Emmerdale fans believe Vinny Dingle will face a fatal exit in upcoming episodes, following his sentencing to 10 years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving.
The heartbreaking development aired on Monday (October 12), during an episode now available on ITVX. Vinny, played by Bradley Johnson, had pleaded guilty to the charge after confessing to police weeks after a catastrophic car accident that killed two beloved residents.
Deadly crash and guilty plea
In recent months, the Dales saw the tragic deaths of Jimmy King (Nick Miles) and Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley) after Jimmy's vehicle crashed into Dawn and Joe Tate's (Ned Porteous) wedding marquee. A flashback sequence revealed that Vinny was responsible for the collision, having taken a telephone call from his former wife, Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), before spotting Jimmy's vehicle and causing it to careen into the marquee.
Vinny initially lied to Gabby, claiming he had seen a deer on the road, but eventually confessed and reported himself to police. He entered a guilty plea and awaited his sentencing hearing.
Judge imposes 10-year sentence
During Monday's instalment, the judge announced that Vinny would serve 10 years imprisonment. The judge said: "You are charged and have pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving. This is a most unfortunate incident. I don't know what it takes for people to realise that their actions have consequences."
"No text or phone call is more important than a life. You are aware of the severity of your actions, but I cannot ignore the fact that it took you weeks to own up to your part in this tragedy." The judge added: "Taking this into account, I feel it is incumbent upon myself to make an example of you in the hope that it will deter others from behaving in such a reckless manner. I therefore impose a 10-year sentence of imprisonment."
His mother, Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), was left utterly distraught by the verdict. While the village remained stunned, it emerged that the judge had been bribed, with all evidence tracing back to Joe Tate. The episode concluded with various villagers reading letters of apology from Vinny, penned prior to his hearing.
Fans suspect prison murder
With Vinny facing imprisonment for the foreseeable future, certain Emmerdale viewers are worried about his wellbeing. Numerous dedicated soap fans suspect he may be murdered off-screen by a legendary Dales antagonist.
"Who else thinks Vinny's going to be killed in prison?" one person wrote on a Facebook fan page. "Yeah I think so too, what if it's Tom King that does it?" A third said: "OMG I can see that happening!"
This follows the ITV soap's confirmation of villain Tom King's (James Chase) comeback later this year. Emmerdale has hinted that the village faces a "chilling shake-up" when the abuser returns. Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
