David Platt (Coronation Street)

Storylines

David is the son of Martin (Sean Wilson) and Gail Platt (Helen Worth). David was born on Christmas Day 1990. Carmel Finnan (Catherine Cusack), a friend of Martin's tried to kidnap David. She also posed as his mother to other characters. Carmel then tries to frame Gail for pushing her down the stairs and is revealed to be mentally ill. When he gets older David becomes jealous of the attention begin paid to his newborn niece Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) is receiving. He decides to gain attention by getting arrested for shoplifting. In 2001, his parents divorced after Martin has an affair with Rebecca Hopkins (Jill Halfpenny). David is unhappy and begins misbehaving in the hope that they would get back together. David becomes the target of a school bully, and despite Gail's advice to ignore the bully, he becomes violent and gets into fights. His behaviour worsens when Gail marries Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) in July 2002, but he comes to accept Richard. In March 2003, Richard is revealed to be a serial killer, and tries to kill himself, Gail, David, Sarah (Tina O'Brien) and Bethany by driving them into the local canal. David and the rest of the family are rescued while Richard drowns. In the years following David develops a penchant for lying and scheming.

He is unhappy with Gail's relationship with Phil Nail (Clive Russell) he begins a hate campaign against Phil. David does not trust Phil as a result of Richard's behaviour. Phil reaches breaking point with David and throws him up against a wall, threatening to beat him up. David tells Gail, but Phil lies to her, and Gail believes him and slaps David, unaware that he is telling the truth. Gail receives a card addressed from Richard, she suspects Phil of sending the cards. Realising David is behind the scam, Phil throws David across the table in front of Gail. An angry Gail ends their relationship. The Platts still receive cards from Richard and Gail realises David is the culprit. Gail blames herself for David's behaviour. He discover that his mother former mother-in-law Ivy Tilsley diary and read it, and was shocked that his mother had wanted to abortion him, but he understand this after Gail told him that Ivy has been on rough time since the death of her son and Gail's estranged husband Brian. He develops romantic feelings for Maria Sutherland (Samia Smith), but is annoyed she is enjoying an affair with Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward). Charlie threatens David into silince. David tries to blackmail Charlie, who tries drowning David in a bath to rid of him, but Maria walks in and saves him. Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) murders Charlie, staging it to look like self-defence. David offers to testify for Tracy that he saw Charlie attack her, on the condition that she sleep with him. Tracy agrees but the prosecution prove David's testimony to be lies.

David begins a relationship with Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) and she becomes pregnant. Gail pays for an abortion and they decide not to tell David. He finds out and in an argument he pushes Gail down the stairs. He persuades Tina to give him an alibi but she ends their romance. David smashes various vehicles and windows on the Street, attacks Ken Barlow (William Roache) and hits a policewoman. He is sentenced to four months in a Young Offenders Institution. When he is released, Tina reconciles with him but face more issues when a jealous David reads her emails. He dates Amber Kalirai (Nikki Patel) in an attempt to make Tina jealous, which has the desired effect and they get back together.

David feuds with the Windass family when they refuse to pay for work Tina's father Joe McIntyre (Reece Dinsdale) has carried out. David threatens Eddie (Steve Huison) and Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) with a crowbar. Len (Conor Ryan) and Gary Windass (Mikey North) steal Joe's work tools in retaliation. David then destroys their kitchen, so the Windasses remove the kitchen from No.8 Coronation Street. When Gail and Anna are forced to call a truce to avoid more problems. David spends time away from Weatherfield when Tina wants nothing more to do with him. Upon his return he becomes jealous of Tina and Gary's friendship. David frames Gary for theft and also tricks him into buying stolen goods. He then enlists Gary to commit robbery, which goes wrong when David's grandfather Ted Page (Michael Byrne), interrupts them, calls the police and has a heart attack. Gary decides to confess to the police, which leadsto David being arrested. David becomes jealous when Tina begins a relationship with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas). David discovers that Joe is addicted to prescription medication and agrees to supply him with drugs aslong as he tries to break Tina and Jason up. Joe commits suicide, but the police presume he has been murdered and arrest Gail. David has to scheme in order to prove his mother's innocence. Tina begins a relationship with David's best friend Graeme. This upsets David and he feels betrayed. David suffers a black out while driving and knocks Graeme over. No one believes David's versions of events the police arrest him for attempted murder. Before the court case is about to begin David passes out again and everyone begins to realise he was telling the truth.

