Carla discovers Maria was right and flees Weatherfield, leaving Tony a broken man. When Maria finds Tony mourning at Liam's grave on her wedding anniversary, they call a truce and build a close friendship. When Maria goes into labour on a day trip to the beach, Tony delivers her baby, another boy that she names Liam Anthony Connor, after Liam and Tony. Tony suggested that she call him Sandy as he was born at a beach, but Maria was determined to name her son after his dad. Tony proposes to Maria and she accepts. Maria discovers the truth about Tony when he suffers a heart attack and confesses to Roy Cropper (David Neilson) that he had Liam murdered. Roy's wife Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh) informs a heartbroken Maria. She refuses to believe it but Tony admits it, causing Maria to have a breakdown and asks them to raise Liam but they make her realise that she has done nothing wrong and is a fit mother to Liam. They persuade her that she simply needs a change of scene so she and baby Liam go to Ireland with them.