From Carl King to son Tom, Emmerdale characters that finally got their comeuppance
Emmerdale characters who finally got their comeuppance
Anthony Fox is the latest in a line of evil Emmerdale characters to get their comeuppance after he was killed. The murder of Ruby’s abusive father is part of a huge whodunnit storyline, and although Aaron believes he dealt the fatal blow, some it doesn’t all add up to him being the killer.
We can’t be sorry to see Anthony go. He’s rotten to the core and quite possibily the vilest character to ever set foot in the Dales. His sick past has finally caught up with him. And he’s not the first Emmerdale character who got what was coming to them.
From Carl King to his nasty offspring Tom, here are nine other wicked ones who got their just desserts.
Emmerdale characters that got their comeuppance: Tom King
Tom’s comeuppance felt like a very long coming after almost a year of witnessing his campaign of terror and abuse against Belle.
For months, fragile Belle suffered in silence as Tom physically, mentally and emotionally tortured her. He controlled her every move and continually gaslit Belle into believing it was her own fault. Tom spied on Belle through hidden cameras, tried to convince the locals she was mad and even faked Piper’s death in a cruel bid to cause distress.
After being pushed to the edge, Belle found the courage to report her husband’s crimes to the police. The discovery of crucial evidence led to Tom being arrested and put on trial.
On December 19, 2024, Emmerdale aired a format-breaking episode. Over an hour, it went back and forth between Tom and Belle giving evidence in court and the jury deliberating their verdict.
Tom put on a convincing performance, and the audience had to hold tight until the end to witness justice being served. We cheered along with the Dingles as Tom was found guilty on two counts and sentenced to three years in prison. As he was taken down, viewers heard the stories of real women who’d suffered the same abuse Belle had.
A very powerful moment in Emmerdale history.
Emmerdale characters that got their comeuppance: Carl King
No wonder Tom turned out the way he did, with such a narcissistic bully for a father.
Carl King entered the show as a typical arrogant womaniser, whose biggest crime was two-timing. But he graduated to full blown baddie status after murdering his dad, Tom Senior, in a gripping whodunit.
For six years Carl got away with his crime, which was ridiculous given that half the village knew what he’d done, including his own brothers. But his downfall came when he made an enemy of fellow psycho Cameron Murray.
Carl discovered Cameron was sleeping with his ex Chas Dingle and he didn’t want another man having her. He attempted to rape Chas in a jealous rage, but she fought back and knocked him out with a brick. Chas thought Carl was dead so she fled the scene. But he was still alive.
Cameron was the one who finished the job – and he smashed Carl’s skull in. Over eight million viewers tuned in to watch Carl’s comeuppance, which was part of the Emmerdale’s big 40th live episode.
Meena Jutla
Mad Meena was deliciously evil and so much fun to watch, but the killing had to come to an end eventually. There wouldn’t have been anyone left in the village otherwise.
Meena had already claimed two victims before she even set foot in the Dales – her best friend Nadine, and her own father – but her lust for blood led her to kill again.
In total, the nutty nurse bumped off three villagers. She pushed Dr Liam’s teenage daughter Leanna off a bridge, bashed Ben Tucker’s brains out and left Andrea Tate to burn to death in a maze. All were calculated kills and Meena took sadistic delight in stalking her prey. She even got in the mood for murder by singing along to her favourite pop songs.
Meena attempted to kill Manpreet and Vinny, but Liam interrupted her plan. She went on the run and returned on Billy and Dawn‘s wedding day and held the couple at gunpoint. But the police weren’t far behind.
After being arrested, Meena stood trial and was found guilty. She’s serving 75 years in prison with no chance of release.
Cain Dingle
In December 2011, village bad boy Cain found himself at the centre of a whodunnit, dubbed Judgement Day. The mechanic was attacked in the middle of the village by a mystery assailant and left for dead.
At that time Cain had fewer friends than enemies in the village. He’d destroyed John and Moira Barton’s marriage, impregnated 17-year-old Amy Wyatt and turned most of his family against him.
Six locals were in the frame for the crime, and the police were convinced Jai Sharma was their man. But in the end it turned out the least likely suspect, Zak, was their attacker. The Dingle patriarch decided his son needed to be taught a lesson for bringing disgrace to the family name.
Emmerdale characters that got their comeuppance: Emma Barton
Emma’s murderous past caught up with her in 2017 when she died after falling from the Hotten Bypass. But did she fall or was she pushed? That was the question on every fan’s lips.
Emma Barton was the estranged wife of James and mum to Pete, Ross and Finn. She had abandoned her family when the boys were young and came to the village looking for forgiveness.
She managed to convince her sons to give her another chance and Emma wormed her way back into James’s affections. But then Emma discovered James really loved Moira and she totally lost the plot.
Emma held James hostage in a remote cottage and tortured him. He managed to escape, but she pushed him over a motorway bridge, which led to the fatal Hotten Bypass Crash. The rampage continued as Emma abducted Moira’s baby boy Isaac then shot Finn dead in a confused state.
Hearing the news of her son’s death over the radio, traumatised Emma drove herself to the viaduct. She contemplated suicide and was seen falling, although it later transpired she’d been pushed to her death by Moira.
Cameron Murray
Unhinged Cameron Murray remains one of Emmerdale’s most iconic villains and his demise was nothing short of spectacular.
During his two year reign of terror, Cameron claimed the lives of three locals. His first victim was Carl King, who he bludgeoned to death during Emmerdale’s live 40th anniversary episode. In order to protect his secret, Cam claimed two more victims – farmhand Alex Moss and young mum Gennie Walker.
