Even though he’s in a hospital bed after surviving her plunging an axe into his back, the minute he regained consciousness he was on the phone insisting on her visiting him at the hospital at precisely 1pm the next day.

And, as she’s grown accustomed to doing over months of living in a coercive controlling marriage, she did as she was told. But the tables were about to be turned spectacularly.

As the episode began, the Dingles were making plans for Belle to flee the country to stay with Mystic Dingle in Ireland, reasoning that once Tom spoke to the police she would soon be arrested for trying to kill him.

Before that could happen, Belle said she needed to go out and set off for the hospital alone. When she got there, Tom made sure she knew who was in charge by telling her that she’d got there with only a minute to spare.

He then outlined the terms of a deal. He wanted her to stop ‘lying’ that he’s an abuser. In return, he wouldn’t tell the police that she was the one who drove the axe into his back.

He was using all of his usual manipulative tools, telling her that the axe was in his back so it looked like an unprovoked attack, and she has a previous murder conviction (‘manslaughter,’ Belle corrected), so it didn’t look good. He repeated his previous lies that she forgets her medication and hears voices and everyone knows how much he’s had to put up with over the months.

He also mentioned the time when Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry), Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) saw Belle physically attacking him in the street. He said that if she didn’t agree to the terms of his deal these people would be testifying on his side in court and she would most likely be headed for prison.

He told her that this was the last thing he’d ever ask of her. ‘I want you to be happy, Belle,’ he said. Then he gestured for her to kiss him on the cheek to ‘seal the deal.’ Revolted, she went to do as he asked, but he quickly turned his face so their lips met.

Later, we saw him keeping his part of the bargain, telling DS Foy (Robert Cavanah) that he now remembered what happened. He’d been approached by two men, he said, and described them. They wanted to rob him, then suddenly ‘there was this axe. The axe. This red hot agony.’

He was so plausible that he even had Jimmy King (Nick Miles), who was sitting with him, convinced – even though he’d previously been sure that Belle was the attacker.

What Belle would do and was doing at that moment, was going to the police. She’d brought the axe with her.

‘It’s evidence,’ she explained to the officer behind the desk. ‘I’ve attacked my husband in self-defence. He wanted to kill me. I’m a victim of domestic abuse.’

It was an incredibly brave thing to do and a turning point for Belle. Will Tom be able to twist his way out of this?