The cafe owner, as viewers know, has ardently defended Tom in the wake of Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) reporting him to the police for abuse, refusing to believe his nephew would be capable of such a thing.
Nicola (Nicola Wheeler), however, knew full well that Tom was guilty, having learned from son Carl (Charlie Joyce) that the abuser had threatened him previously.
But despite Nicola’s insistence that Jimmy open his eyes to Tom’s true nature, Jimmy continued to defend the villain – that is, until Wednesday (November 28), when things took an unexpected turn.
Tom dragged girlfriend Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell) by the arm into Main Street, which Jimmy witnessed – just as the police arrived to take the vet down to the station.
With the evidence recovered from his tablet having corroborated Belle’s statement, Tom was charged with domestic abuse and coercive control.
Jimmy reeled in the wake of the news, with Nicola assuring him that Belle is telling the truth. When Tom returned to Victoria Cottage, Jimmy gave him one chance to explain himself – but Tom reverted to form, claiming that Belle is a liar.
Seeing his nephew for who he truly is, Jimmy ordered Tom to get his stuff together and move out. In order to get the situation straight in his head, the haulage yard owner later paid Belle a visit, apologising profusely for failing to listen to her previously.
Belle was sympathetic and told Jimmy to not feel guilty, reiterating that manipulation and gaslighting are Tom’s specialities.
Jimmy asked her to recount the ordeal, which Belle did, revealing that Tom was so desperate to maintain control that he even once stated that he’d take his own life if she left him.
Armed with that information, Jimmy retuned home, where he found Tom waiting for him. The abuser pleaded with Jimmy to believe him, attempting to tug on his heartstrings by comparing their relationship to that of a father and son.
But Jimmy had well and truly seen the light at this point, calling Tom out over his actions and ordering him out of his house. Tom attempted to feign sympathy and – just like Belle said before – he claimed he had nothing left to live for.
Jimmy remained steadfast in his position, telling his nephew to vacate the premises, which prompted Tom to turn nasty, saying all sorts about his uncle.
With Jimmy on longer on his side, Tom turned to Amelia and attempted to hightail it out of the village. But he just couldn’t resist goading Belle once more when he encountered her on the roadside.
Belle ultimately proved instrumental in his downfall, informing the police of where her abusive husband was headed, with DS Foy subsequently arriving to take him away in handcuffs.
