John Mayhew (2016 BBC adaptation)

Despite going back to being a major character in the story’s 1920’s setting the series still name him as Mayhew.

Mayhew is given a wife Alice and a son that died in World War I. He lives in a small house and is clearly ill coughing badly, not helped by the smog and so hopes to do something for his wife with his job. Upon meeting Leonard Vole Mayhew decides to help him as he is like their son, he does go to see Romaine at the theatre and is engrossed by her singing, he tries to get an alibi from her but there isn't a chance a loving wife’s statement could let Leonard off. At the trial Romaine statement followed by the others is making Vole’s chances of acquitted weak, Sir Charles Carter unable to find anything to damage the statements apart from Janet McIntyre having a lesbian crush on Emily French.

However Mayhew gets the letters proving Romaine’s perjury from Christine Moffat who was the lead singer who was disfigured by Romaine he vows to get Romaine swearing on his late son. The letters work in showing Romaine deception and the Prosecution falls apart, after Leonard is acquitted he says he's disappointed to Romaine who hisses at him from beyond the bars, then Janet clearly upset says he is as guilty as Leonard with blood on his hands and before he could return Leonard’s thanks, he blacks out. He wakes up in hospital paid by Vole his illness was Bronchitis he is given a promotion, during the selling of Emily French’s house, he finds the frozen remains of Mimi French’s cat which tells him that Janet McIntyre was the killer since, she had blood on her sleeves and the resulting trial has her hanged after she fell apart in the trial.

Mayhew and Alice go on holiday in the South of France, as he enjoys the view he sees Leonard who has married, he goes to congrats Vole with a bottle of Champagne but he discovers that the bride is Romaine with a Dyed Bob. Mayhew then realizes that Romaine fakes the letters and that Leonard did kill French. He leaves calling them monsters but they mock him as his generation let the young died or damaged and he declared that McIntyre was guilty. When Mayhew goes to Alice he asks her does she love him, as he has a breakdown saying that it’s all for her but she finally let out the truth she can never forgive him as he let their son die and that he should never have gone due to the fact he was under-aged but since they wanted to go together Mayhew let him fake his age. Alice lets him know that while she will support him, but for affection he can pay a mistress.

Completely crushed Mayhew that night walks into the sea to die.

He was played by Toby Jones.