Ellie Brooke

Ellie Brooke is a notable character appearing the Series 17 episode ''Undertone. ''She is the wife of DI Brooke. Ellie is portrayed by Ruth Gemmell.

Background
Ellie worked as a nurse, but left her job due to suffering from depression, which stemmed from her inability to conceive a child with her husband. She attempted suicide twice because of this.

Undertone
It is eventually revealed that Ellie was the one who killed Alice Preston. She and Alice had an agreement that the heavily pregnant Alice would give Ellie and her husband her baby to raise after it was born. Unfortunately, Alice changed her mind. A desperate Ellie tried to plead with her and an argument ensued. Ellie struck Alice, who fell and hit her head on a coffee table, fatally injuring her. Ellie then used a kitchen knife to perform a crude Caesarean and removed the baby safely. Ellie is arrested along with her husband at the end of the episode for Alice's murder and is presumably incarcerated.

Trivia

 * Ruth Gemmell previously portrayed another character on Silent Witness, DC Kerry Cox, a major character in the first series.