Emmerdale's Tom King issues chilling warning to Belle after brutal murder of pet Piper

After mowing down their pet dog Piper in an off-screen scene, abusive Tom waited until Belle was nearby before rushing the dog into the vets' surgery, insisting that he would save her life.

As the ITV soap continued, Tom feigned exhaustion, claiming he had been trying to save Piper all through the night, but that it was now time to say goodbye.

Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) blamed herself, insisting that she must have left the cottage gate open for Piper to have made it onto the road. In reality, of course, the sinister turn of events was all down to Tom.

Belle was distraught as she gave poor Piper a kiss and told her she loved her, before viewers saw her leave the room and Tom prepared to give the beloved animal a lethal injection.

Working with Emmerdale on this particular chapter of the dark storyline, Dogs Trust shared research from 2019 that pointed to how pets are often abused and, in some cases, killed by the perpetrator of domestic abuse in order to control and coerce.

It's important to note that no dog was harmed in the making of the scenes and a behind-the-scenes of the filming process is being released on Emmerdale's social channels.

In the village after the heartbreaking event, Tom joined Belle for a chat about the loss of their pet - but it wasn't long before Tom brought up Belle's mental health, claiming that she would go downhill due to Piper's death.

This led Belle to the horrific realisation that Tom had run Piper over in his car in order to get closer to her. Belle recalled Piper's 'illness', which Tom had previously created to force Belle home from the mental health unit.

When Tom's boss Rhona Goskirk (Zoë Henry) approached, Belle revealed Tom's cruel behaviour towards Piper, including the day he locked the animal outside for hours.

Belle insisted she would never forgive Tom; and Rhona supported Tom as he made out he was hurt by his wife's claims. Rhona offered to deal with Piper's body, and offered to talk to Belle.

Despicable Tom played the dutiful husband, leaving Rhona well and truly convinced that he was the innocent party.

As Lydia tried to explain her role in Piper's demise, Tom arrived, lying that he believed Belle was suffering a relapse. But at the house, Belle continued to blame Tom, telling him she now saw exactly who he was, before ordering him out.

But in haunting scenes, Tom shouted Belle down and accused her of failing to care for Piper.

"I don't love you," Belle responded, while Tom warned her she would "regret this".

"You want out of our marriage?" he asked. "Bring it on. Let's see how that works out for you."

Speaking about the storyline, the veterinary director at Dogs Trust, Paula Boyden, said: "The recent storyline involving Belle, Tom and Piper is incredibly distressing, but sadly it is reflective of what we too often see through our work.

"Those we support share their stories of the many ways that perpetrators use pets to coerce, control, physically harm and threaten within abusive relationships. We've heard of perpetrators not letting survivors walk their dogs alone, stopping them from accessing vet care for their dogs or being able to spend money on dog food, and even repeatedly threatening to harm or kill their dogs. This is incredibly frightening, and leaves people feeling very isolated.

"Sometimes, perpetrators will even buy their partner a pet with the purpose of using it as a means by which to control and entrap them, preying on the strong bonds people have with their beloved pets."

She continued: "We know that people often delay fleeing abusive situations as they are fearful of what may happen to their pets if left behind, and unfortunately, many refuges are unable to accept pets. This is where our Freedom team steps in to provides a vital lifeline, offering a safe and secure foster home for dogs until their owners have found somewhere safe to live."

Emmerdale has been working with Refuge and New Beginnings Peer Support for the Tom and Belle storyline. 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 via nationaldahelpline.org.uk.

You can also find out more about the work of Dogs Trust at its official website.

Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.

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