"Aw why did ya have to wreck the fun, by gettin' all mad.."
Marie Winter was a tough long-term prisoner who was top dog of country prison Barnhurst, specializing in pushing drugs. She escaped with help from Lou Kelly and The Freak by climbing over the fence in afternoon exercise and clinging onto a helicopter and flying away. We are told that a few days later she is captured again and sent to Blackmoor.
Barnhurst
First seen as top dog of the open prison Barnhurst where Bea Smith is briefly transferred (197)-(198), Marie was at Wentworth before she was at Barnhurst. Lizzie mentioned that Bea took the the top dog postion off Marie a while back. Making an eternal enemy of Bea again by having her soup drugged with the hallucinogenic mushrooms that are the only entertainment in the countryside. At this stage she may not have been intended as a major character, though she seems built up out of all proportion for the short time she is on screen.
Return to Wentworth
She is later transferred to Wentworth (245) in a bizarre move by Ted Douglas to attempt to quell the disturbances after Bea goes to hospital for her kidney operation. She briefly becomes top dog while Sandy is in Solitary and is involved in the three way power struggle with Sandy Edwards and Kate Peterson. Margo, Lil, Bev join Marie's side. Marie and some other prisoners try to bash Doreen but Bea comes along to stop it. Marie, Lil, Bev, try to hang Sandy, but Doreen and Bea come along and stop them. Marie puts a knife in Kate's bed but Sandy removes it. Marie and Sandy play cards to deiced who will kill Kate, but Sandy wins. Bea puts Marie's drugs in one of the laundry bags to put into the washing machine but Jim tells Marie to do it and she does. Bea gets Hazel to attach a small bag full of drugs to the sheet of Marie's bed and Marie is sent to Solitary for that. When Marie starts ordering Margo around Lil and Bev puts Marie head under the steam press and Margo warns her. Bea takes the top dog position from Marie again. Transferred back to Barnhurst from Wentworth (269).
2nd Return to Wentworth and Top Dog 3rd Time
Marie is mentioned in episode 460 after Cass Parker is taken to Ingleside, with Joan telling both Pixie and Judy, of Winter's return. Then transferred back to Wentworth from Barnhurst (461) carrying cocaine in her soap dish, and immediately takes over the press from Judy Bryant and becomes top dog she attempts to recruit Reb Kean to deal the cocaine for her, and then tries to find an officer to secure future supplies, attempting to bribe officer Dennis Cruickshank, and then bashing Marlene Warren to get information on officer Heather Rodgers family (463). Joan Ferguson latches onto Marie as a potential source of trouble for governor Ann Reynolds and turns a blind eye to her drug dealing. When Marie proves the threats to Heather's family are genuine, Heather brings in drugs for her (465). Egged on by Joan and backed up by Lou Kelly and Alice Jenkins, Marie starts a riot - taking Joan hostage and bashing her to add "realism" to the whole thing (466). When Marie takes Reb to solitary to kill Myra Desmond and Reb refuses to take any part, Marie pushes Reb down the stairs. Judy catches Marie attempting to escape through the kitchen and knocks her out (467). When Heather tries to get Marie off her back by telling her that Joan plans to have her transferred to Blackmoor, Marie goes to Joan and demands that she organizes an escape for her. After she has been given an additional two years for her part in the riot, Joan promises to set Reb up for Marie to bash in the shower block. During exercise period the same day, Lou creates a diversion while Marie scales the perimeter fence and escapes dangling from a helicopter, as arranged by Joan (471). The women learn in (479) that Marie has been recaptured and sent to Blackmoor (very ironic), and Joan phones Cynthia to "have a word" with her to make sure that Marie implicates Heather. It is not known if Marie was still at Blackmoor.