Belle Dingle had to fight for her life as she faced her abuser Tom King in a brutal Emmerdale showdown this Thursday, which ended with him taking an axe to the back.

Tom King was given the literal axe on Emmerdale this Thursday as Belle Dingle finally fought back to save her life.

Viewers of the ITV soap have been waiting for the villain portrayed by James Chase to face comeuppance for the months of abuse he inflicted upon his estranged wife Belle Dingle (portrayed by Eden Taylor-Draper) and on her beloved pooch Piper.

In recent Emmerdale scenes, Belle made the brave decision to hold him accountable for his actions and report him to the police, proof in hand. But when the news reached Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell), Tom was immediately made aware of Belle’s plan and he soon hatched his own.

An enamoured and love-bombed Amelia helped Tom getting to Belle during this Thursday’s (September 26, 2024) trip to the Yorkshire Dales, when she claimed to the wedding planner she’d had her own issues with Tom.

Tom King tricked Belle Dingle into a showdown this Thursday in Emmerdale but his fate was sealed when she struck him with an axe (Image: ITV)

Eager to help the young woman avoid the torment she suffered, Belle invited her for a chat at Wishing Well Cottage and Amelia reported straight back to Tom. In chilling scenes, he later allowed himself into the home as Belle’s face dropped.

Tom immediately exerted his control over Belle once again, before beating her bloody, but it wasn’t long before Belle saw and seized an opportunity to run for her life, grabbing hold of a nearby hunting rifle. Unfortunately, Tom soon followed suit with an axe in hand.

Belle found shelter but she was eventually found and, in a horrifying move, hacked down the door to get through to Belle. The pair were then face to face, with Tom dropping his axe in a defying move, challenging her to shoot him.

But when she decided to pull the trigger, the shot was blocked by the safety, which Tom later unlocked, holding the gun up to Belle. After mocking her horror, Tom was ready to bask in his glory, admiring himself in a broken mirror… before Belle struck him with the axe he had left on the floor, terrified for her life.

While some viewers have argued death would be Tom’s worst fate, it appears this could be the end of the villain, who held up his father Carl’s legacy of violence alive. Most particularly as actor James Chase was tipped to be on his way out of the long-running drama.

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.” But is this really the last viewers will see of Tom?