Tom King will go too far on Friday night's Emmerdale in a sickening twist with the ITV soap releasing a warning ahead of the episode. Only recently the ITV soap has been tackling a coercive control storyline with Tom and Belle Dingle. This week, Tom has targeted his estranged wife Belle Dingle once again in a sickening camera twist.
After Belle told him she did not want to get back with him and was ending their marriage, after months of abuse, Tom was furious. What she did not know is that while she was away in Scotland , he'd set up cameras in the house to spy on her . Tom had been coercively controlling Belle for months after their wedding, before he turned violent.
She ended things recently and fled to Scotland for some time away. Tom had hoped he could win her over when she returned, believing he could get her back under his control. But the abuser was left furious when Belle told him she wanted to stay away from him and did not want to give their marriage another go.
She also refused to accept the car he bought her and told him to leave the home. Tom is not living at the house but keeps letting himself in and spying on her through the secret cameras in her bathroom and bedroom. Things will only get worse on Friday night as Tom's manipulative behaviour takes a further sinister twist when it becomes clear he’s intent on harming pet dog Piper to exert control over Belle.
In the harrowing upcoming scenes, Tom is seen deliberately revving his car in the direction of the beloved animal. It comes as a similar scene involving Piper earlier this year sparked nearly 1,000 Ofcom complaints . Issuing a disclaimer and warning ahead of Friday's episode, Emmerdale said: "No dog was harmed in the making of these scenes and viewers can watch a behind the scenes of all these scenes next Monday on the Emmerdale socials.
" Due to the sensitive nature of the episode, Emmerdale have been working closely with the charities Refuge and The Dogs Trust. In 2019 research by Dogs Trust found that pets are often abused and, in some cases, killed by the perpetrator of domestic abuse in order to control and coerce. In addition to the physical abuse that pets may suffer, 97% of professionals working in the domestic abuse sector also said that animals are often used as a means of controlling someone experiencing domestic abuse.
Talking about the sickening storyline and scenes, Tom actor James Chase said: "Tom is well aware of the control he can exert by using his dog in his abuse of Belle. This deliberate act, although horrifying, is Tom’s way of getting back in Belle’s life. He knows her reaction to Piper being injured will mean he can then be the one to comfort her and get close to her again.
It’s a desperate act, but Tom is clutching at anything at this time." Meanwhile, Emmerdale Producer Laura Shaw explained: "Working with the charities and hearing first hand stories from domestic abuse survivors it's clearly all too common that domestic abusers will use the family pet as a weapon. In upcoming scenes Viewers will see Tom go to desperate measures to try and keep control of his imploding marriage to Belle, which puts Piper in great jeopardy.
Could this terrible act be the motivation that finally urges Belle to report her husband as an abuser?" *If you have been affected by this story, you can access free and confidential support from Refuge’s 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 and digital support via live chat Monday-Friday 3-10pm. You can also visit the tech safety website to learn more about technology-facilitated abuse. Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
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