Jude Lawson

Jude was first referred to by Noah as owning the cleaning business that was contracted to the school. Not long after, it was discovered that Noah had hacked into a state school computer system and was banned from being on school premises. As a result, Jude lost the contract. He was first seen handing his keys in to Fisher a short while later. Softly spoken and hard working, Jude picked up the contract at the hospital and tried to pull his brother into line. On the side, he had a pipe dream of opening a board shop, but when he found the perfect location, he learnt that Alf and Ailsa had already leased it as the new Diner location. It was during this process that he met Shauna and became instantly enamoured. Eventually, he asked her out. He made several attempts to kiss her, but they were thwarted first by Duncan, then Hayley. After being beaten up, Shauna tended to his wounds and kissed him first.

When Jude’s ex-girlfriend Holly turned up with no where to live, he took her in. Noah was uncomfortable with this and ran away after she revealed that the pair had slept together when she was dating Jude. This caused a ruction in his relationship with Noah, but the pair were eventually successful in driving Holly out of town. Jude landed himself in hot water when he was charged with the assault of Kane Phillips, a student who had a crush on Shauna. She recorded a confession from Kane, and called Jude to let him know she would be able to get him off the hook, but disappeared on the way home. Jude grew concerned, involving the police and later learnt that Kane and his older brother Scott, the person responsible for Kane’s bashing, had kidnapped her. Despite Carter’s advice, Jude travelled to a warehouse where Duncan had suggested and saved Shauna and Kane from Scott, accidentally knocking him off the roof. Following this, Jude asked Shauna to move in with him. Shauna asked him for time to consider.

Jude’s world was rocked when his mother Jill arrived in Summer Bay, having got his address from Holly. He played peacekeeper between her and Noah and was eventually complicit in helping the local chaplain convince have her sanctioned. He continued to help Noah following this, whose drinking problem continued to get worse. Shauna eventually proposed to Jude and he accepted, giving her a ring. During a romantic breakfast on a boat, Jude received a blow to the head and was knocked into the water unconscious. Shauna jumped in to save him and had a heart attack as a result. Upon her release from hospital, Jude learnt that Shauna didn’t want to have children so as to not pass on her cardiomyopathy. When Anna Miller and her son Seb arrived in Summer Bay, Jude quickly employed her as a cleaner to help out, but it soon emerged that she was suffering from end stage stomach cancer. Jude agreed to become Seb’s legal guardian following Anna’s death.

With Noah, Flynn, Seb and Sally, Jude begins a band called Indecision, and they perform at the fundraising event for the Drop In Centre. Jude went to the City for a law interview and when he returned, Shauna broke off their engagement. He was heartbroken. He confronted Flynn, accusing him of having an affair with Shauna, which shocked both him and Sally. He revealed that Shauna confessed her love for him. Although Shauna tried to talk to him, Jude raced off on his motorcycle and crashed. He was rushed to hospital after being found by Seb and Noah, and was in a critical condition. Charlotte and Flynn operated on him and he pulled through, but accepted the end of his relationship. Whilst in hospital, Jude clashes with Charlotte and is quite rude to her. He defends her to an arrogant teaching doctor and the pair develop a budding friendship. Against doctor’s orders, Jude discharges himself and ends up trashing his apartment in anger. The next day, he collapses, unable to breathe. He was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. As their HSC approached, Noah helped Jude study. Jude and Charlotte eventually began dating. She later found out that she was pregnant.

As the relationship heated up, Jude began discussing buying a property, and Charlotte was overjoyed at the idea. However, Jude began to have second thoughts and explained that he wasn’t as in love with her as she was with him. The couple then split up. Finally, Jude came to his senses and the pair reconciled, with Jude refusing to not be there for his unborn child. He was soon rocked when Noah ended up on a ventilator, the result of contracting meningococcal. When he awoke, he decided life was short and moved out to Hayley, leaving Jude to move into the Girls’ House with Sally and Charlotte.

Following the Mirigini disaster that endangered the loves of many of his loved ones, Jude was dealt a devastating blow: Charlotte had miscarried the twins two weeks earlier. He supported her through having a D&C and they decided to name their lost twins Thomas and Constance. Meanwhile, Shauna returned to Summer Bay to look after Alf, which caused further tension when Jude came into contact with her after two weeks. He tried to keep the news from Charlotte, however she eventually found out and berated him for keeping it a secret. It soon became obvious that, despite his cold bravado, he still had feelings for his ex. Shauna declared they were reciprocal and Jude ended his relationship with Charlotte. Noah was furious at Jude for his desertion of Charlotte, especially so recent after her miscarriage, causing a rift between the brothers. When Shauna was called back to work, Jude decided to follow, leaving Summer Bay in pursuit of happiness.

Several weeks later when Charlotte drowned, Jude appeared in his subconscious. Whilst in hospital, she asked for Jude and he flew to Sydney, boarding a helicopter to Summer Bay organised by Josh. Jude arrived in time to see Charlotte, playing along with her belief that they were still together and their children were alive. After she went into cardiac arrest, Jude felt guilt over telling her he loved her. She lapsed into a coma and Jude demanded her life support be turned off, believing that’s what she would want. The next day, she died. Jude struggled to get through his eulogy at the funeral, but was comforted by Noah and Flynn. Jude was approached at the wake and learnt he was the beneficiary of Charlotte’s multi-million dollar estate.

When it became clear Jude wasn’t going to donate the money to a Vietnamese orphanage, as was Charlotte’s wish, he and Noah fell out. He quietly offered Alf $50,000 for a renovation of the surf club’s gym, but was jipped by an offer from Sally. Before Jude left, he attempted to reconcile with his brother, but was met with Noah’s right hook. Leaving on a sour note, Jude decided to leave the ball of reconciliation in his court. It took Alf getting involved, revealing Jude was putting the money into a trust fund, with the interest going to orphans, for Noah to chase his brother down and apologise as he left to return to Melbourne, leaving the brothers to say goodbye on a happy and hopeful note.