Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins)’s mental health has been spiralling ever since Christmas in Emmerdale when a showdown with violent thug Damon ‘Harry’ Harris (Robert Beck) ended up with Charity shooting him dead.
The police were satisfied that there was no blame on Charity’s part, and it’s true that if she hadn’t killed Harry he would certainly have killed Mackenzie (Lawrence Robb).
But despite this, Charity hasn’t been able to come to terms with what happened.
She’s been unable to sleep, has experienced panic attacks and is continually stressed and on-edge with her family.
‘It’s just so utterly traumatic and beyond anyone’s comprehension. I think it troubles her to the point where she can’t really relate to anyone,’ Emma Atkins told us.
Finally, in episodes airing soon, Charity agrees to get some help and Mackenzie is relieved. But on a visit to Harry’s grave Charity allows her feelings to explode as she trashes his grave, feeling that she’s finally taking back the power that he took from her.
It feels like a turning point for her and she’s hugely relieved when she goes back home and feels relaxed enough to go to sleep. That’s when Harry reappears, plaguing her nightmares and destroying any chance of the restful sleep she so desperately needs.
By daylight, her mental health gets worse as every loud noise triggers her, and she starts to hallucinate visions of Harry.
Liam (Jonny McPherson) begins to realise that something is badly wrong with Charity, but once again she puts the barriers up and she pretends that everything is fine.
Later, when Charity is at home alone she’s overcome by feelings of terror when she thinks someone is in the house, grabbing something to use as a weapon to defend herself.
As she’s gripped by a night terror Mack arrives and tries to help – but a terrified Charity lashes out at him in self defence – and Mack is gravely injured.
Could Harry have indirectly caused Mack’s death after all?
