In a twist of fate that nobody saw coming, Matty Barton (Ash Palmisciano) – one of the most gentle, laid-back people in Emmerdale – currently finds himself accused of attacking Samson Dingle (Sam Hall) with a knife in an unprovoked attack.
And things get progressively worse for him as it soon becomes clear he’s heading to prison.
The alleged attack occurred after Samson and his new friend Josh (Osian Morgan) headed to the Hide to celebrate Samson passing his driving test. Josh started annoying Amy (Natalie Ann Jamieson), and when Matty put him in his place after Amy had left he turned his attention to Matty instead, hurling transphobic insults at him and deadnaming him.
Things escalated further, with Josh threatening Matty to give him the money in the till. Finally Josh shoved Samson at Matty, who happened to be holding a knife.
Samson was badly injured with the knife and Josh framed the whole incident to the police to make it seem as though Matty had been the aggressive one. He claimed that Matty had attacked him and Samson without provocation.
In the coming week’s episodes Matty is terrified about what the future might hold for him if Samson sticks to supporting Josh’s version of events.
He tries to talk to Samson and hopes he’s talked some sense into him, but Samson turns the tables and tells the police that Matty has been putting pressure on him to change his story.
This causes a heated confrontation between Matty and Samson, which PC Swirling (Andy Moore) breaks up before marching Matty to a police car.
It’s all looking bleak for Matty as his solicitor reveals that the police are dropping their investigation of his claim that Josh and Samson were attempting to rob the Hide’s till.
Matty heads to court and a police officer tells him that he’d be wise to keep quiet about being transgender in prison as it could make him a target.
The Dingles are at odds as the battle lines are drawn between Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Sam (James Hooton), with the latter standing by his son and refusing to accept Matty’s claim that Samson is lying. Moira (Natalie J. Robb) is terrified about how Matty will cope with what lies ahead if Samson doesn’t drop his allegations.
And as Amy watches her husband of only a couple of months being bundled into a police van, she fears that he could be a sitting target in prison.
