Max Branning killed Steven Beale indirectly: during a confrontation in the burning restaurant, Max violently shoved Steven into a counter, causing internal injuries that later led to Steven’s fatal cardiac arrest in hospital.

Quick Scoop: What Actually Happened

  • Max was blackmailing Steven and used him in a revenge plan, which included getting Steven to start a fire at Ian’s restaurant with Jane trapped inside.
  • When Steven had a change of heart and tried to go back to rescue Jane from the fire, Max stopped him and hurled him across the room into a hard surface, badly injuring him.
  • Steven was taken to hospital, where he initially seemed stable, but later suffered a cardiac arrest and died; it was revealed he died from liver injuries linked to Max’s shove.

How This Counts As “Killing” Him

  • In-story, characters like Cindy and others later say Max “killed” Steven because the fatal injuries came directly from Max violently pushing him during their fight.
  • Official episode descriptions and fan discussions frame it as Steven dying of injuries sustained in that confrontation with Max in the blazing restaurant.

In-Universe Fallout And Secrets

  • Max faced emotional and social fallout as several characters eventually learned that his actions in the fire and his push were the real cause of Steven’s death, even though he avoided legal punishment.
  • Later storylines and press pieces highlight Cindy blaming Max for Steven’s death, reinforcing the idea that, in Walford terms, Max is the one who killed him.

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