Terry Inglis is a fictional character from the Australian soap operaNeighbours played by Maxine Klibingaitis. She made her first appearance on 11 June 1985. Terry is employed by Max Ramsay as his plumber's apprentice. Terry dates Shane Ramsay and Paul Robinson, whom she later marries. Terry kills Charles Durham and later shoots Paul when he goes to report her to the police. The character departed on 5 November 1985. She is arrested for Charles' murder off-screen, and she later commits suicide, becoming the only character from the serial to have died this way.
Character development
Terry was once married to a bank robber, Gordon Miller. She arrives in Ramsay Street after getting a job with Max Ramsay. Terry forms "some kind of attachment" to Shane Ramsay, which makes his aunt, Madge Bishop, uncomfortable. Terry starts dating Paul Robinson, but their relationship does not begin well as she is still in love with Shane, who now dating her best friendDaphne Lawrence. Paul is late to their wedding and Terry spends the ceremony and the reception looking "cow-eyed" at Shane. Terry later tries to trick Paul out of his money and she shoots him. Their relationship ended in "heartache, attempted murder and inevitable divorce." Terry is sent to prison and the BBC said Terry "suffered in the long run." Terry takes her own life off screen in 1986 and remains the only character to have died this way.
Storylines
is charged with the task of hiring a plumber's assistant for her husband, Max, and Terry shows up for an interview. Terry is keen to prove that she can do the job as well as any man. Maria supports her and gives Terry the job. Max assumes that his wife had hired a man when he hears Terry's name and is shocked to find out that Terry is a woman. Max tells her that he will not hire her, but Terry tells him that she had completed three years at a Technical College. She then threatens Max with the Anti-Discrimination Board and Max gives her a trial run. Max deliberately sets out to make life as difficult as possible for Terry by giving her the hardest jobs, but Terry proves to be a great plumber. Max eventually admits that Terry is the best person for the job. Terry falls for Max's son, Shane and they begin dating. Terry tells Shane that she was married to Gordon Miller, who caused a car accident that Shane was involved in. Gordon escapes from prison and holds Terry and Max hostage. However, Shane saves the day and Miller goes back to prison. Terry and Shane later split and Terry goes on a date with Shane's friend, Paul Robinson. At the end of the date, Paul proposes to Terry and they become engaged. Terry asks Paul's older sister, Julie, to be her bridesmaid. Paul and Terry are married in the Robinson house within a month and Paul's father, Jim, rents Number 30 for the couple. However, Terry's criminal past finally catches up with her. A mysterious man, Charles Durham, shows up in Erinsborough, searching for a tape Terry had made of him boasting about his crimes. Paul's younger sister, Lucy, accidentally loses the tape and Terry's life becomes threatened by Charles. Fearful of what would happen to her, Terry goes over to Charles' house to confront him. An argument breaks out, which results in Terry shooting Charles dead. Terry flees his house in shock and Daphne Lawrence finds Charles' body when she comes looking for Terry. Daphne gets blood on her skirt and she flees the house to look for Terry. Charles' accomplice Barbara Hill is watching Daphne and she reports her to the police instead. Terry suggests to Paul that they move away, to which Paul agrees. When they attend Sarah Richards' party, they find Daphne is absent. When she does eventually show up, she is keen to get Terry alone and confront her, but getting Terry alone proves difficult. Lucy notices the blood on Daphne's skirt and the police arrive following the tip off from Barbara. The police interview everyone and Paul tells them that Charles had been threatening Terry. Paul is also unable to provide an alibi for Terry. While the police are interviewing Terry, Paul picks up her bag and the gun she shot Charles with falls out. Paul confronts Terry and she initially tries to dismiss Paul's suspicions. However, Paul goes to report Terry to the police and she grabs the gun and shoots him in the shoulder. She then flees Ramsay Street, leaving Paul for dead. The police catch up with Terry and she is jailed for murder. Terry sends Paul a letter asking him to visit her, which he declines. Terry then commits suicide in prison.
Reception
Terry's off-screen suicide was called "one of Neighbours' most controversial ever storylines" by Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture. In 1985, Grundy Television had insisted that Neighbours was not going to be melodramatic, but falling ratings led the writers to try and increase viewership by having Terry shoot both Charles and Paul. Author of Super Aussie soaps, Andrew Mercado said this move followed one of soap's great traditions of including gunfire when ratings were low. During a feature on Paul Robinson and his many wives and girlfriends, The Sydney Morning Herald said "Remember the tears when Paul's whirlwind romance with plumber's assistant Terry Inglis ended in her shooting him, then shooting through?" The BBC said Terry's most notable moment was "Trying to shoot Paul Robinson."
