Vince Johnson

Name: Vince Johnson
First Appeared: 3rd August 1989
Last Appeared: 15th March 1990
Played by: Hepburn Graham

Vince Johnson sauntered into Walford in August 1989, quickly making a name for himself as a shady dealer and friend of Darren Roberts. Known for his various illegal money-making schemes, Vince and Darren conned car salesman Frank Butcher by selling him a stolen BMW, which the police promptly confiscated. Oblivious to Vince’s involvement, Frank tried to get his money back, prompting Vince to send a gang of hooded thugs with sledgehammers to smash up Frank’s car lot as a warning. When the police arrived, many vandals were arrested, but thanks to Junior Roberts’ quick thinking, Vince managed to escape. Vince later sent Frank an anonymous letter threatening Diane Butcher, forcing Frank to drop the matter. However, Frank soon realized Vince’s involvement in selling another stolen car to Julie Cooper and attacked him. Despite the altercation, Frank’s refusal to involve the police earned Vince’s respect, leading Vince to compensate Frank for his losses and end their feud.

Tiring of his criminal ways, Vince attempted to go legit by hosting themed nights at Walford’s community centre with his old friend Rod Norman. When Rod left Walford, he sold his African statues to Vince, who tried to sell them for a profit. Frank discovered this scheme and pressured Vince to pay off his debt from the stolen car incident. Vince gave Frank the statues, thinking their worth was less than what he owed, only to be infuriated when he realized he had undervalued them. Frank had already sold them cheaply to Grant Mitchell for £100. Both Frank and Vince attempted to con Grant’s brother Phil Mitchell into selling back the statues at a low price, but the deal was nullified when Grant revealed he had sold them for £300—their real value being £850. Furious, Frank demanded compensation for his lost profit, but Vince refused.

Facing increasing pressure and threats from Frank, Vince decided he had enough of Walford. In March 1990, he announced he was leaving for good, fed up with the constant trouble.