Emmerdale airs surprise jury verdict in Bear, Paddy and Dylan’s trial in early ITVX release

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The dramatic human trafficking plot on Emmerdale reached a climax with one character found guilty, while two others avoided conviction.

Joshua Richards, known as Bear Wolf, Dominic Brunt, playing Paddy Dingle, and Fred Kettle, who plays Dylan Penders, were all in court this week. They were on trial for their roles in the death of Ray Walters, played by Joe Absolom.

For months, Bear was held captive and forced to work extremely hard on Ray and Celia Daniels’ farm. Ray and Celia, who were Bear’s adoptive parents, completely controlled him.

In a sudden, impulsive act, Bear killed Ray and immediately turned himself in to the police, overwhelmed with guilt. However, this decision unexpectedly involved Paddy and Dylan, who were then accused of trying to obstruct the investigation.

Paddy Dingle was hoping his father would receive a lighter sentence if they could prove he wasn’t mentally well. Detective Sergeant Walsh agreed he was having difficulties, meaning prosecutors couldn’t pursue charges while he was receiving care in a mental health facility.

When Bear left the hospital, he was immediately arrested again. This led Walsh to realize that Ray and Celia’s entire operation was likely being run by Bear, as his name appeared on all their bank records.

Things looked promising when another enslaved person, Simon Clarke (also known as Steven Gidwaney), offered to share what he remembered. However, his account of events didn’t match Bear’s, and the situation quickly became difficult.

In today’s episode, Bear’s therapist, Lucy, explained what she’s learned from their sessions. She believes Bear was manipulated and controlled by Ray and Celia, and that he’s now showing signs of Stockholm syndrome – a condition where someone develops positive feelings toward their captor.

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Bear then gave his evidence, breaking down in tears as he described what had happened to him.

After three hours of deliberation, the jury announced its verdict: two defendants were found not guilty, and one was found guilty.

We found Paddy and Dylan in a field, both thinking about the difficult time they’d just been through. Paddy told Dylan he was now able to move on with his life, get back together with his girlfriend, April Windsor (played by Amelia Flanagan), and make a fresh start.

Paddy shared details about a difficult experience, and Bear supported him. It was revealed that Paddy had been convicted and given a one-year suspended sentence, meaning he wouldn’t serve it unless he committed another offense within the next two years.

Bear felt he should have taken the blame, but Paddy insisted it was a fresh start and they could all return to a normal life.

The episode concluded with Bear reflecting on modern slavery, highlighting the fact that it still occurs in the UK every year. Unusually, the closing credits rolled without the show’s usual theme song.

As one chapter closes, will the family be able to move on?

If you’d like to learn more about modern slavery or need help, you can find resources and support on the Salvation Army’s website. They partnered with the TV show Emmerdale on a recent storyline about this issue.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

Want to stay up-to-date with Emmerdale? Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app! Download it now for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.

Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, providing the latest news and spoilers for popular shows like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even gained on-set experience with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2026-05-05 16:04