Ian Radcliffe - Home and Away Characters

Ian Radcliffe (2009)
Ben Simpson
Episodes: 4980 – 4987

Children: Riley Radcliffe
Occupation: Fisherman

Ian Radcliffe was cleaning the engine of his car when Leah and Miles talked to him about his son bullying VJ. Ian denied that Riley would do that as he was “too much of a sook”. Ian has this “dog eat dog world” mentality when it comes to children, he thinks that to survive in the real world that they need toughening up and that a few bumps along the way will make them stronger. He advised Miles to send VJ to karate lessons or to learn boxing but Miles doesn’t think that that’s the solution to the problem. He taught Riley to stand up for himself. Miles and Leah now realise that Riley was just like Ian. Ian mentioned that in a few weeks that he will be out of a job.

Ian’s alibi for the attack on Miles was that he was on the trawler at 4 am and the trawler didn’t dock again until 9 am which was confirmed by his boss and several of his co-workers.

At the Police station Ian and Riley were waiting to be interviewed when Miles walked in and Ian accused Miles of assaulting Riley telling him that “he’s going to pay” before father and son were escorted into the interview room. In the interview room, Ian supported his son by saying that he was not capable of using the injuries that Riley had sustained to save himself from being accused of the attack on Miles. Ian then dredged up Miles’s past mentioning Trey Palmer and how he broke his shoulder. Miles admitted that he did lay his hands on Riley and tried to drag him to his car but he did not hurt him. Ian got aggressive and lunged at Miles before Ian was restrained by the constable and escorted out of the interview room so that both parties could be interviewed separately.

Ian went down to the beach for a spot of fishing, he tried to intimidate Miles by saying that because of his history with Trey Palmer and that he broke his shoulder. Ian’s lawyer mate said that Miles was “totally screwed” and that Ian encourages Miles to plead guilty in court. Miles admitted that he did not hurt Riley and he asked if it concerned Ian that Riley was lying to both him and the Police. Ian was not concerned but Miles said that he should be because Riley attacked Miles, he pointed to his injured face and said that Riley was still bullying VJ therefore they were all signs that Riley needed to get some help. Ian blamed Miles for attacking Riley and he thought that if Miles could “weasel his way out of it then he was wrong”.

Miles was at the Radcliffe house as he tried to talk some sense into Ian so that the newspaper article about the attack on Riley doesn’t go to print. Ian said that there was a way to make the court case and the newspaper article go away if Miles came up with ten grand in cash – he was blackmailing Miles. Ian said that he was well within his right to voice his side of the story to the newspaper and Miles couldn’t take any legal action against the printing of the article.

Ian didn’t turn up to the Police station with Riley for a chat with a social worker. He told Charlie that he had to see a bloke about a deal (he was blackmailing Miles at that time) so she gave him the benefit of the doubt. He was told that they had to turn up to the next scheduled appointment.

Miles had the ten grand in cash that Ian was blackmailing him for stashed in a bag all rolled up in fifty dollar bills as he sat on a bench. Ian came around to Miles’s place even though Miles warned him that he would contact Ian but he wanted an answer as he couldn’t stall Charlie any longer and he wanted the money. They were interrupted by Leah who came to visit.

According to Alf, Ian’s father was a drunk and a thug so like father like son. Apparently Ian was boasting to anyone that would listen at the Pub that he wanted to make every cent he could from what happened to his son and John Palmer witnessed it. He also said that Ian couldn’t lie straight in bed and that all he was after was quick cash and compo.

Miles visited the Radcliffe house to offer Ian a job and to give him enough money (an advance payment) to pay for rent. Miles said that he doesn’t buy people off. Ian said that Miles was in the frame for the assault on his son and that he would go down for it unless he got what he wanted. Miles worked out that Ian bashed Riley, saw the dollar signs and used him as a way to get out of it, so Miles called him a “low life”. Ian said that he was going to the paper and that Miles would be sorry that he ever stuffed him around.

Ian wasn’t returning the phone calls from DOCS or Charlie’s phone calls. During a friendly chat at the Radcliffe home, Riley admitted that Ian was the one that hurt him and not Miles. Ian came in holding a carton of beer and Charlie asked him to accompany her down to the station. Ian became all concerned for Riley, he asked Riley what he had said and he told his Dad that he said nothing and didn’t want to let them in. Riley was taken outside by the other officer and once outside Ian told Charlie that she had a lot of explaining to do. Ian was in total denial, Charlie informed him that the charges against Miles had been dropped and Ian still insisted that Miles had put her up to it. Charlie would be taking Riley to the hospital for a check up and then she doubted whether DOCS would bring him back home. Ian was angry, he mentioned that he knew his rights and won’t let anyone take his child away from him. Miles spoke a few home truths to Ian – that Riley was terrified of him and that he should be ashamed of himself. Ian started threatening Miles saying that it wasn’t over and that he would go down for what he did. Charlie then led Ian away from the house and took him in for questioning.