Paul Trueman

Name: Paul Trueman
First Appeared: 23rd April 2001
Last Appeared: 23rd December 2004
Played by: Gary Beadle

Paul Trueman was born in January 1967 and had a tumultuous childhood as the eldest son of Audrey Trueman. Believing Patrick Trueman was his father, Paul was devastated when Patrick abandoned the family, leaving him and his younger brother Anthony. Unlike Anthony, who excelled academically, Paul found himself on a rebellious path, engaging in crime much to the dismay of his devoutly Christian mother. When Anthony was involved in a drunk driving accident that crippled a young girl, Paul took the blame and went to prison to protect his brother, a sacrifice Audrey seemed unaware of, leading to her disowning him.

Paul re-entered the lives of his family in 2001, following his mother and brother to Walford. Despite Audrey’s rejection, Paul decided to stay, resorting to blackmailing Anthony for money. He soon found himself in deeper trouble with old acquaintance Angel Hudson, who threatened his life over unpaid debts. This led Paul to desperate measures, including stealing from his mother and gambling, all of which ended in failure. Angel’s severe beating and destruction of Audrey’s bed and breakfast forced Paul to blackmail Anthony for a loan to settle his debt. Tragically, Audrey died shortly after an argument with Paul, but not before revealing she knew Anthony was the driver in the accident and confessing her love for both her sons.

Paul’s relationship with Patrick, who arrived for Audrey’s funeral, started off rocky but eventually grew stronger, even after discovering through a DNA test that Patrick was not his biological father. Paul learned he was the son of Milton Hibbert, a friend of Patrick’s with whom Audrey had an affair. Despite this revelation, Paul and Patrick maintained a close bond. However, Paul’s troubles were far from over. He became entangled with Angel Hudson again, this time guarding Angel’s wife, Precious Hudson, leading to a doomed affair and more threats from Angel.

In 2003, Paul was shocked to find an abandoned baby, Eleanor, the result of a one-night stand, left on his doorstep. Struggling as a single parent, his heartbreak only intensified when the child’s mother reclaimed her. Paul’s personal life further spiralled as he got involved with Janine Butcher in a scheme to defraud Barry Evans, which led to Barry’s death and immense guilt for Paul. His attempt to support Barry’s widow Natalie Evans ended in disaster when she learned of his complicity and left him.

Paul’s final months saw him working with troubled youth and falling back into crime, leading to his death in December 2004 at the hands of a hitman sent by Andy Hunter.