearance: 1989

An aspiring businessman who cheated Rita of her cash and tried to suffocate her with a cushion. Bitter that Rita had ruined his life, he pursued her to Blackpool where the stress of the ordeal had caused the Kabin owner to have a breakdown. As Alan tried to bundle Rita into his car, she fled across the road. As punishment for calling a national treasure a “stupid bitch”, Alan collided with an oncoming tram and died instantly.

Don Brennan
First appearance: 1987
Last appearance: 1997

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The grudge-bearing taxi driver who blamed Mike Baldwin for his failing finances. In a frenzy, he stashed Alma in his car and plunged it into the canal. After this, he crept into Baldwin’s factory, smashed him over the head and stole his car. As Mike pursued Don into the street, Don revved the car’s engine and gunned straight for the knicker mogul. As if to emphasise Don’s bad luck, he missed Mike, crashed into the viaduct and died when the car caught fire and exploded.

Jez Quigley
First appearance: 1997
Last appearance: 2000

Drug dealer and gangster who supplied cocaine to Leanne, killed Tony Horrocks and set about Steve McDonald in an underground car park. The evil Jez may have been a hard case but he wasn’t tough enough to withstand a pasting at the hands of Steve’s fiery dad, Big Jim. His spleen ruptured and he later died in hospital, while Jim was sentenced to prison for eight years for his part in Jez’s death.

Unfortunately, there is no video available of Jez at his menacing best.

Richard Hillman
First appearance: 2001
Last appearance: 2003

Aka “Norman Bates with a briefcase”. Financial adviser Richard killed his first wife with a spade and bludgeoned Maxine, before confessing all to his new wife, Gail. But he wasn’t going down alone. After abducting the Platt family, he drove their car into the Street’s favourite arena of death – the canal! The Platts survived but Tricky Dicky left the scene in a body bag.

Charlie Stubbs
First appearance: 2003
Last appearance: 2007

Sinister builder who launched a campaign of psychological abuse against Shelley Unwin, but met his match in the form of Tracy Barlow, who bashed him over the head with a statue after discovering his affair with Maria Sutherland. His most infamous moment came in October 2006 when he repeatedly dunked David Platt’s head in icy cold water, which brought back the troubled teen’s nightmares about his ordeal at the hands of Hillman.


Tony Gordon

First appearance: 2007
Last appearance: 2010

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Swivel-eyed psychopath who ordered the killing of Liam Connor and tried to drown Roy in – yes, you’ve guessed it – the canal. After handing himself in to the police, Tony took little time in planning a prison escape along with his cellmate, Robbie Sloane. His reign of terror ended at the Underworld factory where he took Maria, Carla and Hayley hostage before torching the place and perishing in the inferno.

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