Vanessa’s fate revealed in Emmerdale – as Donny betrays Lachlan

Friday 11 January picked up from yesterday's gripping cliffhanger with the vexed vet unconscious and fighting for her life in hospital after being caught in Donny's revenge on Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) evil Lachlan had paid his dodgy dad to carry out from behind bars, having been handed a life sentence for his killing spree.

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• Emmerdale's Vanessa stabbed by Lachlan's dad in shock attack
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Donny was also recovering on the wards after Charity Dingle assaulted him for stabbing Vanessa who caught him trying to burn down the Woolpack, then drove away in her car with her young son Johnny strapped in the back - with Charity later catching up with him. Claiming he had nothing to do with Vanessa's injuries or the arson attack and there were no witnesses, Belle begged her ex-boyfriend's father to admit Lucky put him up to this.

After being discharged Donny visited his sinister son in prison who didn't seem too bothered Vanessa had been accidentally hurt in the attempt to spook Belle and her clan. Cold-hearted Lachlan's lack of empathy and reluctance to pay mercenary Donny what he agreed to go after Belle clearly did not sit well with the estranged parent, who pushed his awful offspring to recount the details of the plan they colluded on.

How did Donny expose Lachlan's evil plan?

Then came the twist in the tale as the cops emerged from the sidelines and it was revealed Donny was wearing a wire - Lachlan had just confessed to everything and his dad had done the right thing by owning up to the accidental attack on Vanessa.

Back in hospital Vanessa finally woke up to find girlfriend Charity keeping a vigil at her bedside, who informed her Donny had been apprehended and the nightmare was over. Meanwhile, Belle faced Lachlan for one final time and declared he had failed in his efforts to destroy her and the Dingles and she was free of him, striding out of his cell having achieved closure on her complicated romance with the multiple murderer.

Atkinson made a brief on-screen return this week having left the cast in September 2018 following four-and-a-half years in the role of the troubled teen, who was responsible for a series of grisly deaths including his own mother and grandfather and best mate Gerry Roberts, as well as holding his aunt Rebecca hostage and threatening to kill numerous other villagers. Is this really the end for Lucky, or might he break out of soap prison one day?

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