SPOILERS: Emmerdale’s Tom King has been jailed after being found guilty of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour toward Belle, but some viewers have spotted a problem
Emmerdale confirmed the end of Tom King’s domestic abuse towards his wife, Belle Dingle, after tormenting her for months. Earlier this year, Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) and village vet Tom (James Chase) tied the knot, but their marriage instantly took a turn for the worse.
After a horrifying string of physical violence and coercive control, Belle finally left Tom, and following weeks of deliberation, she reported him to the police. Tom was arrested but tried multiple times to sabotage the court case, including a staged suicide attempt in prison.
During Thursday’s (December 19) episode, now available to watch on ITVX, Belle and Tom both appeared in court and tried to convince the jury they were telling the truth in upsetting scenes.
As the couple went head-to-head and detailed various events from throughout their marriage, the jurors were left trying to agree on a verdict.
Juror Heidi (Denise Welch) believed Belle was telling the truth, but not everyone felt the same as her violent past was brushed over, making Tom look innocent.
After much debate, the prosecution finally played their biggest card: the recovery of the camera footage on Tom’s tablet that he tried to destroy. Back in the jury room, Kenneth, a member of the jury, shared his own emotional personal story about domestic abuse.
As the jury returned to the courtroom to give a confirmed verdict, Karl revealed the jury had found Tom guilty of both charges of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, and the judge gave him a three-year custodial sentence.
Emmerdale fans have rushed to social media to react to Tom’s prison sentence, with some working out when he will be let out. In the UK, offenders can serve half of their sentence in prison and the remainder on license, meaning Tom could be expected to be released from prison in June 2026, in 18 months’ time.
Taking to X, one person wrote: “Tom King only got 3yrs….he’ll be out in 18 months. Shocking he’ll then be free to terrorise her again!”
On Facebook, a second exclaimed: “It’s 18 months on good behaviour be back to terrorise Belle in no time.”
A third chimed in: “3 years isn’t enough! And what a perfect ending. Couldn’t have ended it any better.”
“Three years is laughable. He’ll be out in 18 months. This will give the scriptwriters time to work out of hell and return to the village full of remorse or revenge”, added another.
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
