Emmerdale actor James Chase has said that he believes his character Tom is convinced that he can get away with his crimes because of his superior intelligence.
A slow-burning storyline has seen Tom progressively diminish, bully and physically abuse his wife Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) over the course of the last year, but several months ago she broke free of his spell and reported him to the police.
Tom has since moved on with a new girlfriend, teenager Amelia (Daisy Campbell), but he has continued to make misery for Belle while avoiding being charged by the police.
In next week's episodes, however, Tom slips up and after a heated row with Amelia he finds himself taken in by the police for questioning.
"Tom deliberately takes a top of Belle's," explained Chase. "It's a pale blue jumper and he has given it to Amelia. It's not long before Amelia asks him about it, explaining [that] Belle has seen her in it and queried her top as she has one the same, but it has gone missing."
"Tom is really cross," he continued. "Obviously the walls are closing in on Tom. He berates [Amelia] immediately and then drags her out of the house.. That's when Jimmy is watching and sees the police arrive to question Tom."
Even though Tom is eventually charged by the police, he remains convinced that he will avoid any sort of punishment.
"He thinks he can get away with it as he has a sort of God complex," said Chase. "He thinks he's incredibly intelligent. He is intelligent.
"Tom is cunning, conniving and clever - and I would kind of compare him to Littlefinger from A Game of Thrones. Tom is good at manipulation. He's good at turning people on each other for his own benefit. He enjoys playing people and playing scenarios. Tom is brilliant at it.
"If he was born in medieval times he would probably be a king, pardon the pun with his name! But he has a lack of empathy and morality and it can get you a very long way. He thinks he can get away with it.
"There are things that have happened like the axe going in his back and of course he has eye witnesses of people who saw Belle pushing him over. So he thinks he's got a lot of ammunition against her. He wants to win and believes he still can."
Emmerdale continues weekdays from 7am on ITVX and at 7.30pm on ITV1.
> Picture Spoilers: Next week on Emmerdale (Nov 25-29)
Neil Wilkes
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