Cooper & Fry ending explained: The killer of Ben's dad Joe Cooper finally revealed
Ben got closure, but not justice
Cooper & Fry came to a bittersweet ending this week, with dedicated police officer Ben Cooper finally discovering the identity of his dad’s killer. But sadly, he was not able to being the murderer to justice.
In the fourth and final episode of the folksy crime drama, both Ben Cooper and Diane Fry looked evil in the face. And, all the while, there was a so-called friend working against them.
There was good, including Ben and Diane’s growing friendship. But there was also bad, and plenty of it. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of Cooper & Fry series 1.
***Warning: spoilers from the Cooper & Fry ending ahead***
What happened with DS Diane Fry and her ex-boyfriend?
Diane came face to face with her controlling ex David Branagh in the Cooper & Fry ending. We already knew he’d followed her from Leeds to Edendale, and wasn’t accepting that their relationship was over. Frankly, he was stalking her and scaring her witless. But, as a high-ranking Detective Constable, Diane felt like the odds maybe weren’t in her favour.
When he finally approached her, after weeks of phone calls and love bombing, he told her: “It’s time you came home, don’t you think? I get it, I messed up. I’ve made mistakes, and I’m sorry. If you come back, things will be different. I’m leaving [my wife] Lisa and the kids. I’m here, fighting for us.”
However, Diane insisted their relationship was over for good. She’d ended it months back as soon as she’d found out he was married. She told him: “There is no us Dave. We’re done.”
Seeing how shaken up Diane was by the encounter, Ben secretly took a note of dodgy Dave‘s number and arranged a meet up. He told Dave to stay away from Diane. At first, it looked like the polite warning might have worked. Until the closing seconds of the Cooper & Fry finale…
While Ben and Diane enjoyed a drink in the pub, viewers saw Dave in the very same pub having a drink. His face looked very much like he was plotting something unpleasant. Nope, he was not going to take no for an answer. So now it looks like Diane is in danger, and probably Ben, too.
Cooper & Fry ending: Who killed Ben’s dad Joe Cooper?
The final episode of Cooper & Fry series 1 saw the two detectives investigate the murder of a girl found dead in the “nine virgins” stone circle. And little did anyone know that Jenny Westlake’s death would be linked to the death of Ben’s dad Joe Cooper.
As the police force investigated the death of Jenny, they eventually discovered the reason she was murdered. A devoted animal lover, the newspaper photographer found out that land owner Warren Leach had been organising illegal animal fights for gambling. These would then be streamed on the dark web for sickos who would pay to watch.
As Ben and Diane arrived at Warren Leach’s house, he threatened Ben with a knife – only to be shot dead by his own wife. And who could blame her? An aggressive bully, he’d been terrorising her for their entire marriage.
Once Warren was dead, his wife Yvonne admitted she had vital information about the death of Ben’s dad Joe Cooper. The killer was, in fact, her husband Warren. A secret she’d kept buried for five years.
Why did Warren Leach kill Joe Cooper?
As for why Warren Leach killed Joe Cooper, Yvonne told Ben that his dad Joe had been trying to help her escape her violent marriage.
She said: “I told Joe I couldn’t be saved [from Warren]. I warned him not to try. But he insisted he’d come to get me. But Warren found out and was waiting for him. It was Warren [who killed Joe]. And afterwards, Warren called his man who came over and cleaned everything up. His man got rid of the fingerprints, footprints, tyre tracks, everything.”
Bringing out a coat from a hidden place, she added: “Warren told me to get the blood out, but I couldn’t bring myself to.”
So Joe was trying to “save” Yvonne, and wanted to “rescue her”. Ben later told his mum Isobel: “I thought closure would feel better than this.” However, Isobel replied: “We have closure, but not justice. Warren Leach will never have to answer for what he’s done.”
During tense scenes later, DS Todd Eland told Diane that Joe Cooper had been having an affair with Yvonne, and that he’d been planning to leave his wife and son Ben. Of course, whether we believe a word out of his mouth is another matter, and Diane decided to keep the information to herself.
Cooper & Fry ending: Was DS Todd Eland a corrupt police officer?
Yes, DS Todd Eland was as crooked as they come. A bent copper even Line of Duty’s AC-12 would have found appalling.
Eland, played to perfection by actor Barry O’Connor in the Cooper & Fry cast, was complicit in the death of Joe Cooper. And subsequently lived a lie among the police force, feigning grief at the death of the senior officer. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, he’d even pretended to be Ben’s friend. Evil, indeed.
In fact, Eland was Warren Leach’s inside man. He protected Warren, and was involved in the gambling and dog fighting trade. He even attended the fights. When Jenny Westlake photographed the men arriving at the illegal events in a bid to expose them, Leland caught her and killed her to silence her. Something Diane Fry found out when she looked at the SD memory card of Jenny’s camera – something Eland had tried to hide in his drawer.
When Diane confronted Eland, he accused her of being an “outsider” and “upsetting the apple cart”. It all came to a rather dramatic head when Eland took Diane hostage at knife point. After a struggle, he tried to strangle her, but Ben arrived in the nick of time to save her.
Diane arrested Eland for the murder of Jenny Westlake. He was also guilty of perverting the course of justice having cleaned up the crime scene after Joe Cooper’s death. At the end of the series, Eland was in custody. But his repeated offer of “no comment” meant that Ben might never get the answers he needs about why Eland was working with Warren.
