Stu Henderson
Stuart Henderson (2011-2012)
Brenton Thwaites
Episodes: 5367–5451
Parents: Alan & Margaret Henderson
Occupation: Student
Stu was a Summer Bay High student who became involved with the River Boys. He was first seen among the crowd when Brax and Heath talked to them about the feud with the Pirovic gang. Not long after, he showed off a River Boy tattoo he had had done to Ruby and Casey at school. He joined Heath in smashing up Hammer’s car, but in retaliation he was kidnapped by Jake’s boys, who gouged out his tattoo and dumped him in front of the Braxton house. Brax and Heath rushed him to hospital where he needed surgery.
A few weeks later, Stu caught Sasha’s attention on her first day at Summer Bay High. They skipped school together to join the other River Boys on the beach, where Stu kissed her in front of everyone. He told Brax that Heath had taken Casey out of town to evade arson charges and was thus on the receiving end of Brax’s anger. The Walkers made it clear they didn’t want Stu near Sasha, dragging her away from him and his friends. Sid gave him a further warning when he came in for a check-up and Stu told Sasha they couldn’t see each other. However, when Stu defended Sasha to another River Boy, Ferrett, Sid invited him over for dinner and allowed them to see each other under certain conditions.
Sasha didn’t seem entirely comfortable with Stu’s amorous attentions but went along with his request for her to send him a topless photo, which was seen by Dexter. Stu took Sasha off in his car after a party and made out with her. When Stu was distracted, Dexter took Sasha home. Stu confronted Dexter and tried to threaten him, but when Dexter was unimpressed he asked for another chance. Sasha was reluctant to sleep with Stu and he told her he loved her, but when Xavier wound him up about the fact he and Sasha had spent the day together he hit her, then drove her home as if nothing had happened. Sid accused him of stealing his prescription pad (which had actually been taken by April) but Stu revealed he already had a prescription for ADHD and also defended Sasha when she was next on Sid’s suspect list. Stu bought Sasha a ring and she forgave him.
He did a drawing for Sasha, telling her his father didn’t like his artistic side. However, when Sasha had a tattoo done of the drawing, Stu hit her, reminding her he had been tortured for having a tattoo. Just as they were recovering from that, Stu was violent towards her again on seeing her get a text from a schoolie, Lachie, then attacked Lachie at the surf club, having to be restrained by John and Heath. When Sasha broke up with him and returned the ring, he stole Xavier’s V8 and convinced Sasha to get in the car with him by threatening to hurt himself otherwise. After he had taken her on a nightmare ride, she agreed to get back with him and take the ring back.
However, Sasha tried to avoid spending time with him and, when she was hospitalised after her tattoo became infected, Sid blamed Stu (with Sasha doing nothing to correct him) and banned him from seeing her. Stu tried to get Sasha to get in his car with him and chased after her when she ran away, leaving her with a bruised abdomen. Sid ordered him to stay away from Sasha but he tried to get her to go to the formal with him. He was thrown out of the event for spiking the punch and ran into Sasha. She told him she hated him and he hit her, just as Sid arrived. When he let slip that it was not the first time, Sid beat him up, leaving him hospitalised.
Both Sid and Stu were charged with assault and Stu’s father Alan inflamed the situation by distributing the topless photo of Sasha from Stu’s phone. When Stu was discharged from hospital, Sasha met him at the surf club and suggested they sort things out without involving the police; however, when Alan turned up, Sasha pointed out that by meeting her Stu had broken his bail conditions. Alan beat up Stu, who tried to get Sasha to come away with him. She came home in tears and Xavier and Dexter went looking for Stu but Alan told them he was gone. It was initially believed he had skipped bail but when Romeo reported Dennis Harling for moving a body he had found on the development site, the body turned out to be Stu.
Stu’s fate was revealed in flashback in Episode 5466: The day he disappeared, Stu had driven Sasha to the development site where he had become aggressive, pursued her into the water and hit her. When he went for her again, Sasha pushed him and caused him to hit his head, killing him.