in december 2004, marcus cons sam (now kim medcalf) by telling her that phil, who is on the run, needs all the money he can get. sam sells all of the mitchell empire, including the queen vic pub to den watts (leslie grantham), and gives marcus the money. marcus then flees walford to start a new life abroad with all the money. it is revealed that marcus was in on the con with den watts, because den wanted to regain his position as the landlord of the queen vic 16 years after he had first sold it. ritchie scott (sian webber) becomes the mitchells' lawyer after marcus' betrayal.