Tragedy strikes in Home and Away as Wendell kills again

Next week on Home and Away in the UK, as Theo helps Lacey confront her mum’s killer, a tragic event is about to take one of their lives.

Tragedy strikes in Summer Bay next week, as Lacey (Sophea Pennington) fights for justice over her mother’s death.

It seemed as though the Langhams were finally going to get answers when Jo (Maddison Brown) underwent hypnotherapy, remembering that a grey Mercedes had caused the accident which forced them off the road and killed Kristina (Fiona Noonan).

The partial numberplate led David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) to a local councillor, Craig Wendell (Justin Smith), who was in the area shortly before the accident.

Wendell denied having any memory of that day, and told David that any one of his team could have been driving the car, which was curiously sold only a few days later.

When David pressed the councillor to look into his old schedules, he soon found himself on the receiving end of a call from Wendell’s lawyer, warning him to back off as he had no evidence against his client.

This was closely followed by a call from David’s superior, Superintendent Willis, who swiftly shut down the investigation.

Unbeknownst to David, Lacey and Jo were embarking on their own investigation, after Jo noticed the way Wendell looked at her with a glimmer of recognition as he left the police station.

Having tricked her way into her dad’s office, after Jo feigned a panic attack at home to call David away, Lacey took pictures of the collated evidence on Wendell.

Jo soon decided that she couldn’t continue being dishonest to David, now that they had finally become a family again, and declared that she wanted nothing further to do with their undercover sleuthing. Jo urged her sister to do the same, but Lacey quietly refused to let it drop.

Lacey’s boyfriend Theo (Matt Evans) was concerned when he later discovered she’d hired a car and spent the entire night staking out Wendell’s home, in her attempt to “get a better read on the guy.”

She then went on to phone Wendell, under the guise of being a podcaster who’d like to talk to him about local community issues.

When he refused, Lacey changed tack, leaving Wendell a voicemail explaining that she’d like to speak to him about the accident on Baxter Creek Road in 2023, that claimed the life of Kristina Langham.

Next week, David is continuing his own investigation undercover when Jo returns home.

As he clears up his paperwork, Jo’s suspicious of why her dad isn’t at work, as he explains that he’s called in a sickie in order to get some rest.

Jo quickly loops in Lacey, admitting she’s worried their dad’s hiding something.

Lacey pushes Jo to raise the question about the man she spotted at the station—the one who looked at her like he recognised her. Was he a suspect after all?

When Jo asks, David brushes it off as another dead end, claiming he wasn’t the guy who owned the Mercedes. But Lacey isn’t buying a word of it when Jo updates her.

Admitting that she’s taken photos of the paperwork, Lacey tells her that she knows the man’s name—Councillor Craig Wendell.

He was nearby on the day of the crash, and David is perfectly aware of it.

Jo can’t believe her dad lied to her, but she’s also intrigued about the name, which she’s sure she knows from somewhere…

Shortly afterwards, Theo springs a surprise on Lacey. Knowing how much strain she’s been under in recent times, he’s booked them a romantic trip to Tasmania, where they’ll hire a car and explore the wilderness together.

Back at home, Jo pulls out the condolence book from her mother’s funeral and scrolls the list of attendees… freezing when she spots Wendell’s name!

After showing Lacey the next morning, the pair confront David, demanding to know if Wendell is indeed responsible for their mother’s death.

David’s evasive, but Jo and Lacey are convinced otherwise and show him the condolence book.

Shocked by the development, David reluctantly admits he’s been ordered to stand down by his superiors, only for Lacey to confess about her own investigating—adding that she’s already phoned Wendell, threatening to take everything to the media.

David’s furious. The case is hanging by a thread, and he makes both girls promise there’ll be no more secrets.

Lacey hesitates, but agrees, and Jo follows her lead. From now on, David’s taking charge.

However, after another hypnotherapy session with Amelia (Megan O’Connell), Jo recalls something new—a man in a suit approaching the car wreck and checking Kristina’s pulse through the window, though she couldn’t see his face.

Despite Jo’s call for help, the suited man fled the scene.

Following this development, Lacey calls Theo to say she won’t be making it to Cash and Eden’s wedding.

Instead, she phones Wendell again, claiming they now have a witness to the accident and demans he meet her in two hours.

Lacey eventually appears at the wedding venue, not to join the celebrations but to ask Theo to come with her.

Theo wants no part of it, but he knows he can’t let her go alone.

Justin (James Stewart) tries to block him but that only pushes Theo further.

When Leah (Ada Nicodemou) steps in, she makes it clear to Theo that he can’t keep following Lacey every time she snaps her fingers, reminding him of what happened with the River Boys.

As Leah becomes more frustrated, Theo fights back. This is his call, and he needs Leah to back off and stop controlling his life.

“Fine,” Leah replies, defeated. “Don’t expect me to be there for you when it all goes wrong!”

Theo storms off and drives with Lacey to the agreed meeting point at Waratah Drive, a desolate country road.

As they wait, Lacey explains her plan to convince Wendell that she witnessed the crash, hoping the lie will be enough to draw out a confession.

Theo’s a bundle of nerves, but Lacey tells him she’s not scared—not with him by her side.

Picking up the bouquet that Theo caught at the wedding, she tells him that she wouldn’t even hesitate if he were to ask her that question.

“You’re my ride or die,” Theo admits softly before they kiss, just as Wendell’s car pulls up.

Theo ducks down in the passenger seat so that he can’t be seen, as Lacey steps out to meet the counsellor.

Lacey steps forward, and tells Wendell that she saw everything.

He was driving on the wrong side of the road and caused the other car to hit a tree.

He then leaned in through the passenger window to check the passenger’s pulse, before fleeing, leaving her there to die.

Wendell’s guilt is written all over his face as he asks what she wants. Lacey tells him she doesn’t want money—only the truth.

He needs to go to the police and confess, or she’ll take everything to both the cops and the media herself.

Overwhelmed, Wendell appears to agree and returns to his car.

But as Lacey turns to return to Theo, Wendell spots an opportunity.

He floors his car, aiming straight towards Lacey. Theo anticipates Wendell’s move and leaps from the car, pushing Lacey out of the way.

As they both fall to the ground, there’s a sickening thud as Wendell’s car runs straight over Theo.

Dazed, Lacey looks around and is horrified to find Theo, lifeless on the ground next to her.