Tom King is back to manipulating and trying to control estranged wife Belle

Dingle in Emmerdale. Although he’s watched her on

cameras before, tonight took things to a whole new level.

Belle has told Tom she needs complete space from him – she doesn’t want to see or hear from him. He agreed and backed off – but we know he’s watching her on his phone on secret cameras he’s installed while she’s been away.

It’s a huge invasion of privacy – at least she knew the others were there. And it means he’s not giving her the space she’s asked for.

But is it the worst thing he’s done? Let’s take a look at the timeline of all the creepy things Tom has done to Belle since their doomed union began second time around.

1. Pushing her into a table

During the big ‘Who killed Craig’ week last year, Belle revealed her alibi was Tom proposing to her. But she had felt like it wasn’t the right time to get engaged and rejected the ring.

However, what viewers saw, but Belle didn’t explain to her family, was that Tom had lashed out at her for rejecting his proposal and pushed her violently into a table. Belle then injured her head, making Tom direct his manipulative behaviour towards her in a bid to make her stay with him.

2. Calling off the wedding

Belle didn’t want to lose the surname Dingle when she got married. Well, who can blame her when it’s such an iconic one?

But Tom wasn’t having that, he needed her to be his and only his and was determined to scrub out her connection to the Dingles once and for all. When he threatened to call off the wedding, Belle agreed to take his name. But we’ll always call her a Dingle!

3. Wedding night rejection

Tom wasn’t impressed by the Dingle celebrations on his big day. He became more frustrated at the reception as he watched them transform the event into pure chaos.

Things were made worse when Ruby stood up in front of everybody ready to make a spectacle. Tom was livid and blamed Belle for her family ruining everything.

Belle then decided to read a letter from her late mum Lisa, left for her on her wedding day. But Tom tried to stop her and accused her of caring more about her family than him. He then demanded that Belle spent the night on the sofa.

4. Tom humiliated Belle in Emmerdale

Wanting to give him a sexy surprise, Belle turned up at the vets in nothing but a trench coat. Tom was horrified, rejected and humiliated her and made her feel worthless. He also meddled with her job at Take A Vow, losing her a huge client.

5. Tracking her on an app

Tom downloaded an app on his phone which kept track of Belle and her movements. He had her under constant surveillance, but she had no idea.

6. Tom faked a robbery to scare Belle in Emmerdale

When his tracking app proved Belle wasn’t where she said she was, Tom went home and smashed the house up. He then told Belle they’d been robbed and hid her engagement and wedding rings to make her feel even more guilty.

As Belle started to feel unsafe at home as a result of Tom’s lies, he took the opportunity to install a lot of security cameras so now he had a valid excuse for watching her all the time.

7. Isolating Belle from best friend Vinny in Emmerdale

If anyone’s going to spot abuse, it’s Vinny who was abused by did dad, Paul Ashdale. So jealous Tom knew he had to keep them apart at all costs. He kidnapped Piper when she was under Vinny’s care and led Belle to believe it was all Vinny’s fault.

He then attacked Vinny and left him for dead at the Scrap Yard. When Vinny survived, Tom belittled him and made fun of him being a virgin to further push him away.

8. Physical abuse

After a while, Tom’s mental abuse turned physical. He punched Belle in the stomach and held her hand under scalding water. He then gaslighted her into thinking he wasn’t involved in those awful things.

9. Tom forced Belle to get pregnant in Emmerdale

Belle made it very clear she didn’t want a baby at this point, she wasn’t ready and was worried for her mental health. But Tom pushed and pushed and gaslit and eventually she gave in even though she really didn’t want to.

10. Turned everyone on to his side

Throughout all of this, Tom has manipulated everyone into believing Belle is the one with the problem. He told Dr Liam Belle was aggressive and scared him. He faked it that Belle wasn’t taking her medication and he even managed to convince Charity and Cain, Belle’s loving and protective family, he is the victim here.

11. Abused Piper

This had fans up in arms: when Tom drugged Piper the dog to make Belle come home from the mental health unit. Of course Belle rushed back thinking her beloved pooch was dying, but Piper made a miraculous recovery.

Piper was then at the centre of Tom’s plot again when he locked her outside all night in Wales and forbid Belle from tending to her. He then told Belle she should have brought Piper in and it wasn’t fair to have left her out there all that time!

12. Tom locked Belle in in Emmerdale

A number of times, Tom has taken Belle’s keys and locked her in the house. Once a fire started on the stove and she couldn’t get out. But Tom made her believe she’d just misplaced her keys and the door wasn’t even locked.

13. The Welsh holiday cottage

Everything that happened during their ‘romantic’ getaway was simply awful. From the way he forced her to make his toast, to locking Piper out and Belle in, to screaming and shouting at her and her cutting her hand. It’s no wonder Belle made a getaway – but how long can she stay away from him for?

So what was Tom’s absolute worst moment?

He’s done so much bad stuff the jury is definitely still out on what was the worst – but the Emmerdale Insider team definitely have their thoughts.

Kaggie Hyland – Editor-in-Chief

“Leaving Piper outside all night at the cottage – well, any and all abuse of the puppy! And Lisa’s ashes – knowing he was destroying something so precious that could never be replaced was so low.”

Carena Crawford – Editor

“The gaslighting and physical abuse of Belle (and Piper) had been tough to watch, but for me it’s locking her in the house. I could feel myself panicking as Belle couldn’t get out.”

Tamzin Meyer – Assistant Soaps Editor

“The worst thing for me was definitely when he drugged poor little, absolutely adorable Piper to make her ill. Those scenes were sickening!”

Kerry Barrett – Freelance Soap Writer

“Even despite Tom’s violence and manipulation up until now, I was really shocked this week when he was watching Belle sleeping on his phone. It seemed like such an invasion of a space where she should feel safe, and she appeared so vulnerable. It made me shiver.”

Joel Harley – Freelance Soap Writer

“The physical abuse – punching her in the stomach after she told him he needs help; holding her hand under scalding hot water – then gaslighting her over it all afterwards.”