Emmerdale’s Tom King has attempted to cover his tracks now that he has been arrested for abusing his wife Belle Dingle after waking up from a coma and accusing her of being abusive towards him

In dramatic scenes on Emmerdale, Tom King’s day of reckoning is on the horizon – but in a shocking twist, he denies ever mistreating Belle Dingle and instead points the finger at her. After waking from his coma – the result of an attack by his estranged wife, who he had intimidated, abused, and controlled throughout their relationship and marriage – the despicable vet, played by James Chase, coerced her into visiting him in hospital.

Eden Taylor-Draper’s character, the wedding planner, showed Tom she was done with his manipulative tactics and informed the police of the abuse she suffered at his hands. In Wednesday’s episode of Emmerdale (October 2, 2024), Tom faced the music as he was arrested by the police right outside his hospital room and taken to the station for questioning.

While being interrogated, Tom shockingly confessed to lying about the nature of his attack, claiming he’d been mugged to cover for Belle, whom he wrongfully accused of being “angry” and abusive – a stark contrast to what viewers know to be true, reports the Mirror.

Emmerdale fans took to Twitter, now X, to express their outrage as Tom maintained he was the real victim of Belle’s supposed volatile temper and mental health issues. Yet, there’s a chance one small detail could unravel his lies and lead to the justice he deserves.

As the drama unfolded and Tom sought legal advice, he confided in a new character that he had erased the “evidence” Belle had mistreated him from his tablet, but still possessed footage that could support her allegations. Tom was desperate to get his hands on the tablet, which was then seen in Carl Holliday’s grip as the youngster was engrossed in a video game, oblivious to Nicola and Jimmy King, his parents, who were distracted.

In upcoming ITV episodes, teased by spoilers for next week, Tom attempts to reclaim the tablet, which ends up with Isaac Dingle. After securing the device, Tom plans to destroy it to hide his misdeeds, not realising Carl is watching him.

Soap enthusiasts are aware that Tom’s storyline won’t lead to redemption before his exit. In late July, 2024, reports surfaced that actor James Chase, who has played Tom since 2023, decided to leave the series, with his final scenes promised to be explosive.

An insider revealed to The Sun: “It’s the right time to leave,” adding, “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.”

But what’s in store for his farewell, and is his character destined for a fatal end?