Emmerdale prison fate 'sealed' for ITV soap favourite as Tom King issues chilling ultimatum

Tom King's fate was confirmed after the Emmerdale villain woke up in hospital, intimidating Belle minutes later. But one detail may lead to the downfall of a fan favourite.

Lydia Dingle may land in legal trouble after it was revealed she'd helped Belle Dingle get rid of all the evidence tying her to Tom King's attack in Emmerdale.

Last week, the wedding planner played by Eden Taylor-Draper struck her abusive husband with an axe, as she was terrified he would kill her in a violent showdown. Tom, portrayed by James Chase, has bullied and terrorised his estranged wife for several months, going as far as to use a naïve Amelia Spencer to hurt her.

And while many ITV viewers were hoping he had died, Tom has actually survived the assault, which brought him to the hospital with a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. Luckily for Belle, a handful of villagers know all about her secret attack on Tom. Unfortunately, one of them may end up in prison for taking action.

In scenes aired this Monday (September 30), Belle was met with the police at Wishing Well Cottage, while Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) tried to break the ice by offering the detectives a brew. While Belle and Charity (Emma Atkins) answered most of the men's questions, Lydia continued to keep up appearances with a wide smile, adding they were happy Tom was alive and on the mend.

But behind Lydia's cheery disposition is, of course, the lie that she is keeping for Belle's sake and, as she admitted, she'd even helped her clean the flat where the assault took place in an attempt to get rid of all the evidence that could be used against her.

However, no secret stays under wraps forever in the eponymous village and a new theory now suggests that Lydia may be linked to Tom's assault and sent down. In this scenario, a witness could come forward, saying they saw Lydia entering, exiting or even both, the scene of the crime with an array of cleaning tools and products.

This would then set the police on to her and, as a result, a selfless Lydia may agree to take the fall for Belle, leaving her husband Sam (James Hooton) all alone in the Dales, months after his son Samson was incarcerated himself. In another theory, both Lydia and Belle could be taken to prison for the assault on Tom, unless another Dingle takes action to break them out.

While this remains to be seen, Tom will have no redemption arc ahead of his exit. In late July, 2024, it was reported that James Chase, who has portrayed Tom since 2023, had quit the show and his on-screen departure would include dramatic scenes.

"It's the right time to leave," an insider told The Sun. "James has loved his time on the show playing such a powerful story but the truth is that characters like Tom have a shelf life for a reason. There’s no long-term redemption for Tom coming - he has to leave one way or the other. And either way it will be dramatic. James is rightly proud of the part he's played in raising awareness of the issue with the story but it’s time to go and spread his wings."

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