Beadle Bamford

Beadle Bamford is the secondary antagonist in the many adaptations of Sweeney Todd. As the Beadle, or church officer, he is in charge of overseeing petty crimes and violations in his district. He is the sidekick of Judge Turpin and one of the people Sweeney Todd targets to kill.

He is portrayed by Timothy Spall who also played Peter Pettigrew.

Character Overview and Appearances
Beadle Bamford more or less aids Judge Turpin, and he does mostly everything he tells him to. Beadle was the one who ordered the police to arrest Benjamin Barker (Sweeney Todd), on false charges issued by Judge Turpin. He was also the one who called on Lucy Barker, Benjamin Barker's wife, to invite her to Judge Turpin's ball where she was soon drugged and then raped by Judge Turpin. The Beadle is generally relied upon by everyone to inspect the health regulations in the city and do other things required by the townspeople.

When Judge Turpin finds Anthony Hope with his ward, Johanna, who is also Benjamin and Lucy Barker's daughter, he orders the Beadle to "dispose of him." In the original play, the Beadle threatens Anthony by strangling the pet bird he intended to give Joanna. In the film, he violently beats Anthony up to teach him a lesson. When the Beadle is seen in a local marketplace, he is asked by Sweeney Todd to be a judge for he and Adolfo Pirelli's shaving challenge and then later declares Sweeney Todd the winner.

Later on, the Beadle is seen walking with Judge Turpin out of a courtroom after Judge Turpin sentences a young boy to be hanged by the neck, and he tells the Beadle of his love for Johanna and of his plans to marry the girl. Beadle is reminded by Sweeney Todd's skill of shaving, and sings Ladies and their Sensitivities, telling Judge Turpin about Sweeney Todd.

Soon, the Beadle is seen coming for health regulations to Mrs. Lovett's pie shop and the smoke coming out of her chimney. When he arrives at the pie shop, Sweeney Todd lures him up to the barber shop with the promise of a new cologne that "the ladies with greatly thank him for". He then kills the Beadle by slitting his throat with a straight razor before dropping him through a trapdoor.

Trivia

 * Bamford is similar to LeFou from Beauty and the Beast; they are short and serve as the henchman to the main antagonist. They are also smarter than they look.