This week on Home and Away in Australia, after the shocking events of last week, Perri forces himself to face the consequences of his actions and hand himself in to the police.
Perri (Cantona Stewart) had been living in fear of his abusive father Carl (Matthew Holmes), after his attempt to have him pay for his crimes failed.
After turning 18, Perri had gone to the police about Carl, detailing the violent abuse he had faced over the years. Carl had also forced him to take part in criminal activity, which Perri had spent time in juvie for.
When Carl was found not-guilty, which Perri put down to messing up his statement whilst nervous in court, Rose (Kirsty Marillier) had assisted Perri in taking out an AVO against him.
Of course a bit of paper wasn’t enough to keep Carl away from Perri, as he tried to threaten him into doing ‘one last job’ for him. Perri continued to refuse, leading Carl to follow him and discover where he and Tane were living.
Perri came home last week to find a copy of the AVO sinisterly placed on the kitchen counter with a large knife through it, with Carl then emerging in one last attempt to change his son’s mind. Perri threatened to call the police, only to find Carl had taken his phone.
Again refusing to bow to Carl’s demands, Perri was dragged to the swimming pool where Carl proceeded to force his head under the water.
By the time Tane returned home later that evening, Carl’s lifeless body was floating in the pool. Sitting in shock nearby, Perri said he didn’t mean to do it.
Perri went on to explain that in his struggle to get out of the water, he had pushed Carl who must have hit his head. The next thing he knew, Carl was in the water, dead.
“His immediate feeling was relief, almost as if he had been liberated of this horrible devil-like burden he’d been cursed with,” Cantona Stewart told TV Week.
“Then, as he stared into the pool where his father lay face down, he knew the only family he has had been killed by his own hands.”
Opting to do the right thing, Tane called the police, but when Rose (Kirsty Marillier) arrived they found that Perri had slipped out of the house and disappeared.
Rose was particularly dubious as Tane relayed what had happened—seemingly choosing to focus on the fact that Carl and Perri had a bad history, rather than the fact that he may have been defending himself from a man known to be violent towards him.
As Rose asked why Perri would choose to run if he was innocent as claimed, it was left to Tane to point out the blindingly obvious, that he would have been terrified.
Meanwhile, Theo (Matt Evans) came across Perri near the surf club who was desperate for somewhere to hide out. Knowing there’d be little chance of Justin (James Stewart) showing up, Theo took him to the garage whilst Perri filled him in on what had happened.
As Theo asked why he wouldn’t go to the police, Perri pointed out that the justice system had already failed him once—he’d reported his father’s abuse, and the court didn’t believe him.
The next day, Perri’s photo was already plastered over the front page of the Coastal News, as well as him being the focus of a local radio bulletin, after the police put out a warrant for his arrest.
Next week, the search escalates further as Perri features in a TV news bulletin, whilst Theo is left battling with his conscience as he protects his friend, having already promised that he wouldn’t let him down.
Questioned by Rose when she finds him in the diner, Theo denies knowing anything about Perri’s whereabouts.
When the two later talk again, Rose points out to Theo that helping someone escape after a “murder” could land someone up to 2o years in prison.
Preview images shared by the show’s social media accounts appear to show Theo taking Tane to the garage, presumably having disclosed that he’s been hiding Perri, with another photo showing Perri hiding behind a car.
Whether Perri makes a run from his friends remains to be seen, but TV Week reports that Perri will eventually head to Yabbie Creek police station to hand himself in.
Despite his claim of self-defence, Rose wastes no time with putting Perri under arrest, charging him with ‘murdering’ his father.
Tane later visits Perri on the morning of his bail hearing, where he assures him that they’ve all got his back and will help him fight his case.
Whilst Perri is happy to know he has some support behind him, will it be enough?
Meanwhile, at some point in the coming days, Theo also pays a visit to the police station.
“I’m here to hand myself in,” he tells Rose, before she leads him into the interview room.
Will Theo also face charges for helping his mate?
