ITV Emmerdale fans 'rumble' who really killed Tom King after Belle Dingle axe twist

Emmerdale fans are convinced they know who really killed Tom King after he was left fighting for his life when Belle Dingle attacked him with an axe

Emmerdale fans are speculating that a familiar face has secretly returned to the ITV soap after the dramatic events of Thursday night, which left Tom King's fate hanging in the balance. Belle Dingle was seen wielding an axe against her violent husband Tom following his attempt to kill her with a shotgun.

However, as Tom's outcome remains uncertain, viewers are theorising that another character may have been involved in the altercation. Initial suspicions pointed towards Vinny Dingle, but now some believe a returning character could be at play, reports the Mirror.

A fan spotted a backpack in the scene, fuelling speculation that someone might have been covertly staying at the Dingles' residence. With Ross Barton's anticipated return to Emmerdale, one hypothesis suggests that Ross was the unseen presence in the room and could have witnessed the conflict.

Despite it appearing that no one else was present, the theory circulating is that Ross may have been the one to attack Tom. The conjecture states: "I think Ross Barton killed him, there was a suitcase and backpack in that room, I think Ross was hiding out there."

As Ross is due to reappear on the show, could this theory hold water?

The episode, broadcast before the watershed, did not explicitly show Belle's attack, leading some viewers to question if this omission hints at another character's involvement.

The camera then cut to Belle, who looked stunned, while Tom lay on the ground with the axe lodged in his back. Although it seemed likely that Belle was the one who struck him, viewers are speculating that someone else might be revealed as the attacker in the next episode.

Some fans believe that Belle's friend Vinny intervened and attacked Tom, with one writing online: "He's not dead. I think the camera may swing around and Vinny is standing there after putting the hatched in him."

Another fan agreed, saying: "No... hope he is paralysed though. I think Vinny did it, I don't think it was Belle."

A third viewer posted: "For a minute I thought Sam or Vinny had attacked Tom."

Meanwhile, other fans were puzzled as to how Tom had managed to sneak past Belle's brother Sam and Vinny, who were supposed to be keeping an eye on the house, in order to terrorise Belle. The scene left some viewers divided over Tom's fate, with many convinced that Belle would not face consequences regardless of the outcome.