Please be aware that this article contains sensitive content, including discussions of abuse, sexual harassment, and assault, which may be upsetting to some readers.
Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) has had a difficult emotional day on EastEnders, following the conclusion of Joel Marshall’s (Max Murray) trial.
The teenager faced serious charges, including causing serious harm, secretly watching people, and creating and sharing inappropriate images of a child. However, even with widespread condemnation, he didn’t recognize his wrongdoing.
Yesterday on the show, it was revealed that he secretly told his lawyer when Vicki and his father, Ross (Alex Walkinshaw), paid off the people he’d harmed. This allowed his harmful behavior towards women to go on.
The news overwhelmed Vicki, and she quickly left the courtroom, worried her attacker wouldn’t be held accountable for what he’d done.
Today, her worries grew stronger as she started to question if her life choices had unintentionally confirmed his negative beliefs about women.
Avani Nandra-Hart, who was also hurt by Joel, found Vicki and tried to comfort her before her next court appearance. Avani shared that despite trying to forget the trauma, the memories kept returning.
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Despite her own uncertainties, Vicki firmly stated that neither she nor the other person was to blame for his awful actions.
Joel felt really good about himself, but when Ross turned down his offer to hang out, he called his friend Tommy Moon, also known as Sonny Kendall, instead. They talked, and Tommy shared that he regretted being violent with his mother, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), admitting it hadn’t made him feel any stronger.
Joel clearly wasn’t interested in Tommy’s words, but the idea of spending his life in prison definitely bothered him.
Okay, so Vicki finally showed up in court, and honestly, her testimony was heartbreaking. She described really trying to be a mother figure to Ross when they first got together, filling a role he clearly needed. And despite him repeatedly lying to her, she kept hoping he’d turn things around. It was a powerful, if sad, portrayal of someone clinging to the possibility of change.
It meant so much to me when Avani shared that she finally felt understood and safe with him. But things shifted quickly when she explained she wasn’t looking for a serious, committed relationship – he just wasn’t the same after that.
Joel found great humour in her words and began to smirk, causing Avani to lash out.
He explained that he felt abandoned by his father, who prioritized his relationship with Vicki over him. He also believed their attempts to fix his problems with money set a bad example, leaving him confused about what was right and wrong.
But when the judge was ready to announce her decision, she shared some unexpected information. Joel had changed his plea to guilty, and once the youth justice team finished a detailed report about his history, he could finally be sentenced.
Although Vicki was relieved by the news, she was still upset about the situation. As people celebrated at The Vic, she pointed out there was no reason to be happy – a vulnerable child could end up in trouble, and it all felt wrong.
We’re left wondering how much time Joel will get in prison. It seems likely he’ll reappear, and unfortunately, Vicki’s struggles probably aren’t over yet.
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, giving fans the latest news and spoilers from all their favorite shows – including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even worked behind the scenes on the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
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2026-01-29 10:04