Debbie Webster is (Sue Devaney) dealing with a lot in Coronation Street.

Her dementia symptoms continue to intensify while she’s stuck behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit, all in an attempt to mend her obliterated relationship with her son, Carl (Jonathan Howard), who’s more than happy to use Debbie’s guilt at handing him over to her own parents upon his birth to rinse her of money.

I told you. A lot.

Ever since her ill-fated wedding to her sweetheart, Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) gave way to the horrific and blood-soaked Corriedale crash, Debbie’s life has completely fallen apart. Initially taking the blame for Carl’s drink driving which was the catalyst for the disaster, Debbie was fully aware that she wasn’t to blame, despite Carl’s attempts to use her dementia to convince her that she was.

A pariah of the Street, Debbie struggled to manage her abject terror over a potential prison sentence and when Carl attempted to do the right thing (for once) and admit that he was driving and not Debbie, she was forced to confirm that she was willingly taking the fall, in the process revealing that she’s Carl’s mum.

Carl’s disdain for Debbie in the face of her revelation has done nothing but intensify, especially when he learned that she’d left Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) in charge of her hotel, therefore scuppering his own chances of continuing to syphon money from the business accounts.

Inside the prison walls, Debbie’s been buoyed by her fledgling friendship with prison helper Lou Michaelis (Farrel Hegarty) and a visit from Carl, who took the opportunity to capitalise on her guilt when he talked her into giving him money.

In todays trip to the clink, Debbie is horrified to find Lou absolutely battered and calls for a guard. Upon Lou’s insistence, Debbie pretends it was a false alarm, raising the ire of said guard who’s clearly in no mood to help anybody.

At visiting time, Debbie is approached by a characteristically cold Carl, while Lou receives a visit from her children, accompanied by Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor), who takes the opportunity to ask Debbie what happened to Lou while she reconnects with her children.

While enquiring, Sally overhears Carl ask for even more money, with a desperate Debbie determined to set up a direct debit in order to give him a regular income. As Carl’s face twists into a victorious smile, Sally looks over from her table, sickened by his cruelty.

As visiting time ends and Carl departs, bypassing Debbie’s attempt at a hug she pleads him to return soon, Sally takes the opportunity to try and talk some sense into her.

Suggesting that Debbie is ‘paying’ Carl for his visits, Debbie is clearly rattled as she urges Sally to stay out of it. In her mind, she owes Carl, and surely Sally would do the same for her kids? When Sally retorts that, like Carl, her children are adults and wouldn’t beg her for cash, Debbie’s wounded and retreats to her cell.

Alone and suffering while fragments of conversation flow through her mind, Debbie is approached by Lou, before she ferally screams at her to get out, clearly tortured by her emotions, compounded by her confusion.

Things back on the street are equally as fractious, as Sally tells Ronnie about Carl’s latest ploy to extract money from Debbie in the Rover’s. As Carl enters, it takes Ryan, Ed Bailey (Trevor Michael Georges), and ultimately Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker), who promptly bars Carl, to hold Ronnie back, while Carl mocks Debbie and brags about his ability to steal money from her.

Back in her cell, Debbie begins to physically suffer as more bits and pieces flow through her mind. Bleary-eyed and physically restricted, she calls out for help, but the guard from before, clearly fed up, does little to aid Debbie.

As she staggers back to her bed, her body gives way, and she crumbles to the floor.

Will the reality of what he’s doing to his mum prompt Carl to ease up with his cruel treatment?

It’s Carl. Of course it won’t.