Line of Duty series 6: Series 4 lawyer Jimmy Lakewell returns and is brutally murdered in shock attack

Warning: Article contains spoilers for Line of Duty series six, episode four.

Line of Duty series six delivered its most tense episode yet as the investigation into the murder of journalist Gail Vella (Andi Osho) continued, and an familiar face made a brief return – only to be brutally murdered.

Sunday night’s instalment saw DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) work out that the mysterious man being interviewed by Gail in episode two was indeed jailed lawyer Jimmy Lakewell (Patrick Baladi) from series four.

Jimmy was the best friend of Nick Huntley (Lee Ingleby), whose wife Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton) was under investigation by AC-12. It was also revealed that he had links to an organised crime group (OCG) and the ‘Balaclava men’ who carried out all its dirty work.

In episode four, Steve and DC Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) questioned him in prison to find out what Gail was onto that ultimately led to her death.

Jimmy refused to talk in the hope that he would be rewarded by the OCG for his loyalty, even after Steve and Chloe were involved in a deadly shoot out as the criminals tried to silence Jimmy for good.

He said: ‘I’m not prepared to submit to an interview. It was a warning, I’ll never be able to stop looking over my shoulder. Some people there’s no protection from.’

Despite his silence Jimmy was brutally killed off when he returned to his prison cell, where DCI Buckells (Nigel Boyle) was waiting for him, claiming they would be sharing the room.

He was then ambushed from behind by criminal Lee Banks (Alastair Natkiel) – a member of the OCG in series five – who forced Buckells to watch as he strangled the lawyer to death.

Jimmy’s death was confirmed by bent copper Ryan Pilkington (Gregory Piper) as he told a terrified DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) that he had died for ‘being a rat’.

Unfortunately he wasn’t very forthcoming with information before he was murdered, but seemed to share a moment with Steve as he insisted he ‘didn’t talk’.

Elsewhere in the episode we were given another hint that DCI Davidson might be related to someone already known to AC-12.

Fans had previously guessed that it might be the late DS John Corbett (Stephen Graham) from series five, who had links to Superintendent Ted Hastings’ past.

Line of Duty airs Sundays from 9pm on BBC One.

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