There was shock and horror on Wednesday night's episode of Fair City when Will was found not guilty of abusing his former partner Cristiano.
Viewers had seen Cristiano being abused by Will, culminating in a brutal physical attack where Will left him for dead.
Despite Cristiano and Dolores' damning testimony, and Will damaging his own case by taking the stand himself, he was still found innocent by the jury.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, the six main actors in the domestic abuse storyline have said how their characters feel about the shock verdict.
Rodrigo Ternevoy - Cristiano
Cristiano is simply devastated with the 'not guilty' verdict. Part of him knew that it could happen, but he always clung to the idea that the truth would out and, as they say, set you free - in this case, it set Will free instead. His world ended right there in the courtroom once he heard those words from the judge. I genuinely felt Cristiano's pain while filming that particular scene. Cris didn't have any lines - he was there just to hear the verdict - but hopefully the audience will be able to feel the journey through his eyes from having hope to feeling completely crushed. Domestic abuse cases are really hard to prove and, unfortunately, we see the reality of it on Fair City. Saying that, we must encourage people to come forward and seek help. It is hard to prove, but it is not impossible.
John Cronin - Will
He feels completely and utterly vindicated. The false narrative he has put out there that he's the true victim has been validated. In his mind, Cris, Mairead, Damien, Dolores plus the guards and the prosecutors have all been part of this nefarious conspiracy against him and he's beaten them all! He feels totally bulletproof. His ego is more inflated than ever. But Will is at his best when he's the underdog - it's when he's on top that he starts to make mistakes…
Martina Stanley - Dolores
Dolores is devastated for Cristiano and determines to support him through this terrible disappointment. She feels horror for Cristiano, worry for Phoebe and deep discomfort at the thought of having to continue working with Will. Dolores feels sadness mainly that justice was not served for Cristiano. As Will's employer, Dolores may not have an easy time of it, given that she turned on Will while on the stand.
Maclean Burke - Damien
Damien cannot believe, given the circumstances, that once again Will has managed to dodge the silver bullet... His heart sinks for Cris and, of course, Mairead. Will is a free man allowed to continue his reign of deceit and lies.
Amy Kirwan - Mairead
I think Mairead half-expected it after her testimony took a turn for the worst. Mairead feels solely responsible for the outcome and the added guilt of that really gets to her on top of the divide between her and her daughter. But overall, it's a devastating blow for Cris and all of Carrigstown.
Claire Gavin - Phoebe
Phoebe is overjoyed, as she really believed her dad was innocent. Justice has been served in her mind.
If you have been affected by this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
Fair City airs on RTÉ One on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
