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Meg was in for a surprise when her nice new neighbour turned out to be a child abuser. Would Gail win over the women of wentworth? Or suffer the fate of a baby basher?
When Meg moved into her new flat, she met her new neighbour, Gail, who had clearly never heard the unwritten rule that anyone who shares dialogue with a Wentworth officer will almost certainly end up in prison. She came to Meg's housewarming party, but her husband turned up and started shouting at her in front of everyone, for leaving the children at home alone.
When Meg spotted bruises on Gail's son's arm, she suspected Gail's husband was physically abusing the children. And soon after, Gail called on Meg for help, saying her son had fallen out of bed. But the hospital were not convinced, and eventually Gail said her husband had hit the children a few times.
During a particularly loud row, Meg called for the police, and in a neat little twist in the story, Gail blurted out that it was she who had been hitting her son. She was sent to Wentworth (naturally) on remand until her trial, and for her own safety was advised to pretend her crime was shoplifting.
Her husband came to visit her inside, to say he had custody of the children, and was starting divorce proceedings. Unsympathetic Jim Fletcher suggested she tell the other inmates the truth about her crime. Despite Judy Bryant sticking up for her, she was taunted by the woman, called a "Baby Basher", and a sinister piece of artwork turned up on her cell door.
When Bea Smith was released from solitary, she resisted the temptation to give Gail a good bashing, as she wanted to go on the factory work party, and Erica had told her to leave Gail alone.
Gail's husband's new girlfriend, Pam, had been left in charge of the children, but while Pam was out buying cigarettes, Meg had to save Gail's daughter from being run over outside the flats. When Meg went to see her later, she found the children unattended, and had to deal with a pan fire and a dirty nappy, until Pam returned home drunk, demanding Meg leave. Soon after, the children were taken into care.
Back in Wentworth, Gail was subjected to more taunts. But after talking to Captain Barton of the Salvation Army, she stood up for herself, and gave a speech about the problems she'd faced, and the reasons she had hit her children. Naturally this caused an instant change of attitude among the women, who eased up on their attacks.
Finally, she was given a suspended sentence at her trial, and left her flat, her husband, and the series by moving away and becoming instantly forgotten.
A potentially interesting and daring storyline, which was unfortunately finished before it could be explored in more depth or with more credibility. I feel this wasn't helped by the unsympathetic character, who was basically whiney and annoying.
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