| Character Profile | List of appearances |
Laurence "Laurie" Shelby was the husband of Sinead O'Connor and the deputy head teacher of Hollyoaks High School.
Although Laurie seemed to be a kind-hearted man he was revealed to be a perverted creep. He sexually harassed Sienna Blake, raped Sinead, and attempted to rape Diane Hutchinson. He died in August 2019 after injuring his head in a prison van accident, after he was sentenced to four years imprisonment for attempting to rape Diane.
Biography[]
2018-2019: Arrival and Abusive Behaviour[]
Laurie is attacked by Sami.
Laurie arrived in Hollyoaks in November 2018 after his wife Sinead Shelby abducted her daughter Hannah Hay-O'Connor. Upon his arrival, Laurie caught Sinead about to have sex with Sami Maalik in the back of a car, and was punched by Sami. Although Sinead had left Laurie due to marital issues, Laurie remained with her in the village. Laurie began receiving calls from a woman, Georgia, who was threatening to report him to the police. Laurie convinced Sami to help him and Georgia agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement for £10,000, which Laurie paid her after winning at a casino night at The Loft. However, whilst signing, Georgia revealed to Sami that Laurie had sexually assaulted her.
Laurie's problems continued when he discovered from prostitute Donna-Marie Quinn that she used to work with Sinead. Laurie was unaware and furious, decided to pay Donna-Marie for sex. He was later hired at Hollyoaks High School as a deputy headteacher, and convinced Sally St. Claire to hire Sienna Blake as a teaching assistant. Laurie became increasingly inappropriate with Sienna at work, leaving her very uncomfortable. After Sienna rejected him, Laurie turned on her, ruining her opportunity for a promotion, but covered for her when she smashed his car window in revenge. Sinead became suspicious of Laurie and Sienna's behaviour together, but Laurie turned on her when she confronted him.
Sinead and Laurie argue before he assaults her.
In April 2019, during an explosive argument with Sinead about Sienna and Sami, Laurie dragged Sinead into the bedroom and raped her. Afterwards, he began gaslighting her, making her believe that she owed him due to how much she had done whilst he stood by her. However, Sinead still struggled to be around Laurie, often making excuses to avoid spending time with him. Meanwhile, Laurie continued to sexually harass Sienna at work, but discovered her plan to record their conversation and report him to the board. After Sienna's boyfriend Brody Hudson kidnapped Laurie, Laurie had Sienna suspended. However, Sienna reported his behaviour to the board and he was temporarily suspended.
After learning that Sinead was planning to leave him, Laurie began pretending to take anger management sessions. Laurie was also allowed to return to work, having been cleared by the board. He began bullying Sienna, who had developed suspicions of his behaviour towards Sinead. After a heated confrontation, Sienna struck Laurie with a stapler and held him captive in a classroom, hitting him with a fire extinguisher when he tried to escape. After Brody and Sienna's sister Liberty Savage convinced Sienna to release Laurie, Laurie took his anger out on Sinead and raped her a second time. Afterwards, Sinead's mother Diane Hutchinson grew concerned over her behaviour, to which she revealed that Laurie had raped her twice.
2019: Comeuppance and Death[]
Laurie is questioned after Sinead reports him.
Sinead reported Laurie to the police and Laurie was arrested, but was released due to a lack of evidence. Laurie reported Sinead to the police, convincing the police that her rape accusations were "calculated lies", resulting in her arrest for perverting the course of justice. Laurie was furious when he found posters calling for Sinead to be released, but Sally refused to believe Laurie's accusations that Sienna put them up. The pair had an explosive argument and Laurie managed to get Sally suspended for bullying, taking over as acting headteacher. Sienna and Brody attempted to find victims of Laurie's when he managed to scare Georgia off, but florist Jessica Fitzgerald claimed that their sex was consensual and shop assistant Rhonda - who managed to escape from Laurie - refused to report him.
Struggling to see him getting away with his crimes, Diane confronted Laurie at the school prom. Later following her into the bathrooms, Laurie became aggressive with Diane, who managed to flee as he attempted to rape her. Sinead - who had been released on bail some days earlier - defended Diane, pushing Laurie over the balcony railing. Sally retrieved the school's CCTV and Laurie was arrested at his hospital bed. Whilst behind bars, Laurie sent Sinead a vile letter, so she visited him and taunted him over her freedom. In court, Laurie was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Laurie dies from his injuries.
However, whilst being transported to Longmere Prison, the prison van carrying Laurie was involved in a crash. Laurie managed to escape from the overturned van and stole a car, finding Sinead at the Beatfields Festival. After kidnapping Sinead, he took her to the village to retrieve Hannah. However, she managed to flee from him and Laurie collapsed and died from his injuries whilst chasing after her. Sinead refused to attend his funeral in September 2019, opting to celebrate his death with Sienna and co-worker Nancy Osborne.
Appendices[]
Residences[]
| Address | Duration |
|---|---|
| 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 4 | 2018 to 8th August 2019 |
Employment History[]
| Job | Duration |
|---|---|
| Hollyoaks High School deputy headteacher | 2018 to 8th August 2019 |
Background Information[]
- In August 2018, it was announced that Home and Away star Kyle Pryor would be joining Hollyoaks.
Introduction Sequence[]
- 2018-2019: Laurie pushes Sinead against a wall underneath The Archway.
- 2019: Laurie places food on the table and dances with Sinead and her family outside The Hutch.
Quotes[]
| “ | What am I doing?! You've abducted a child, you're sleeping with random blokes, you have really surpassed yourself this time, Sinead. | ” |
— First line, to Sinead Shelby.
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| “ | I warned you, Sinead: you're not going anywhere. | ” |
— Final line, to Sinead Shelby.
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