David Joyce
Superintendent David Joyce (2011, 2015, 2016)
Don Halbert
Episodes: 5344–5414, 6333, 6411
Occupation: Police officer
Inspector David Joyce seemed to be Charlie’s immediate superior during her tenure as sergeant of Yabbie Creek Police Station. He was first seen when he criticised Charlie for her failure to bring charges against the River Boys, pointing out she’d failed to find out who was behind the marijuana plantation. A few days later, Joyce was in a better mood when Charlie managed to arrest not only Heath and several River Boys but also Jake Pirovic and his gang. Joyce ordered Heath put in a cell with Jake to make him more co-operative, prompting Heath to struggle with officers and get tasered.
Joyce was frustrated when the CPS allowed Heath to give evidence in exchange for charges being dropped but leaped on a statement by one of the River Boys that Brax was behind the drug cultivation, although Brax denied everything when questioned. Charlie eventually admitted to Joyce that she was in a relationship with Brax but Joyce chose to turn a blind eye. He later led the investigation when Charlie killed Hammer Pirovic after he tried to kill both her and Brax, suspending her pending the outcome.
Despite Charlie being cleared in that instance, Joyce took her off an armed robbery case in which Brax was a prime suspect. Charlie insisted two other River Boys, Benji Perrin and Sam Foster, were responsible. Joyce interviewed Benj, who confessed his part but claimed Brax was his accomplice. When the evidence against Brax was stolen, Joyce rightly believed he was responsible but failed to find any evidence. However, he did get a confession out of Sam over the armed robbery. He also investigated an incident in which Liam caused a collision between his motorbike and a car which Heath and Bianca claimed they were driving. (In fact, it had been Brax and Charlie.) The two incidents prompted Charlie to hand in her resignation to Joyce.
By 2015, Joyce had been promoted to superintendent and was called in when Charlotte King drugged Kat and stole her gun and handcuffs. Since initial evidence indicated Kat had been drunk, Joyce suspended her for two weeks. The following year, Sergeant McCarthy referred the fact Kat had been in an undisclosed relationship with Dylan Carter to Joyce, resulting in Kat being taken off the investigation into Charlotte’s murder. When Kat later found evidence that Dylan had blackmailed a judge into denying Zac bail, Joyce personally suspended Dylan prior to disciplinary action.