A new Home and Away promo shows Justin Morgan’s court date arrive, as he faces jail for assaulting the man he believed had attacked Ava.
In last week’s Australian episodes of Home and Away, Justin (James Stewart) beat a surfer who he believed had assaulted his daughter Ava Gilbert (Annabel Wolfe), who had shown up in Summer Bay in February, and then had the surfer arrested for assault.
Ava was recently revealed to be Theo’s (Matt Evans) crazy fan, who had been inundating him with messages and presents before dropping them off at his house and place of employment. While evading Theo, who was adamant that they would never be together, Ava had gotten into the man’s blue VW kombi.
The surfer was delighted to assist Ava in escaping the man she claimed was harassing her, but he soon came to lament that action when Justin pursued him.
Theo and Kirby made the decision to unblock Ava’s I3Theo fan account and contact her in the event that she was still out there.
Ava then responded to let Theo know that she was in trouble and sent a pin with her location because her obsession with him had reached dangerously high levels. She was actually perfectly good and the man was just letting her hang out in his van while he went surfing.
She had hoped Theo would turn up and save her, but when Theo showed Justin the message, Justin believed the man had attacked his daughter.
Justin dreaded the worst when he arrived and noticed Ada lying down in the back of the kombi van with the man changing his top. Without thinking, he started attacking the guy and threw him across a car bonnet before Cash quickly apprehended him.
Tony Cogin and Ada Nicodemou’s characters Justin and Leah hired David, a lawyer, to help them battle Justin’s case in tonight’s episode.
Despite informing Justin that the court date had been scheduled for the following week, David originally appeared optimistic and was referred to by Leah as “the best lawyer that we could find.”
In addition, Ava sending him the message telling him she believed she was in danger would help his case, as it gave him a reason to act like he did.
Justin opted to plead guilty, and was happy to undertake anger management counselling – “anything to avoid prison” – and David said that if he could make a deal with the DPP, Justin could avoid prison, and potentially even avoid court entirely.
However, that wasn’t to be. David returned to Justin and Leah’s house later in the episode, where he informed them that he came with bad news.
“Things didn’t work out the way I anticipated,” he began, before explaining that Justin’s victim was claiming psychological injury on top of the physical injuries he sustained.
“The prosecution’s also refuting the suggestion that Justin genuinely thought that Ava was in danger.”
The prosecution questioned whether Justin would have believed Ava given her past of lying. Additionally, there was no way for Justin to be certain that it was from her since the communication to Theo was sent from the I3Theo account, which was anonymous.
While Justin assured David that everybody knew Ava was obsessed with Theo, referencing the scrapbook she had made, he was unable to show this as proof as he’d already thrown it away.
So, as things stand, the prosecution are planning on pushing for prison time, “the maximum sentence.”
After telling Leah that going to jail wouldn’t help Ava with her abandonment problems, Justin was facing the possibility that he might actually be sent away at the end of the episode.
He told Leah that the best thing would be for Ava to go back to her mum’s place, not wanting her to see her dad prepare for prison.
In a preview for future episodes, Justin is seen telling Ava the news and getting ready for his court appearance.
The haunting opening line of Justin’s lawyer’s advertisement is, “The prosecution will press for prison time. The maximum sentence,” as Justin is seen in an out-of-focus image leaving the courthouse and going down a hallway.
Over footage of Justin’s arrest by Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) are the words ‘ONE MISTAKE’.
Justin gives Ava the bad news, telling her “we need to be prepared.”
Justin gives Ava the bad news, telling her “we need to be prepared.”
We see Theo having an emotional conversation with Alf (Ray Meagher).
Theo tells Alf that Justin “deserves to have a second chance,” as Alf responds that Justin “needs to go in there and fight for himself.”
We then see Justin looking glum on the morning of his court date, before embracing Leah.
“I don’t know what to do,” Theo tells Alf.
CAN THEY SAVE HIM?
“I don’t wanna lose you all over again,” says Ava through tears as we see her and Justin sitting at the table in the Morgan house, before Justin clutches his daughter’s hand.
“We don’t have a choice,” he responds.+
The upcoming court scenes at Strickland House in Vaucluse, a part of Sydney Harbour National Park, provide an answer to the mystery of what some members of the Home and Away cast were shooting late last year.
Several members of the cast traveled to Sydney in early November to shoot scenes at a home with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
In attendance were Ada Nicodemou (Leah), James Stewart (Justin), Matt Evans (Theo), Nicholas Cartwright (Cash) and Georgie Parker (Roo).
With everyone in formal attire, and Justin and Theo suited and booted, we pondered whether the shoot could be a wedding, a celebration, or the location of yet another emergency… but now we know.
Will Justin go to prison?
Next week in Australia, Home and Away will air single episodes on Monday and Tuesday as usual, followed by a triple-bill on Wednesday. There are no episodes next Thursday evening.
UK viewers will see these scenes in late May.
