"Oh Joycey.."
Mervin 'Merv' Pringle is the cook at Wentworth Detention Centre.
Mervin gets the job at Wentworth after the resignation and sacking of Ray Proctor.
Mervin quickly falls for officer Joyce Pringle and the two eventually marry. They end up living with Joan Ferguson in their house as Joan lost her house in a fire. Mervin and Joyce eventually move out and move in with Meg.
Mervin witnesses the downfall of Joan Ferguson being apart of it himself when he drove out of the prison with the tapes in his work bag.
Time At Wentworth[]
Prison cook with a good heart and is well-liked by the women. Fell in love with and married officer Joyce Barry. Applies for cook's post with false references (523). He is also caught stealing food from the kitchen by Myra Desmond, and she uses this against him. After getting the job he gradually gets closer to Joyce Barry, and he becomes her second husband. Omits to mention his epilepsy, but Lexie Patterson finds out and uses it against him.
Mervin alongside a prison Handyman and Joan Ferguson get taken hostage during Lou Kelly's riot, but makes it out safe.
Merv and Joyce celebrate their wedding breakfast in Wentworth
Mervin and Joyce also hold their wedding breakfast at the prison, until Lou Kelly inmate is murdered in her cell. He smuggles out the videotape in which there was evidence against James Dwyer and Joan Ferguson. He is nearly caught by Rodney Adams but manages to get past him. He is then nearly stopped from leaving Wentworth with the tape when the Gate guard tries to pull him over. He quickly gets away and that tape is shown on television as evidence against Ernest Craven and Joan Ferguson.
Merv and Joyce also have to deal with Joan Ferguson kicking them out of their house after they sell the house to her and they both end up moving in with Meg for a time.
Mervin takes part in Iron Chef, a cooking competition tv show which he wins.
Merv is on call during Rita's breakfast and he too cries alongside the inmates after she 'died' during the night. Merv is seen with all the officers and inmates when Joan is taken away by the police.
Trivia[]
- First seen in 'Prisoner' playing a small part as Dr Crawe in episode 22.
- Ernie Bourne also played Peter Hope, a man who Doreen met in the lonely hearts column (192).