Charlie eventually began harassing Shelley at every opportunity. At one point, he tried to make her choose between him and her mother, Bev (Susie Blake). On one occasion he ripped out Shelley’s earrings in a fit of rage. When he asked his colleague Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) for a sealant gun, Betty Williams (Betty Driver) overheard their conversation on the phone and thought Charlie wanted a genuine firearm. She phoned the police and he was arrested. When he was released, however, he became less violent. He accidentally opened a door which hit Shelley in the face. This caused him to lock her in her bedroom to stop people seeing her face as he knew people would think he was abusing her. Charlie later began to abuse Shelley mentally rather than physically, which caused her to develop agoraphobia. However, she received treatment and Charlie proposed to her, but she jilted him on their wedding day. Despite begging for forgiveness, Shelley refused reconciliation.