Home and Away Spoilers – Tane and Harper sleep together as prison looms

Next week on Home and Away in the UK, as Tane faces his last days of freedom after kidnapping baby Poppy, he and Harper find themselves spending the night together.

After a false start earlier in the week, when he got caught up with some nasty business in the bay, Tane (Ethan Browne) finally faces court for his kidnapping of baby Poppy.

It’s been three months since Tane first found Poppy abandoned on the beach. Naming her Maia, the Maori word for courage, Tane refused to leave her side at Northern Districts Hospital.

As the police began their search for the parents, Tane got it into his head that he would be the one to care for Maia. Even when Harper (Jessica Redmayne) told him that he wouldn’t be able to become a foster parent due to his lack of permanent Australian residency, he recruited Roo (Georgie Parker) to apply in his place as he began the process.

Refusing to obey the police’s order to stay away from Maia following a tussle with a Coastal News journo, Tane later found himself served with an AVO preventing him from going anywhere near Poppy.

Tane was incredulous when he later learned that a local foster family had become available before Roo was able to finish her application process, and after being let into the hospital by Dana (Ally Harris) to ‘say goodbye’, he instead opted to do a runner with the baby.

This also happened to coincide with the arrival of Poppy’s real mother, Sonia Rickard (Olivia Beardsley) at Yabbie Creek police station. After her identity was verified, she was eventually told that her child had been abducted, though Roo assured her that Tane was only looking out for Poppy and she was not in any danger.

It was Harper and Mali (Kyle Shilling) who eventually convinced Tane to hand himself in following a nationwide TV appeal, though they nearly found themselves facing their own charges in the process.

Released on bail, Tane stomped around sulking about his situation, rejecting help from those who offered it and refusing to speak to his lawyer.

After eventually agreeing to grace lawyer Marshall (Nic English) with his presence, the revelation that Marshall had unknowingly slept with Tane’s ex-wife Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) the night before sent Tane off into another downward spiral.

Following further frustrating scenes where Tane was put in a cell overnight, after stubbornly refusing to tell Rose (Kirsty Marillier) why he was late for his bail check-in, Tane eventually agreed to work with Marshall to keep himself out of prison.

Marshall has seemingly played a blinder by managing to convince Poppy’s mum Sonia to speak up for Tane in court, which will no doubt be a huge help for the case. Harper and Dana were blindsided though when they were subpoenaed to testify against Tane.

After a 48 hour adjournment, the day of the court hearing finally rocks up again, but the extra time has at least given Marshall a bit more time to prepare Tane’s defence.

Marshall knows he has his work cut out, with Tane almost certain to receive a custodial sentence of anything up to 15 years, so all they can do is try to minimise the length of time Tane will spend in prison.

“I think he’s accepted his fate,” Ethan Browne told Australian magazine TV Week. “He realises his mistake and understands that it could mean serious jail time, so he’s mentally preparing himself for the worst.

He understands how the system works and believes everything doesn’t sit in his favour.”

The judge (Tracy Mann) begins proceedings and a nervous Dana is the first to be called to testify.

Last seen in the case against Irene, prosecutor Matthew (Gerard Carroll) grills Dana about the incident between Tane and Coastal News reporter Peter (Roman Delo), and the subsequent AVO.

Dana points out that she wasn’t there that day, but confirms that the nursing staff knew about the AVO. After telling the court that she felt sorry for Tane, Matthew suggests that Tane had taken advantage of her kindness, and manipulated her into letting him visit the baby.

Dana leaves the stand certain that she’s messed things up for Tane, but when Harper than begins to testify, she shocks everyone by being uncooperative, answering “I don’t recall” to every one of Matthew’s questions.

It’s only after the judge warns her that she could be found in contempt of court, and a push from Tane to tell the truth, that Harper tells them that when it came down to it, Tane made his own decision to return with the baby.

Marshall then receives a note and asks the judge for an adjournment due to an urgent matter. It transpires that Sonia has changed her mind, and she will no longer be testifying for Tane. Without their main witness, Tane’s case looks doomed.

After Tane storms off, Flick tells Marshall she blames herself for his whole situation. If she hadn’t stopped Tane from being a father then they wouldn’t have split and none of this would be happening.

As she goes on to confess about her taking the pill whilst they were trying for a baby, and wonders whether that’s why Tane later became so obsessed with Poppy, Marshall concocts a plan.

Back in the courtroom, Tane is thrown when Marshall suddenly decides to call him to the stand. They’d previously agreed that it would be a bad idea, but Marshall tells Tane that this could be their only chance.

Both Tane and Flick are stunned when Marshall then begins questioning Tane about his marriage, and whether its true that a disagreement over children is what had led to their separation.

Tane doesn’t know how to answer when Marshall asks whether Flick had lied about wanting children, but after Flick gives him a nod to go ahead, Tane admits that to be the case.

With Tane and Flick’s dirty laundry aired, Marshall closes matters by stating that Tane’s actions were driven by a deep-seated desire to protect and nurture. All he had wanted to do was protect Poppy, and the court should focus on Tane’s good character and integrity.

Marshall is unapologetic as everyone returns to the surf club whilst they await to hear about the sentencing—bringing up Tane and Flick’s marriage was his only possible move without Sonia’s statement, and he knew Tane wouldn’t go for it if he’d warned him in advance.

“He’s not happy about it at all,” Ethan continued. “He feels it was a dirty move by Marshall – and by Felicity for telling him their private business.”

Flick later agrees with Marshall, keeping Tane out of prison means more to her than keeping their secrets.

Tane spends some time alone with the gym punchbag, and he’s later joined by Harper who brings down a bottle of whisky. Tane thanks her for putting her neck on the line, and she points out she was just trying to do the right thing.

As Harper tells Tane that he must realise how much she cares for him, there’s a spark between the pair. Before they know it, Tane and Harper are sharing a passionate kiss.

He finds comfort and support from Harper,” Ethan added. “And it helps him cope with the situation, so he leans in towards the friendship.”

The two spend the night together in a makeshift bed in the gym, and are woken the next morning by a phone call from Marshall. The judge has made her decision.

The two make awkward, though separate, exits from the gym, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Mali, and Tane heads back to the court to hear his fate.