Coronation Street has released a dramatic trailer depicting the start of Sarah Barlow's court case for the murder of Theo Silverton. Sarah was arrested in July after killing Theo, who had been abusing his husband Todd. Viewers learned of Sarah's guilt in June, and flashback scenes from April showed her killing Theo with a scaffolding pole after confronting him about his abuse of her friend Todd Grimshaw.
Now, after months in custody, Sarah will attempt to prove she acted in self-defense. The trailer features a frightened Sarah in the dock as a voiceover labels her a "cold-blooded murderer." Sarah herself is heard saying, "I think we need to prepare for the worst."
Actress Tina O'Brien, who plays Sarah, described her character as "absolutely terrified." While Sarah had been anticipating the court date, "the reality of being brought up from the cells and standing in the dock is overwhelming," O'Brien said. "As the prosecution case is laid out she is not sure things will go her way."
Sarah's court case is set to air beginning Wednesday, October 14. Theo's death initiated a significant whodunnit storyline on the show, with potential suspects including Todd Grimshaw, Gary Windass, Summer Spellman, George Shuttleworth, Christina Boyd, and Danielle Silverton. Each character had a potential motive due to Theo's sustained abuse of Todd.
Theo's body was discovered by Betsy Swain in the backyard of the corner shop during an episode that featured the show's first-ever flash-forward. In June, it was revealed that Gary had assisted Sarah in covering up Theo's death after she struck him with a scaffolding pole, leading to his fatal fall.
O'Brien noted the challenge of keeping her character's guilt a secret, stating, "It's really hard having to keep it quiet for that long, especially when you're online, you're seeing all the chat on social media..." She added that filming the scenes immediately following Theo's death was particularly difficult as she felt her character's guilt was evident on her face. "For me to get into her character and her head, I feel like, in that moment, she didn't feel like she had any other choice," O'Brien explained.
Tina O'Brien has been a cast member of Coronation Street since 1999, portraying Sarah Platt. She was with the show for nine years before a hiatus in 2007. After an eight-year absence, she returned in 2015 and has since been involved in several major plotlines.