Emmerdale airs shock exit for Dan Spencer as he's sentenced to 8 years

Tonight, Dan looked out at the village for the final time, and then found himself sitting through an unhelpful but well-meaning visit from Sam (James Hooton) and Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick).

Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) then urged Dan to head to the Woolpack for one last pint, though Dan was keen not to turn up to court drunk. As the locals showed their support, Dan was presented with a specially engraved tankard, ready for his return.

At home, Dan received a video call from his ex, Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton), and he confessed how scared he was as she insisted he didn't deserve to go to jail. Kerry told Dan she loved him, and promised she would see him soon.

After one final chat with Amelia, they headed to court, where Dan's solicitor (Drew Cain) read out a statement describing Dan's previous good character and flawless record. But, unable to listen any longer, Dan asked to speak himself.

He expressed his remorse over Lloyd's death, adding that he wasn't a violent person and had only wanted to protect his daughter. Dan struggled to keep his composure as he made it to the end of his speech, and the judge then delivered his sentence.

Although he acknowledged Dan's confession and remorse, the judge claimed the latter was "limited", and insisted that Dan's actions were premeditated after his previous threat to Lloyd. With that, Dan was sentenced to eight years behind bars, and Amelia was left devastated.

The villagers were stunned to hear this, while Amelia screamed for her dad as Dan was taken away in heart-wrenching scenes.

After weeks of speculation, RadioTimes.com can confirm that these were indeed Liam Fox's final scenes as Dan in Emmerdale. It comes after a series of powerful performances from actor Fox throughout the tense storyline.

Dan first appeared in 2011, and has been a well-loved part of the community ever since. Storylines included a short-lived marriage to Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), and suffering an allergic reaction that rendered Dan unable to work for several weeks.

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Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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