Emmerdale’s Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) is used to being in incredibly dangerous situations at this point.
He lived on the streets, dabbled in sex work to feed his drug addiction and is now firmly caught in the wicked web of shady drug dealer Ray Walters (Joe Absolom).
However, crossing Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) could prove to be his most dangerous decision of all as she decides to take revenge for his botched burglary up at Butler’s.
Returning to the village after Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) plotted his leaving earlier this year, Dylan swore to April that he’d turned over a new leaf, though it soon became clear that he was working as a lackey of Ray, who’s first order in the village was to send Dylan up to Butler’s to ensure there was no more weed.
Winding up with a rapidly worsening leg injury as a result of a timely pitchfork jab from little Kyle Winchester (Huey Quinn), Dylan sought refuge at the cricket pavilion.
Discovering her friend again sleeping rough and panicking as his wound got worse, April intervened, attempting to fix Dylan’s leg with a trip to the vest.
Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), came to the rescue when he found the twosome in the surgery and, following the kind vet’s patch-up job, Dylan took Paddy up on his offer of a bed.
With April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) firmly at his side, things seem to be on the up for the troubled teen. If only he could shake Ray…
Appearing as close to a father figure as possible (if your father made you ferry drugs around the place), Ray drips poison into Dylan’s ear about Paddy’s true intentions and keeps him sweet with an advance payment for another dodgy delivery.
When April panics, spotting Dylan getting into a strange car, she’s forced to reveal to Paddy and dad Marlon about his history with sex work, intensely panicking that her boyfriend has returned to his former way of making money.
When Dylan returns, assuring April that his trip was a drug deal and nothing more, she’s instantly relieved, though Dylan is absolutely horrified to learn that Paddy and Marlon are now fully aware of his past.
Humiliated and deeply hurting, April finds Dylan back at Tenant’s and listens as he tries to relay the level of hurt he’s feeling at her spilling his secrets to her dad and Paddy.
As he spirals further, April, panics. Convinced that she’s ruined things between them, she blurts out that she’s in love with him. Fraught, emotional and unable to cope, this does little more than push Dylan further over the edge.
Dylan’s spirits are lifted later when Paddy kindly tells him that he doesn’t and wouldn’t judge him based on his past. Feeling much more settled and deeply heartened, Dylan resolves to tell Ray that he wants to leave crime in the past…
…although one crime from the past comes back to bite him squarely on the behind, when a panicked Kyle spots him, immediately recognising as the person who tried to rob the farm.
Dylan begs him to keep quiet, but it’s not long before Kyle tells Moira, who promises to deal with Dylan. Uh oh.
Moira cleverly has Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) suggest Dylan come to Butler’s to help with a job on the farm, and initially feigns ignorance as to what she’s learned.
April is sickened when she becomes aware of the plan and she’s forced to reveal the truth to a disgusted Chas. Wracked with anxiety and worried about her boyfriend, she ropes Marlon in to a rescue mission as the two set off to Butler’s…
…just as Moira grabs a pitchfork, aims it squarely at Dylan and reveals what she knows. Incensed over his involvement with the robbery, Moira promises Dylan that he’ll pay for his crime – and she’ll be delivering the punishment personally.
Dylan cowers in sheer terror as Moira advances while April and Marlon embark on a race against time to save him.
Will Moira exact the ultimate revenge on Dylan, or can his girlfriend come to his aid on time?
