Tom King intensified his abuse of pet dog Piper in Friday night's Emmerdale as he looked to manipulate his way back into wife Belle's affections.
The character - played by James Chase - has been involved in one of the soap's most harrowing storylines in recent years which has seen him emotionally and physically abuse Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper).
Local vet Tom has previously used Piper as part of his ploy, injecting the animal with drugs to make her ill - scenes which sparked viewer complaints to TV regulator Ofcom.
In Friday's episode, however, Tom was pictured in even more menacing scenes as he deliberately revved his car in the direction of Piper.
"Tom is well aware of the control he can exert by using his dog in his abuse of Belle," said Chase, who will be exiting the show later this year when the storyline with Belle concludes.
"This deliberate act, although horrifying, is Tom's way of getting back in Belle's life. He knows her reaction to Piper being injured will mean he can then be the one to comfort her and get close to her again.
"It's a desperate act, but Tom is clutching at anything at this time."
Producer Laura Shaw added: "Working with the charities and hearing first hand stories from domestic abuse survivors it's clearly all too common that domestic abusers will use the family pet as a weapon.
"In upcoming scenes viewers will see Tom go to desperate measures to try and keep control of his imploding marriage to Belle, which puts Piper in great jeopardy. Could this terrible act be the motivation that finally urges Belle to report her husband as an abuser?"
Emmerdale continues weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Neil Wilkes
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