 Craig in 1978 | |
 Craig in 2005 | |
| Craig | |
| Portrayed by | Dave Power (1978) Dan Warner (2005) |
| Episode | Bad Night |
| Status | Alive |
Craig was part of a close circle of college-age friends in 1978 that included Craig's then-girlfriend Vicky Leoni, Angus Bistrong, and Donna. The group would eventually split up because of the tensions after a car accident that year that left Vicky paralysed.
History[]
Angus had long had a crush on Vicky, but Craig either wasn't aware of it, or wasn't threatened by it. One day, Vicky, hoping to make Craig jealous, asked Angus if she could ride with him in his car, instead of with Craig on his motorcycle. After Craig scoffed at Angus' "beater", Angus and Vicky resolved to race Craig and show him up.
Angus' car easily outran Craig's bike, but tragically, neither saw a truck pulling out of a driveway until it was too late, and the car flipped over.
While Donna helped to pull a dazed Angus from the wreck, Craig was paralysed with fear at the sight and unable to do anything. Despite Vicky's calls for help that her leg hurt as she was trapped in the car, Craig found himself unable to move until firemen came to pull her free.
Once it became clear Vicky could no longer walk, Craig blamed Angus and ended their friendship, despite the fact that Craig himself had done nothing to help Vicky. As for Vicky, she and Craig quickly drifted apart afterwards as Vicky had to adjust to her new life. Ian McGowan, the firefighter who pulled her from the wreck, eventually stayed with her more and more.
Donna had clearly been interested in Craig for some time and the two eventually started dating. Vicky would invite Craig, Donna, and Angus to see the movie Halloween on October 29, six months after the accident. Though the four seemed to enjoy themselves, Craig and Donna remained cool to Angus after Vicky left with her father, Alex Leoni. Craig told Angus in no uncertain terms that things would never be like they were before.
Despite blaming Angus, Craig's guilt for doing nothing the day of the accident would haunt him. For months afterward, he sat outside Vicky's house, trying to work up the nerve to apologize, including the night of the movie, but he never did.
Angus was murdered that night, apparently by Eddie Foster. In the aftermath, Craig and Vicky grew apart for good. In 2005, however, Angus' mother Elena Bistrong discovered a letter from Vicky to Angus, which revealed that he had asked Vicky to marry him. Believing this to be the reason her son was killed, Elena approached Detective Lilly Rush and asked her to reopen Angus' case.
After learning from Vicky about Craig's resentment towards Angus, Craig, now a successful businessman, was questioned by Detectives Nick Vera and Josie Sutton. Craig told them he knew nothing about the proposal and instead directed them towards Ian, the fireman who had pulled Vicky from the wreck, and who later married her.
Vicky's brother Devon Leoni would later tell the Detectives how Craig had been standing outside Vicky's house several times. Additionally, a lab report on Angus' clothes found traces of elkskin, which was commonly used in making motorcycle gloves. This would cast suspicion back onto Craig, who was questioned by Lilly and Vera. Craig admitted the reason he'd been standing outside Vicky's house and told them about his failure to act the day of the accident. After hearing Craig tell how Vicky said her leg hurt after the car flipped over, however, Lilly realized the accident hadn't caused Vicky's paralysis.
It was discovered that during an overzealous attempt to free her from the car using the jaws of life, Ian had accidentally knocked Vicky forward and crushed her spine. Angus figured this out and confronted Ian at his home. They argued, and Ian stabbed Angus to death.
Craig would go on with his life, now dealing with the guilt of his inaction, and the knowledge that Angus hadn't caused Vicky's injury.