Peter Hatchard is a character appearing in the episode Down Among the Dead Men of the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.
Peter was a former Hong Kong policeman who assisted in human trafficking operations, where he was the on shore contact. His conspirator, recidivist blackmailer Martin Barrett, sold him out to get a year of a sentence. Peter was facing twenty-five, but he only served five for giving his information on the rest of the ring. He was especially targeted in prison due to his status as a copper. His wife had divorced him once he left, his children kept away from him entirely.
Peter returned to England and retreated to Fennacombe Bay, where he married his second wife Carol, starting over with a new life. He was horrified to see Martin speaking with Carol, asking around about his neighbors in the interest of blackmailing them for extortion, like people in his own village. Peter was furious he returned and felt revenge was all he needed to find closure. He sought Barrett to his home, where he was with his new accomplice, Hayley Redfern, discussing their future operations. While Barrett was in the kitchen and Redfern was upstairs, Peter aimed his shotgun through the window and fired, killing Barrett instantly and blowing a hole in his fridge behind him.
Peter pretended to be of assistance even just by casting suspicion on the very couple Barrett was scouting, as they were illegally diving for gold at an unmarked wreckage. Although Peter planted the gun and ammunition inside the house, it was his use of it to kill rabbits Tom Barnaby cooked for supper that was his undoing, as his homemade buckshot was an identical match to the murder weapon. Peter bitterly confessed it was all revenge, despite the life he built for himself being thrown away.
Victims[]
- Martin Barrett - Shot with a double barrel shotgun in the chest while he was standing in the kitchen through a window.