storyline, which saw her collapsing and dying in the middle of Albert Square, leaving both characters and viewers in uncertainty about the cause of her demise. The storyline continued through 2007, as first Pauline's funeral was interrupted by the police in order to perform an autopsy on her body, and then Pauline's former daughter-in-law Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) was arrested for the murder. However, Sonia's arrest proved to be a red herring and it was later revealed that the killing blow had actually come from Pauline's husband Joe, who broke down and confessed to Dot Branning (June Brown) that he had rowed with Pauline on Christmas Day (off-screen) and, in a fury, struck her across the head with a frying pan, causing a brain haemorrhage that claimed her life. The plot's eventual climax in February 2007 led to the exits of several established characters connected with Pauline. This included Martin, Sonia and Joe, who was dramatically killed off after confessing to Pauline's murder—he fell out of the Fowlers' first floor window while trying to apprehend a hysterical Dot. In popular culture A promotional picture of Pauline and Joe was used on the official Torchwood'' website, in a fictional magazine article about aliens. References External links Fictional construction workers Fictional murderers Fictional criminals in soap operas Television characters introduced in 2005 Male characters in television Beale family (EastEnders) Fictional uxoricides Male villains