Following death of Tony's partner, Beth Hunter (Clarissa House), Jack supports Tony and Lucas. Jack is part of a crew that go missing on a boat in a storm and when the others return he is not with them prompting worry. However, Jack never boarded. Martha goes over to house to call off the divorce but finds a newly returned Sam and Rory. George Watson (Paul Barry) frames Jack for a bank robbery and shoots Colin Marshall (Nathan Page), the shooter and frames Jack then shoots Jack. Jack remains comatose for several days and when he awakes he realises it is Martha he loves, not Sam. When Rory overhears Martha suggesting Jack postpone the wedding, Sam gets angry and bans Martha from attending. Jack and Sam marry but when they return from their honeymoon, they discover escaped criminal Johnny Cooper is hiding out. Sam later kills Johnny by hitting him over the head with a baseball bat.