As Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton)’s trial gets underway in Coronation Street soon, it’s obviously a hugely stressful time for her.

As well as being on trial for killing evil abuser Joel Deering (Calum Lill), she’s also contending with the fact that her beloved baby Frankie is desperately ill and needs a bone marrow transplant.

Meanwhile Joel’s parents Gus and Anthea (Chris Garner and Carol Royle) have been making moves to gain custody of Frankie.

It’s a lot for one person to deal with, but at least Lauren has some good friends on her side, and in Max Turner (Paddy Bever) she has a completely devoted and loyal partner. That’s all set to change in upcoming episodes, sadly, as Lauren buckles under the pressure of the upcoming trial and makes a huge decision.

Lauren chose to plead not guilty to the charges against her. Her solicitor had advised her that this plea would mean that the prosecution would rake over her unsavoury past in a trial, whereas pleading guilty would avoid that and could also mean she would get a lesser sentence.

But Max told her if she took the path of pleading guilty, Frankie would grow up thinking his mum killed his dad. This strengthened Lauren’s resolve to go ahead and fight her case and she was determined she would be found not guilty.

As preparations for the trial got underway Max did his best to keep Lauren’s spirits up. Meanwhile Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown) tried to prepare her for the trial by warning her that the prosecution would do their best to trip her up and make her look as bad as possible.

Lauren is unable to stay optimistic as the trial approaches, and Max visits her to find her in a state of utter panic about what’s to come.

He does his best to be positive, but Lauren tells him she knows what he’s doing and she can see straight through him.

Then she tells him that realistically she’s going to be spending the next 20 years in prison. She doesn’t think it’s fair on him to wait for her for all this time so she tells him she’s ending their relationship.

Max is absolutely heartbroken. Since he and Lauren got back together following her return to Weatherfield he’s been completely devoted to her and baby Frankie.

He was even prepared to go to prison himself, by confessing to killing Joel, to spare her from jail and being separated from Frankie.

As the trial starts, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lauren – and without Max’s support she’s more isolated than ever.