In late 2002, Richard Hillman, up to his eyes in debt and his business interests failing, concocted a plan to convince everyone that mother-in-law Audrey Roberts was entering senility and then kill her in a fire in her house which would be put down to an accidental death and her estate would be paid to daughter Gail. When Audrey started to receive medical opinion that there was nothing wrong with her mentally, Richard had to bring his plan forward. Spiking her drinks with extra gin, she was taken home in a taxi by Steve McDonald. Richard followed and began the fire while Audrey slept soundly in bed. However when Steve discovered she had left her glasses behind in her cab, Archie Shuttleworth tried to raise her by phone and, unable to do so, the two men went back to her house where the fire