David returns from a holiday engaged to Kylie Turner (Paula Lane), half-sister to Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly). Gail is angry and tries to convince David to change his mind. David and Kylie then get married. David then fights to take custody of Max Turner (Harry McDermott), but ends up feuding with Becky, with Kylie trying to avoid it. David insists that Steve and Becky aren't fit to look after Max, proving this when he saves Max from being run over. David has to deal with Kylie and Gail feuding. But when he learns that Gail has tried to bribe Kylie to leave, he threatens to leave home. Kylie gets a job at the salon with David. He is upset when Max is put up for adoption and she does not want to prevent this. He convinces her they must change their ways and convince social services to allow Max to live with them.

David discovers that Kylie has slept with Nick but does not confront them. He vandalises Nick's flat and writes poison pen letters to his wife Leanne. Nick tells David he knows he is behind the trouble and suggests they discuss it with Kylie. To prevent Kylie from finding out David causes a car accident. Nick is left in a coma and permanent brain damage. David learns he is Lily's biological father but when Kylie discovers his acts of revenge she throws him out. Following their reconciliation, Max is diagnosed with ADHD and Kylie becomes addicted to his medication. He restricts Kylie's access to the medication but she compensates with an anphetamine addiction. He throws Kylie out and she leaves Weatherfield.

Max's father Callum Logan (Sean Ward) arrives and wants access to Max. When David refuses, Callum starts a custody battle which begins a violent feud. Kylie returns and helps stengthen David's claim to Max. Their feud esculates and he manipulates Sarah and Bethany. When they try to frame Callum for a crime, he attacks Sarah and Kylie kills Callum to protect her. David decides to help cover the murder up and the bury his body down a man hole in their home. When a car crash occurs on Coronation Street, rescue workers find Callum's body. David is initially the main suspect, but they manage to frame another of Callum's enemies who happens to be dead. Kylie decides she cannot live in the house Callum died in any longer. David agrees to relocate their family to Barbados. Their plans are ruined when Clayton Hibbs (Callum Harrison) stabs Kylie and she dies in his arms. He then attacks Clayton who is then charged with Kylie's murder. Gail is concerned about David and his calm attitude towards planning Kylie's funeral.

In October 2016,David develops depression and goes on a revenge spree. He publicly names Clayton as Kylie's killer and attempts to kill Clayton's half brother Macca whilst he's in hospital. David plans his final act of revenge on Clayton by crashing his new car into the police van Clayton is in whilst igniting a large amount of petrol to blow them both up. After he makes a suicide video, Gail, Nick and Sarah see it and lock David in the Bistro cellar until the trial is over. After tricking Gail into thinking that he has committed suicide, David escapes the Bistro, gets into his car (which is covered in petrol) and drives off. However, as he speeds along, David spots Lily on the road and swerves to avoid her, but ends up flipping the car, which lands on Lily and Gary (who had attempted to get Lily to safety). Some of the residents are able to get Gary and Lily out as David manages to get out of the car. However, a spark causes the car to catch fire and cause an explosion, setting Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) on fire and badly injuring her, whilst David looks on in horror.

Reception

Fearing real-life imitation of the scene in which David was tortured by Charlie Stubbs, many formal complaints were filed by viewers with the Government’s Office of Communications. In the end, "Coronation Street was cleared by TV watchdogs after 31 complaints about scenes of ‘bullying and torture’." Investigators eventually ruled that the torture scenes "were editorially justified by plot development, characters involved and the manner of editing."

Tony Stewart of the Daily Mirror refers to the character as 'David Pratt' when writing reviews of any storyline he features in, due to the character's way of seemingly always getting away with outlandish things. In magazine articles he is often referred to as "Demon David", "Teen Tormenter" or "Psycho Platt".