Angelica King (Rebecca Bakes) is understandably terrified by the prospect of being sent to a secure children’s home in upcoming Emmerdale episodes.
The 14 year old knows that she’s facing a custodial sentence for causing the death of Heath Hope (Sebastian Dowling) by careless driving.
After Cathy Hope (Gabrielle Dowling) stole a car to get herself, Angel and Heath to a party in Hotten, the others got frustrated by Cathy’s slow driving and Angel took the wheel. As she was driving she lost control of the car and crashed.
Heath was killed instantly.
With Angel’s parents Nicola and Jimmy (Nicola Wheeler and Nick Miles) unable to say or do anything that can really help their daughter in the situation she’s facing, her cousin Tom (James Chase) has an idea.
He tells Belle that he’s promised she’ll talk to Angel about what she can expect. After all, Belle has spent time in a young offenders’ institute so she knows exactly what Angel can expect.
Belle is obviously reluctant to bring up what was an enormously painful time in her life. She was sentenced after she caused the death of Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota) after pushing her during a fight.
Her mental health suffered while she was away and on her release she started to hallucinate, believing she could see and talk to Gemma. Belle was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.
This is something Belle isn’t comfortable revisiting – as Tom knows perfectly well. She feels like she wants to say no to Tom’s suggestion, but he makes her feel guilty and implies that she doesn’t want to help Angel, so reluctantly Belle agrees.
Unfortunately for Angel, Belle is less than reassuring when she opens up a discussion about life inside a secure children’s home.
She tells Angel what the other children in the home might be like, and Angel gets more and more terrified the more she hears.
She panics that she might suffer the same effects as Belle and have to face the same mental health problems. Jimmy arrives on the scene and finds his daughter in tears, while a distraught Belle realises she’s made things worse for the Kings and rushes home.
If she was hoping for some sympathy from new husband Tom she certainly doesn’t get it as he proceeds to gaslight her by telling her it wasn’t his idea for her to speak to Angel – continuing a pattern of abusive behaviour that was even apparent on their wedding night.
Meanwhile Nicola and Jimmy desperately try to console Angel, as they have to face the fact that their daughter is completely unprepared for what she’s about to face.
