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 VERA BENNETT
Played by Fiona Spence
At the beginning of the series Vera was the Deputy Governor. She was known for her harshness, being a stickler for discipline, calling the prisoners animals and her acid tongue, this led in episode 1, Frankie Doyle telling her to her face that her nickname was 'Vinegar Tits', a name which stuck even after Vera had left the series. She appeared in the first scene with Officer Meg Jackson, they were chasing suicidal prisoner Sally Lee around the building.
In Episode 2 we see a flashback from two years earlier involving Vera, when Bea Smith is begging her to attend her daughters funeral, and Vera utters the immortal words "I've already told you, the answer is no".
In Episode 3, Vera's attitude and behaviour is what partly sparks the riot leading to the murder of Bill Jackson, the Psychologist.
In Episode 7, we see some of her home life. Vera is constantly belittled and undermined by her disabled mother, who thankfully for Vera drops dead. It is apparent that she has never had a romantic encounter before. Vera then begins going out to pubs trying to meet men, but invariably just gets drunk and makes a fool of herself. She enters into a relationship with Detective Graham Lang, who just wants to use her to bully Marilyn Mason into giving him information on drug-dealers. She also overhears two Officers discussing her, in not so flattering terms.
Bea, Lizzie and Monnie Ferguson attempt to frame Vera on a bashing charge. It almost works but Barbara Davidson, the Governor's drug pushing niece, reports them to her Aunty Erica.
In the pub she meets ex-colleague, Ann Yates (sacked for drug-pushing). Ann introduces her to her boss, George Lucas, a gangster, and they fall in love. When Yates becomes a prisoner, George asks Vera to look after her. The police begin to close in on him, so he has to do a runner, and so as not to get Vera in trouble for consorting with a known criminal, he has to tie her up.
In episode 40, Vera is demoted to Chief Prison Officer to make way for new arrival, Jim Fletcher. Soon after she is taken hostage by Martha Eves and taken up to the prison roof, where she is rescued by Jim. He takes her for a drink and she meets a guy and sleeps with him, thinking it is a big romance, it is left to Jim to explain to Vera the concept of a one night stand. Vera is suspended again after false allegations that she was blackmailing prisoner, Kerry Vincent. She dates Officer Jock Stewart and he then forces Kerry to clear her name. She is taken hostage in the riot protesting about Jock, and is forced by Bea to wear a prisoner's uniform, to say that Sharon Gilmour was murdered, and that the women are human beings, not animals.
Vera's drinking continues to escalate, as does her dependancy on Meg as her only true friend although Meg is more reluctant to call Vera the same. Vera causes trouble for parolee, Doreen Burns at work. Doreen visits her at home and tells her what she thinks of her, Vera reacts by reaching for the bottle, unfortunately, she is recalled to work for a night shift when she is drunk - the women pick-up on it and snatch her keys. By the time that Vera has realised and phones Meg for help, the women are waiting for her. She is attacked by Bea, Lizzie, Judy, Chrissie and Mouse, who forcefeed her brandy from the Governor's office, for what she did to Doreen. When Meg and Colleen find her she has passed out. Vera is almost sacked, but Meg intervenes telling Erica of Vera's pitiful life and the mental abuse she suffered from her mother.
When Bea is suffering from amnesia, Vera doesn't believe her story and tries to make the old Bea resurface by giving her the distressing details of her daughter's death, and pointing out it was her who refused permission for Bea to go to the funeral. Colleen makes it clear she does not approve of Vera's actions.
She enters into relationship with Officer Terry Harrison and they get engaged. Vera is attacked at home by gangsters looking for Terry. She applies for the Governor's job at Barnhurst, a country prison, and is successful. As her and Terry argue over where their relationship lies, he is shot dead from a passing car. She later visits Meg and breaks down in tears as she says that he really loved her.
Vera breezes through her final day at wentworth and puts an end to the celebratory party the women are having over her leaving. She doesn't bother going to the the Governor's office for farewell drinks, and as she is walking through the gates she has flashbacks of recent conversations she overheard or was involved in.
Vera leaves in Episode 224, but is mentioned many times after and is still the Governor of Barnhust when she is last mentioned, shortly before the end of the series.
© 2007 Paul Wells for On The Inside. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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Classic Moment:
Vera and Erica during Wentworth's first riot
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