Death in Paradise series 14: Guest cast of episode 7 includes Judith Jacob as Mervin's mum Dorna Bray
By Helen Fear | Wed Mar 12 2025Death in Paradise series 14 continues with the penultimate episode, in which actress Judith Jacob joins the cast as DI Mervin Wilson's late mum Dorna Bray.
In episode seven of the current series, old wounds are reopened as Mervin is forced to confront his past. But will he finally get the answers he's looking for?
It's a particularly emotive episode, as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson's future also hangs on the balance.
Here's everything you need to know about the guest cast of Death in Paradise series 14 episode 7.
Judith Jacob plays Mervin's mum Dorna Bray in Death in Paradise
Actress Judith Jacob, 63, portrays Dorna Bray in the cast of Death in Paradise series 14.
The actress is most famous for playing Carmel Jackson in EastEnders, a role she played between 1986 and 1989. Carmel was a health visitor, who was assigned to Walford to help teenage mum Michelle Fowler.
As well as her famous soap role, Judith portrayed Beverley Slater in nursing drama Angels between 1979 and 1981.
Other notable roles include Senisimilia in No Problem!, Sabrina Kitts in The Queen's Nose, and various characters in the sketch show The Real McCoy.
She's been off-screen for a few years, having last played Mrs. Joseph in one episode of Netflix drama PRU in 2022.
What happened to Mervin's mum?
Viewers know that Mervin arrived on the island with the secret mission to find his estranged mum. However, sadly he soon discovered that she had recently died.
He told Commissioner Selwyn Patterson that, having grown up in the car system, he'd never met his biological mother. Ultimately, he decided to stay on Saint Marie in a bid to get to know the island where his mother spent her life, and to find out the truth about her mysterious drowning.
In episode seven (Friday, March 14, 2025), Mervin reopens his mother's case and uncovers the prime suspect in her murder... But, even though everything points back to this suspicious figure, he can't work out how foul play was involved.
By all accounts, we know Dorna took a boat out in a storm of her own volition and drowned at sea. She had planned to scatter her father's ashes in the ocean. However, she was familiar with the tides, and Mervin cannot understand why she'd have taken such a risk in bad weather.
Also, there's the small matter of the permit. Dorna had applied for a permit to scatter her father's ashes on Saint Marie itself – so why did she change her mind?
Just as the team starts making headway in the case, Sterling pulls rank and throws a spanner in the works. Can a world-weary Selwyn help them before it's too late?
Gerard Horan stars as Roy Palmer
Stockport-born Gerard Horan appears as the rather shifty Roy Palmer, who first popped up in the previous week's episode six.
Mystery man Roy came across one of Merv's posters about Dorna's death, and subsequently started watching Mervin. It appears that he works at Dorna's favourite restaurant, indicating that he probably knew her.
Gerard Horan, 62, has been on our screens for 40 years, and is perhaps most famous for playing Charisma in London's Burning, or Tony Simpson in Nicky Berry drama Harbour Lights.
Although, if you're a Detectorists fan - and if you're not, you should be - you'll know him best as Terry Seymour. Terry was the (often unwittingly hilarious) leader of the Danebury Metal Detectoring Club.
Some of Gerard's other well known roles include Reginald in The Singing Detective, Mervyn in Les Girls, DC Charlie Spanish in NCS Manhunt, D.C. Yelland in Kingdom, and Mr. Paxton in Lark Rise to Candleford. He also popped up in Brookside briefly as Martin Cox!
More recently, Gerard has played Enright in Belgravia: The Next Chapter, and Hilgard in The Outlaws.
Joy Richardson stars as Dorna's neighbour Brianna Clemetson in cast of Death in Paradise
Actress Joy Richardson stars as Dorna's neighbour Brianna Clemetson. Joy has been on our screens since 1985 when she first appeared as Alice in the TV series Theatre Night.
Working as a jobbing actress for four decades, she's popped up in the likes of London's Burning, Judge John Deed, Holby City, Doctors, and Casualty.
Notable roles include Amaya's Ancestor in Legends of Tomorrow, Olive in Mrs Wilson, Miss Rose in The Long Song, Elizabeth in Dreamland, and Mrs Lasher in Silent Witness. She's actually been in the BBC One forensic three times in different roles!
More recently, she's played Janet Blake in the now axed McDonald & Dodds, and Morgana Braithwaite in Sister Boniface Mysteries.
Death in Paradise series 14 episode 7 full cast list:
Don Gilet stars as DI Mervin Wilson.
Don Warrington returns as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.
Shantol Jackson portrays DS Naomi Thomas.
Ginny Holder plays Officer Darlene Curtis.
Shaquille Ali-Yebuah is Officer Sebastian Rose.
Elizabeth Bourgine stars as Catherine Bordey.
Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge portrays Sterling Fox.
Gerard Horan appears as Roy Palmer.
Judith Jacob plays Dorna Bray.
Joy Richardson stars as Dorna's neighbour Brianna Clemetson.