His crimes were discovered and Cameron was found guilty of triple murder and sent to prison. Months later he escaped jail and returned to the village for one final stand.
The dramatic seige took place in The Woolpack, where Cameron held a group of terrified locals hostage. Events reached a thrilling climax as Cameron attempted to drown former lover Chas in the pub’s flooded cellar. This time he wasn’t so lucky and ended up grabbing the live wire of an electric light bulb. He was killed instantly.
Emmerdale characters that got their comeuppance: Pierce Harris
Pierce Harris was introduced to the audience as the grieving widower of Paddy’s lover Tess. He grew close to Rhona and the pair embarked on a relationship.
Rhona hoped Pierce would be the one to mend her broken heart, but he turned out to be a monster. Behind closed doors, Pierce subjected Rhona to horrendous abuse and raped her on their wedding night.
She went to the police, reported the crime, and Pierce was sent to prison. After serving two years he was released and made his way back to the village. Still intent on controlling his ex, Pierce murdered Rhona’s boyfriend Graham Foster and kidnapped Vanessa Woodfield and her young son Johnny.
Rhona eventually outsmarted the villain by getting him to confess to Graham’s murder on tape. She then injected Pierce with a tranquilizer to hold him there until the police arrived to arrest him. Thanks to Rhona’s bravery, they had enough to charge Pierce and get him sent back inside. He ended up dying behind bars.
Emmerdale characters that got their comeuppance: Craig Reed
On first impressions, Lydia’s ex-boyfriend Craig seemed like a decent enough bloke. But he had a dark side.
He offered Lydia a cleaning job at his workplace, but started making creepy advances towards her. Then one night, Craig trapped Lydia inside his office, where he raped her.
Lydia suffered in silence for weeks afterwards before finding the courage to tell her family what had happened. From that moment on, Craig was a dead man.
In October 2023, Craig’s bloodied and bruised body was found in the middle of a field on Home Farm land. Every member of the Dingle family was in the frame for his murder. But flashback scenes revealed Craig’s killer wasn’t even human.
Although Craig was beaten black and blue by Sam, it Kim Tate’s horse, Ice, that finished the job. The creature got spooked and trampled Craig to death in front of Kim and Cain, who left the rapist to die a lonely painful death. Which was exactly what he deserved.
Emmerdale characters that got their comeuppance: DI Malone
DI Mark Malone is now six feet under in Home Farm soil. And we’re not sorry about it.
The bent copper came to Emmerdale in 2020. He was the former lover of Harriet Finch and the boss of a criminal network, who drug dealer Will Taylor worked for. So there were scores to settle.
From beginning to end, Malone caused nothing but trouble. He blackmailed Will, Cain and Billy into working for him, then launched a campaign of terror against Dawn. This culminated with Malone trying to convince Dawn to take a fatal overdose of heroin.
Harriet came to Dawn’s rescue and clonked Malone over the head with an ornament. She thought she’d killed him, but he came back to life and tried to attack them both. Dawn grabbed a gun and shot Malone three times. And this time he really was dead.
Dawn and Harriet initially buried their victim in the churchyard, before Will moved the body to a secluded place in the Home Farm estate.
The Emmerdale Insider team reveal which Emmerdale characters they enjoyed most see get their comeuppance and why. From Carl King to Craig Reed, everyone has a baddie who they were glad to see the back off. But do you agree with our picks? And who would have got your vote?
Emmerdale characters: who deserved their comeuppance?
Kaggie Hyland, Editor-in-Chief
“Carl King, talk about a soap character demise! I had a crush on him in his earlier days. But then he of course gradually descended deeper into his darkness. I am still vividly picture the scene where he attempted to rape Chas. Utterly vile, his end couldn’t come quickly enough after that.”
Carena Crawford, Managing Editor
“It has to be Carl King. He spent years in the village never being punished for his crimes, but the Soap Gods do not forget and he was eventually taken down as he shouted out ‘I’m invincible’ – what a juicy ending.”
Emmerdale characters: Lachlan White
Tamzin Meyer, Assistant Soap Editor
“Definitely Lachlan White. He spent his time in the village being seriously creepy and making Alicia’s life a living hell. And then, he killed Lawrence and one of my favourite characters, Chrissie. And, let’s not forget lovely Gerry too. After all of this, I loved seeing him get sentenced to life in prison. It’s what he deserved.”
Rebecca Sayers, Soap Writer
“Mine would have to be Cameron Murray. I loved watching his entire reign of terror in the village and spent so long wondering when he would get his comeuppance. And it did not disappoint. The Woolpack hostage situation in his final episode will always be iconic.”
Kerry Barrett, Freelance Writer
“I was very pleased to see Tom King arrested by the lovely DS Foy and face justice in front of a judge and jury. Though of course we all love the drama of soaps, sometimes it’s good to see an abuser like Tom simply go to prison for their crimes. Tom tormented poor Belle and it was very satisfying to watch the jury and Belle’s friends and family, see through his victim act. And the same goes for Charity’s abuser, DI Mark Bails. Charity bravely facing him from the witness box was the most perfect revenge she could have wished for.”
Emmerdale characters: Craig Reed
Laura Morgan, Freelance Writer
“For his death scene alone, it has to be Craig Reed. What he did to Lydia was despicable and there’s no way the Dingles were not going to let him get away with it. Any one of them could have murdered Craig, but the fact he was killed under the hooves of Kim’s horse was such an unexpected and genius twist. I loved it.”
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