Steve arrived in Coronation Street at the age of 15 in December 1989, with twin brother Andy (Nicholas Cochrane) and parents Jim (Charles Lawson) and Liz (Beverley Callard). From the start, the lads were high - energy tearaways initially causing aggravation for Alf Roberts (Bryan Mosley). Steve and Andy got up to a lot of mischief, including a joyride in an industrial earth mover, breaking Alf 's shop window. The lads were brought up mainly by their mother because their father Jim was in the army and away more than he was home. When he was home, the hot tempered Jim, whose tirades were often fuelled by whiskey and beer, had the boys fearing and resenting him. Steve grew up with little respect for his father but a great deal for his mother. It did n't stop him from getting into scrapes, no matter how much it worried his mother. Schoolboy pranks turned into illegal activities when Steve was sure he could pull off a scam or two only to find out that the long arm of the law was only a few steps away. Steve was caught selling stolen car radios, and falling into a bad lot which got his brother, Andy, beaten up. Steve ran away with a teenage love to the Lake District and had to be retrieved and defended against Jim by his mother. The McDonalds did n't have a lot of money and this seemed to fuel Steve 's ambitions, always looking for a way to make money. Steve started working with Jim in a building business but Jim was drinking a lot and during an argument and scuffle on scaffolding, Jim fell into a skip and was paralysed for a time. After Jim 's recovery, things started to improve between father and son. They seemed to come to an acceptance of each other. In 2000 he had dealings with a local gangster, Jez Quigley. After learning that Quigley killed Tony Horrocks, Steve decides to testify against him in court. After Quigley is found not guilty, he soon plans revenge. He has Steve lured into a car park where he is savagely beaten by several of Quigley 's henchmen. After been found by Jim and taken to hospital, Jim takes revenge by beating Quigley. Quigley later dies from his injuries after making another attempt on killing Steve. Jim is sentenced to eight year for manslaughter. Simon Belcher, his half brother who was in the same jail as him at same time was caught red handed with a guard and another inmate and all hell broke lose
when did the mcdonald's join coronation street
in December 1989