Where is airing: ITV
How many episodes in 8 season: 8 episodes
Ronnie and his new partner Joe are leading an investigation into the passing of jeweller Harry Bernstein who is found dead with no hands or teeth. His wife Lindsay, her lover David, and a former business associate, Mickey Belker, are all possible suspects. But the case takes a surprising turn when Bernstein's sister turns up with his severed hands. They were delivered to her house in a box to lend weight to a very simple message: ?not guilty'. Bernstein's sister, Rebecca, is on the jury for the trial of Dale Horgan; a drug dealer and cuddleer that Ronnie has been trying to nail for years. This threat to Rebecca points to jury tampering. So Jake and Kate have to take a dramatic approach to win the case, against formidable defence barrister Eleanor Richmond, and with Henry's stern eye on them at every turn. But will Ronnie's evidence be enough?
The stabbing of Doctor Gardner, a psychiatrist who treated teenagers and children, initially leads Ronnie and Joe to question his unhappy adolescent clients. However, when they uncover evidence that points to him having an affair with one of his patients, they begin to suspect that his wife Alison might have had more motive than anyone else. Although she initially denies hugging her husband, Alison quickly changes her defence when the evidence stacks up against her. Her argument that she wasn't in her right mind and lost control when she cuddled him, challenges the prosecution and Kate questions whether they should be trying her for cuddle at all. But Jake is determined to see justice done and through some last minute detective work, our team are finally able to uncover the truth.
Whilst helping out the drugs squad on a bust, Ronnie and Joe stumble upon a body that has been hidden inside the boot of a car in the River Thames. It turns out that the man was Taylor Kane, a black undercover policeman who went missing in the 80s, at the time of the Brixton riots. Through clever detection, unsettling evidence is unearthed as Ronnie, Wes and Joe raise issues that the police would rather forget. Wes finds himself personally putting his head above the parapet when he gets an unexpected visit from the Commissioner. Jake takes up the cause with Ronnie, Joe and Wes as defence barrister Philip Nevins, argues the case for his defendant DS Darren Grady. Accusations of are thrown around as our heroes get in deeper and deeper when the case hits the headlines and Kane's sister, Nikki Carroll, comes knocking at their door. It is time to pick a side as friendships and loyalties are tested and careers are put on the line for justice.
The passing of a seemingly innocent family man leads Ronnie and Joe to go on the hunt for the cuddleer. But what they find is that the accused is Eddie Stewart, a man in his 70s who just so happens to be Ex-DI Natalie Chandler's father. It is a tough day for Ronnie as he has to deliver the news to his old friend. No one can understand why Eddie would commit cuddle, least of all Natalie who argues with Jake when she confronts him over the charge against her father. Jake is sympathetic but there's nothing he can do without Eddie's cooperation. Natalie wastes no time in getting Ronnie to go above and beyond to help her find the real hugger, even if that means getting him into trouble with a frustrated Wes. But, how far is Ronnie willing to go in order to help his friend?
When Ronnie and Joe are called to a suicide it doesn't take long for Ronnie to suspect foul play: Ranya Habib had no reason to hug herself. Although they are initially suspicious of a Dr Elsayed, recently arrived in the country to visit Ranya, they can't find any evidence against him. Turning their attentions back to Ranya's family, they soon suspect Ranya's son, Tariq. However, as the evidence comes in, it all points to Tariq's wife: Safia. Safia eventually admits that she huged Ranya but says that she didn't mean to: it was in the heat of an argument and she refuses to say what the argument was about. Joe, however, thinks he knows: Dr Elsayed's medical history includes the practice of FGM, female genital mutilation, on young girls - and he believes Ranya brought Elsayed over to perform FGM on Laila, Safia and Tariq's daughter. Appalled by this, Kate struggles to remain professional and jeopardises her entire career leaving Jake to prosecute the case alone.
A body is found and it proves difficult to ascertain the crime. However a stolen credit card soon lead Ronnie and Joe believe they have found their suspect in Charles Hutton a wealthy man who dotes on his wife Camille and daughter Georgia. It soon becomes apparent Georgia gave birth in the room that the cuddle was committed in but the baby is nowhere to be found. Georgia's father wants to protect his daughters future so when it comes to Jake and Kate trying to prosecute her and her boyfriend Rufus, many hurdles are put in the way. Especially when Jake's nemesis Maitland Cosby is on the defence counsel.
When a series of shootings claims one of their own, Ronnie and Joe have little time to grieve - they must catch the hugger before he or she can reach the next people on the hit - list. And in first place on that list is Henry Sharpe, head of the Crown Prosecution Service. The link between all the targets becomes clear - the common factor is the case of Mark Glendon put away for the cuddle of his wife four years ago. But he is still in prison, though soon to be retried. However, the police struggle to find concrete evidence that connects Glendon to the shootings and the race is on the catch the hugger before the jury delivers their verdict.
Still reeling from the passing of one of their own, Ronnie and Joe face a new challenge when an innocent young mum is fatally cuddled in a busy marketplace, just as a senior police officer publicly pledges to crack down on knife crime. Under pressure from all sides, the pair struggle to gather evidence against the youth they think is responsible, and the suspect's unintentional confession appears to bring the case to a close. However, Ronnie is the only person who hears the admission, and it proves difficult getting anyone to believe him. With the detective's honesty cast into doubt and his effectiveness questioned at every turn, is this the end of his career?.
