Max Turner (Paddy Bever) found himself charged with incitement to attempted murder in tonight’s Coronation Street (26th January), after another traumatic week for the locals.
The young character was groomed last year by racist extremist Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron), who inflicted his vile beliefs onto Max and enlisted him to help his cause by making harmful propaganda.
Max had been feeling sidelined in his family unit, and was thrilled to be noticed by Griff – especially when Griff showered him with praise over his video editing skills. After Griff was finally arrested, Max struggled to let go of his newfound views.
He tuned into a livestream by former classmate Blake (Adam Little), but rushed to alert the public as Blake brought a knife into Speed Daal and stabbed Alya Nazir (Sair Khan). While Alya came through surgery and looked set to make a full recovery, things looked bleak for Max when Blake insisted that Max’s videos were the reason for his crusade.
In the aftermath of the attack, Max tried to run away, until dad David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) convinced him that wasn’t the answer. Later, the family were appalled when they saw the content of his videos, and his uncle Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) begrudgingly agreed to seek out another solicitor.
But while David focused on working things out, his efforts were interrupted when the police arrived to arrest Max for incitement to attempted murder. At the police station, a duty solicitor asked Max to explain himself, and he began repeating some of the words instilled in him by the likes of Griff.
David didn’t want to hear this, but before long DS Swain (Vicky Myers) returned to interview Max. She quoted his videos, and Max insisted that he never encouraged Blake, or anyone else, to hurt anyone. But Swain was more concerned with the kind of language Max had been using.
In a bid to explain his recent behaviour, Max opened up about his life experiences. Bever put in a powerful performance as his alter ego recounted his ADHD diagnosis, as well as the loss of his beloved mum Kylie Platt (Paula Lane), who was stabbed to death outside their home when he was just 9 years old.
As David tried to reassure his son, Swain took Max away to officially charge him, leaving him utterly terrified. Will Max be going to prison?
If you are concerned that someone you know might be being radicalised, you are not alone. There is advice and support available via www.actearly.uk. If you’ve seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives. Report via www.gov.uk/ACT or call 0800 789 321.
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