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JIM FLETCHER
Played by: Gerard Maguire
Full Name: Matthew James Fletcher
Position: Deputy Governor, Prison Officer
First Ep: 040
Last Ep: 256
Total Featured: 207 Episodes
Close To: Leila Fletcher, Jacki Nolan and Janet Conway
Previous Occupation: Army sergeant, Officer at Pentridge prison
Current Status: Governor of Beachmont
Jim is the first male officer and deputy governor to work at Wentworth. He has a history of army experience due to him serving time in Vietnam.
He first arrives as the new deputy governor after being transferred from Pentridge prison, much to the dismay of Vera Bennett (episode 40). Meg Jackson, who Jim makes a good friend in, gives him a guided tour of the prison and introduces him to the women. Vera doesn’t take to kindly to Jim taking her position and makes it clear she wants to be more than just a senior officer.
Jim soon settles into Wentworth, but is disliked by certain inmates, including Bea Smith, who accuses him of ‘perving’ on the women in the recreation room. This is the first time we here his nickname, ‘Fletch the letch’. Jim gets injured when he tries to fight off two men who are attempting to kidnap one of the inmates, Joyce Martin (episode 42). He is ordered to go to hospital and have an x-ray by Greg Miller. Jim and Greg go out for a drink afterwards. This is the first we hear about Jim’s time in Vietnam. He opens up to Greg and tells him all about his experiences, including how he mistakenly shot a young girl.
Jim is a sufferer of Haemophobia – a fear of blood, which he doesn’t want anyone to know about. This secret of his is soon revealed amongst the women, who do their best to make sure they see Jim have a reaction to his fear. In episode 45, Jim develops a soft spot for elderly inmate Edith Wharton, when she arrives at Wentworth as a prisoner. As well as this, Jim is trying to find out where Joyce Martin’s safety deposit box key is, and uses ex-inmate Blossom Crabtree as a source for information. Jim ends up being suspended when Vera overhears a telephone conversation between him and Blossom (episode 47). Blossom comes clean and tells all after Jim sleeps with her, he then reports it to the police and says that Joyce is responsible in episode 48. Edith sadly passes away whilst sleeping (episode 49), but Jim makes sure a proper funeral is organised for her.
Jim becomes Vera’s hero when he rescues her from the prison roof after being held captive by Martha Eaves (episode 54). He almost immediately overcomes his phobia when Vera draws blood after Martha cuts her neck with a fork. This soon changes Vera’s opinion of him. Jim takes Vera out for a drink, during which she meets a man and sleeps with him, and Jim is left to explain to her the meaning of a one-night stand.
Jim is promoted to acting governor when Erica Davidson resigns, but only temporarily (episode 63). During his time as governor, Jim is known to the women as ‘Hammer head’, due to his harshness, to the staff as well as the inmates. One major mishap on Jim’s behalf is when Chrissie Latham returns to Wentworth after being transferred from Barnhurst, and Meg is left to do the induction. This is the first time Meg has seen Chrissie since she was transferred for murdering her husband, and is deeply shocked (episode 65). This error was due to Jim not reading the new prisoners’ files. With this and his attitude, the other staff members go on strike. Jim is then demoted to his usual duties as Erica is reinstated.
Throughout much of his time in the series, Jim and his wife Leila are separated. They have two sons, who very seldom see Jim. However, Leila does allow him to move back in to the family home. When Geoff Butler (Jim’s friend from the army) appears on the scene, he moves in with Jim and Leila and begins dating Meg. Leila disapproves of Geoff and Meg’s relationship, due to Geoff’s violent streak, and tries to persuade Meg to finish with him. When Meg tries to do this, Geoff lashes out and hits her. Jim discovers something must be wrong and calls round to Meg’s flat. When Jim tells Geoff that the police are on their way, Geoff threatens him with a broken bottle (episode 83). Jim manages to disarm him and nearly strangles him to death (episode 84). Both Jim and Meg give evidence at Geoff’s trial (episode 106). In the end he is let off on a good behaviour bond.
Later on in the series, Jim takes an interest in remand prisoners Caroline Simpson and Vivienne Williams. He really feels sorry for them, and therefore decides to pay their bail money, so they can be released. When Leila discovers Jim’s involvement with them, she throws him out, so he temporarily stays in a hotel. Geoff slowly begins to hate Jim for his harsh treatment towards him, and teams up with Caroline’s husband, Michael to seek revenge. Geoff plans to kill Jim with a bomb, which Michael delivers to his hotel inside a parcel, but is unaware that the bomb is inside. The parcel is collected from reception by Leila and the boys when they come to visit Jim, but blows up while the boys are still holding it, and kills all three of them instantly (episode 109). Jim is left devastated.
The funerals for Jim’s family are held in episode 111. Michael is arrested after Caroline phones the police. Jim comes home from work one day to find Geoff in the house, armed with a gun, ready to shoot someone. A marksman from the police shoots Geoff before he does anymore damage. Jim does go back to work, but Erica says its far too soon considering everything that has happened (episode 113). Jim’s place is taken over by Jock Stewart for several episodes.
Jim recovers and returns to Wentworth quite quickly. He gets heavily involved with social worker, Agnes Forster. Agnes is obviously more interested in her cat and cups of tea than the welfare of the inmates, but Jim sees her as a nice woman. Erica rapidly loses her respect for Jim. Jim is furious when Agnes is forced to resign in episode 140, and gives Erica a piece of his mind; unaware that Mr Douglas (the head of the department) is in her office.
After the death of his wife and his two sons, Jim starts going to parties and nightclubs to find himself a new love interest. He meets interior designer, Sarah Forrest, with whom he starts a short-term relationship (episode 149). Sarah’s real identity is revealed when Erica Davidson recognises her and relates her with the prison (episode 154). Jacki Nolan turns out to be her real name. She ends up in Wentworth for escaping whilst serving time in Barnhurst six years beforehand. Whilst Jacki is in prison, she receives plenty of help and attention from Jim. She is eventually pardoned and goes to live with her business partner, Julian Philips, and exits Jim’s life for good, which leaves him heartbroken (episode 159).
By this time, Jim has earned the trust of both the inmates and officers, and begins to settle down, until he begins an affair with officer Janet Conway. Janet ends up in trouble when she is trapped in the prison during a riot led by Sandy Edwards (episode 246). Jim eventually manages to enter the prison, put a stop to the riot and free Janet back to safety, but things don’t remain the same between them. Their relationship continues, but slowly declines, until Jim eventually breaks it off. This results in Janet getting revenge by smashing up his lounge. Following this, Jim applies for the position of governor of Beachmont – a home for juvenile boys. He hears later from Erica that he has got the job in episode 255. The other officers throw a farewell party for Jim in the staff room, which Janet doesn’t attend, as she asks Erica if she can be on duty.
Jim departs Wentworth in episode 256. We never hear of Jim after his leaving, but we assume he is still the governor of Beachmont today.
© 2008 John McRobbie for On The Inside. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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