Belle is in shock after striking Tom with an axe as she realised she could wind up in prison again, years after Gemma Andrews’ death, which led her down a similar path.

After striking Tom King with an axe, Belle Dingle received unwelcome reminders of what she did to her old pal Gemma Andrews as she could soon face prison.

Actress Eden Taylor-Draper was at the core of a tense episode on Thursday as her Emmerdale alter ego Belle Dingle claimed her life back from her abusive husband Tom King, who still tried to intimidate and exert control over her.

Terrified for her life, the Take A Vow wedding planner struck him in the back with an axe, leaving him lifeless. During this Friday’s episode (September 27), Belle then sought help from Lydia (Karen Blick), Sam (James Hooton) and Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson), who quickly teamed up on the cleaner’s orders.

Traumatised by her showdown with Tom (James Chase), Belle couldn’t help but be haunted by her past in the form of Tom’s voice, taunting her with the death of Gemma Andrews. Moments later, Vinny reminded her of her actions in a painful scene.

Played by Tendai Rinomhota, Gemma Andrews was the daughter of Dom Andrews, making her first appearance in late December, 2012, days after Christmas, before settling down with her father in Brook Cottage months later.

Throughout her time in the eponymous village, Gemma befriended Belle, Tom as well as Sean Spencer, who is none other than Amelia Spencer’s half-brother. Gemma and Sean’s relationship was one of her biggest storylines as she found out she was pregnant after a night with him in June, 2013.

Worried about her life as a teenage mother, Gemma eventually decided to get an abortion after some advice from Alicia Metcalfe, who dated Dom. But a mean-spirited Belle exposed her secret to their schoolmates, upset Sean had chosen Gemma over her, and a fight broke out, forcing their headmaster to intervene. Belle was immediately suspended.

But as months went by, the pair grew closer and, by February, 2024, Gemma, Belle and Sean were all friends – yet this changed very quickly. After spotting Sean and Belle’s own connection during a party, Gemma was left furious.

Belle decided to try and reason with her but the exchange turned heated when Gemma started insulting her. When she retorted that Sean would never be interested in her, Belle then received a vicious slap in the face, retaliating by pushing Gemma to the ground before storming off.

While all seemed well, Gemma had hit her head on a rock and began to bleed – an injury she decided to ignore as she walked home at night alone. Unfortunately, this decision caught up with her and she was found unconscious a day later by Harriet Finch.

Gemma was rushed to hospital, where she was due for an operation. But when Dom arrived on the scene, adamant something was amiss, he was told that she had lost brain stem function and wouldn’t recover. In heart-breaking scenes, Dom then sat by Gemma’s bedside, knowing all he could do was watch her life support being switched off, sealing her fate.

Following these events, Belle was given a murder charge and sentenced to three years in a detention centre, though this was shortened later on. Upon her release, the guilt overwhelmed Belle as she began to hear Gemma’s voice in her head, bullying her into doing things she didn’t want to do. This later led her to receive a schizophrenia diagnosis.

While Belle will have to wait before Tom’s fate is confirmed, actor James Chase’s exit appears to be imminent. In late July, 2024, it was reported that James, 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.”