Richard Charles Hillman is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron.

He befriended Alma's close friend, Gail Platt (Helen Worth), and they start a relationship which culminated in them marrying a year later.

However, Richard secretly withholds both a homicidal streak and an ongoing financial crisis during the time he occasionally played happy families with Gail along with her two children Sarah-Louise (Tina O'Brien) and David (Jack P. Shepherd).

Over his stint, Richard ends up leaving his business partner Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe) to die after the latter ends up having a fatal accident, murders his ex-wife Patricia (Annabelle Apsion) with a shovel when she attempts to expose his fraudulent dealings, clashes with Gail's ex-husband Martin (Sean Wilson) on certain family occasions, swindles neighbours Jack (Bill Tarmey) and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) from their life savings in an investment scam and kidnaps Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden).

Richard later begins plotting to kill his mother-in-law Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) by setting her house on fire, after which he exploits his failure to doing so with the conclusion that she has Alzheimer's disease, and then murders Audrey's co-worker Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw) with a crowbar after using it to unsuccessfully murder Norris' roommate Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire) and frames Sarah's ex-boyfriend Aiden Critchley (Dean Ashton) for the crimes.

He seemingly departs Weatherfield after Gail denounces their marriage, and the extent of his illicit activities subsequently became public knowledge, but Richard returns weeks later with the intent of killing his stepfamily and himself.

However, after Audrey and Martin discovered his last-ditch familicide plan, Richard drove off with his captive stepfamily and ends up plunging their Ford Galaxy into a canal; however, they survived, while he drowned.

Richard's popularity on the show caused the character to be referenced multiple time and play a posthumous role in several storylines.

"[2] In January 2002, it was rumoured that Coronation Street executive producer Carolyn Reynolds would be axing several characters in a bid for the show to beat BBC One soap opera EastEnders in the ratings.

[2] Richard's popularity on the show caused the character to be referenced multiple times and play a posthumous role in several storylines.

However, Richard later tells his third wife Gail Platt (Helen Worth) that he had always believed that Marian was at fault and was stunned to discover that he was responsible.

Richard Hillman makes his first appearance in Weatherfield when he attends the funeral of a resident, Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie), in the summer of 2001, claiming to be her cousin.

Richard moves in with her, winning over her children Sarah-Louise (Tina O'Brien) and David (Jack P. Shepherd) by buying them expensive gifts.

He also forms an unlikely mutual friendship with Gail's ex-husband Martin Platt (Sean Wilson); they initially became hostile to each other after Richard shouts at David for going on his computer without permission, but the pair soon befriend each other as time goes on.

Richard sets up a business called Kellett Holdings, which specialises in buy-back mortgages — he would buy the house, but the occupant was free to live there until their death.

Duggie is critically injured, and Richard leaves him to die, opportunistically allowing the incident to remove his unwanted business partner.

He agrees to hand over the cheque at his Oakhill flats development, where they descend into an argument as Richard stalls on the money due to the cost of underpinning work.

When he learns that Gail's mother Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) is worth £250,000, he hatches a plan to save his business from being on the verge of financial bankruptcy.

Over the next few months, Richard manages to convince Audrey and her family that she has Alzheimer's disease, even getting the doctor to prescribe her medication for sufferers of the condition, and tries to kill her by setting her house on fire.

He receives the money from the buy-back scheme and puts a deposit on an expensive new house for the family, after which farewell drinks are arranged for him and Gail.

In the ensuing argument between them, Richard finally comes clean about his other crimes to Gail, explaining in full detail how he left Duggie for dead after seeing him fall and then covering up Patrica's disappearance when he murdered her.

Gail then tells the police everything, including the location of Patricia's body, and they dig it out of the cement, thus confirming Richard as a guilty man.

In March 2003, Gail's efforts to overcome Richard's antics grow increasingly harder when the police investigate her husband's property company, Kellett Holdings.

To make matters worse, Gail is under suspicion of collaborating with Richard in his criminal activities when the police confirm that she had been working alongside him in his "company".

With her husband dead and all the troubles he inflicted upon both her family and the Weatherfield community over at last, Gail heads home with Audrey after throwing the rings that Richard gave her into the canal.

Towards the end of March 2003, Richard's funeral takes place, with Archie carrying out the ceremony and Gail reluctantly attending alone to ensure that her killer husband is laid to rest for good.

On Christmas Eve 2024, Gail experiences a vision of Richard, who taunts her over her impending marriage to Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson) and claims she will never be happier than she was with him.

The two episodes caused a power surge; a National Grid spokesman said: "Obviously, there was a huge audience which meant at the end of the programme people were getting up, turning lights on, going to the toilet, opening fridge doors and boiling kettles.

The ratings success of the serial killer storyline made Coronation Street the most-watched UK television programme of 2003, beating rival EastEnders into second place.

[6] At the 2003 British Soap Awards, Capron swept the board for his portrayal of Richard, winning for 'Best Actor', 'Best Exit' and 'Villain of the Year'.