Rita has a nice little part, playing 'Mrs. Lee' opposite Jess Conrad as Barney, her son. We first see her in Court where she sits nervously watching the proceedings, but the best scene comes when the film flashes back to previous events. Barney is at home with Mum and Dad (Patrick Magee), busily shining his shoes for a night out with the lads. Rita nags him: "Oh hurry up will yer Barney, I want you to take this shopping over to Ginger's Mum". Barney carries on, complaining that he doesn't have time. Rita accidently steps on his shoes, and Barney has a go at her: "Ere ook out, Gawd Blimey, look what you' ve done to my new shoes". Rita shouts back at him "well you leave them all over the place Barney, I ain't got eyes in the back of me head now have I ?". Barney snaps back, and Dad lets slip that his Mum had stepped on them before. Annoyed, Barney asks, "Have you trod on these before?". Rita replies "Oh shut up, I'll give yer one" and makes a jesture to hit him before telling him again, "Take this shopping over to Mrs. Thompson". He tells her that she's got a liberty after treading on his shoes, but Rita does not relent, "Go on Barney, my legs ain't up to it". He grumbles about working all day as he continues to get ready. His Dad makes a jibe about his shoes and the two start to squabble. Rita is making tea and tells him again, "Oh take the shopping Barney". Dad is sitting drinking Guiness and asks Rita if the doctor had called into see Mrs C., and Rita replies, "Yeah, no wonder anybody being ill, breathing the kind of air yer get round ere" as she carries on making tea. "They say it's cancer", Dad replies gloomily. "Oh yer a right happy pair you are" Barney tells his parents, Rita pours hot water into the kettle nagging Barney once more,"Take the shopping will yer Barney".This time Barney says he will, admires his shoes one more time and tries to get his Dad to lend him some money, while Rita watches silently. Barney finally leaves, taking the shopping with him.
In the last of Rita's scenes she is back at the Court where she is sitting with all the other boys' parents, and as her 17 year old son's full name, "Brian Harold Lee", is called out and he pleads "guilty" to the crime, Rita holds back the tears. After the life sentence is pronounced, Rita gets up slowly, almost in tears, and leaves the gallery.