Dominic Thompson (Shortland Street)

After auditioning for Geoff Greenlaw and losing out to Andrew Laing, Shane Cortese learned producers had created a character specifically for him to be the brother of a major character and it was undecided whether the character would be "good or bad". Cortese made his debut as Dom in early 2003 under a yearlong contract with the potential of another 12 month expansion. Cortese accepted and returned to the show on the momentous 3000th episode. The character ended up getting killed off later in the year. ==Storylines==

Dom arrived to visit his sister Toni (Laura Hill) and quickly got a job at the hospital. He mysteriously got on well with rival Chris' (Michael Galvin) mother - Margot Warner (Dinah Priestley) and when she died, Dom revealed himself as Chris' illegitimate half brother. Taking up the Warner surname, Dom married Emily (Sarah Somerville) and fought attractions to teenager - Delphi Greenlaw (Anna Hutchison). Following a blood test, Dom realized he was not related to Chris but kept it a secret whilst he started an affair with Delphi. To hide the affair, he drugged his wife and soon became a suspect in the murder of Geoff (Andrew Laing) who had discovered the affair. Once Chris discovered the truth, Dom circulated rumours he was a child molester. Dom and Delphi planned to run away but Delphi discovered Dom had killed Geoff and a desperate Dom fled Ferndale. Dom returned later in 2004, having started a relationship with Lucy (Sally Stockwell). He managed to successfully avoid capture in relation to Geoff's murder and when Avril (Kate Louise-Elliot) began snooping, he drowned her in his bath tub. When the staff started to turn against Dom after Avril's sister Bernadette (Kate Louise-Elliot) accused him of murder, he faked mental illness and after escaping a psych ward, he lured Chris to a barn and tried to set him on fire. Unsuccessful, Dom ended up getting caught in a large explosion. With intense burns, Dom finally admitted to killing Geoff and Avril before he died in Toni's arms. ==Character development==

Relationship with Delphi Greenlaw In 2003 Dom underwent a storyline where he fell for his best friends sister, 15-year-old Delphi Greenlaw. Cortese was at first uncomfortable with the storyline, stating; "I was very worried about the age difference but the way it's been done and written is really respectful." Cortese also believed despite the age difference, Dom was truly in love with Delphi; "Dom sees Delphi as his soul mate, she affects him in a way no one has before because he's always been suspicious of relationships. He doesn't have to pretend to be anyone else for her to like him." The two eventually start a relationship but break up when Dom comes under question of Geoff's murder in arguably one of the soap's most memorable storylines. Dom flees when Delphi confronts him about the murder but later returns, with Cortese suggesting it was for love; "But the thing about Dominic is he believes he's doing everything for the right reasons. He's done everything he can for Delphi — that's his main reason for coming back." Dom later scares Delphi into fleeing the country, ending the once seemingly perfect relationship. ==Reception==

Michael Galvin listed the storyline between Chris and Dom as one of the most iconic storylines on the soap. He believed his physical similarity with Cortese made the storyline more believable and captivating. Rebecca Barry Hill of The New Zealand Herald noted the character of Dom as a highlight of the show. The storyline that saw Dom have an affair with 16-year-old Delphi was viewed on as scandalous. His return on the 3000th episode was described as "jaw dropping". In 2012, the character was named as one of the standout characters of the show's first 20 years. The storyline between Chris and Dom has been voted by fans as one of the most iconic moments on the show. ==References==