ITV Emmerdale fans livid as they slam brutal prison attack after spotting huge detail

Matty Barton was caught up in an off-screen prison attack this Tuesday (Image: ITV)

Emmerdale viewers were shocked to find out Matty Barton had been brutally attacked in prison off-screen.

The fan favourite portrayed by Ash Palmisciano has been embroiled in a devastating prison storyline after he was wrongly accused of stabbing Samson Dingle (portrayed by Sam Hall) at the Hide – the work of the teen’s new transphobic pal, Josh.

During Tuesday’s trip to the Yorkshire Dales, aired on July 9, 2024, Matty struggled behind bars as he came face-to-face with Robbo, an inmate who attacked him with a wave of transphobic hate after finding out about his gender identity through Amy Wyatt (Natalie Ann Jamieson).

Things went from bad to worse when Matty’s mother Moira (Natalie J Robb) received a call about him and she was horrified to learn her son had been beaten behind bars.

Matty was found in hospital with a few broken ribs and a broken eye socket as Moira and Amy tended to him in tears. Meanwhile, viewers of the Yorkshire-based program were puzzled when they realised they hadn’t caught a single glimpse of the assault.

“7.30pm so we don’t get to see the punch up”, one viewer commented on X, otherwise known as Twitter while another added: ““Matty’s been rushed to hospital” We haven’t seen anything?!” A third fan chimed in: “Not seeing Matty being beaten is a blessing. I really didn’t want to see it.”

But as the episode drew to a close and Matty received a visit from inmate Les, who tried his best to protect him in prison before he was confirmed for release, viewers learned there was more to the situation than meets the eye.

Matty spoke to Les, letting him know that his hard work had been all for nothing – confirmation that the attack had actually been a set up, which the pair came up with in an attempt to get Matty away from danger.

Viewers of the long-running show had more thoughts about the storyline, although a few of them still had their doubts. “I quite like Matty’s cell mate. I was quite worried he was going to be an a******* and would give him a hard time but he seems to always be looking out for him”, one of them jumped in.

Another TV fan took to the social media platform as they admitted to being sceptical: “Just can’t really see Matty asking Les to hurt him.” What is really going on with Matty and will he ever find a reprieve in prison?