Emmerdale’s Samson Dingle has been at the centre of an emotional storyline that has seen him bullied by “friend” Josh Cope into lying about Matty Barton stabbing him, resulting in the latter’s imprisonment. He further lied to the police about Moira Dingle and her brother Mackenzie Boyd kidnapping him to force him to change his statement, causing them to also be arrested in scenes aired earlier this week.

However, in tonight’s (July 12) episode, Samson’s deception caught up with him, as he eventually revealed the truth of recent incidents to dad Sam and step-mum Lydia.

The revelations came as Moira and Mackenzie arrived in the village after being released from prison. Samson was originally sticking to his story that Moira had “threatened to beat him up”, with Lydia and Sam in disbelief at his words.

Cain Dingle soon arrived at the house and tried to push Samson to tell his dad and Lydia the truth, but Sam was having none of it. Lydia looked on concerned, seemingly intrigued by Cain’s words.

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As Cain arrived back home to his wife, Moira cried over Matty: “He’s not going to survive in there much longer, he’s not a criminal”.

Moira later caught up with Lydia and told her that her son Matty had purposefully got himself beaten up by his cellmate Les, so that he could be moved into hospital and avoid danger after fellow prisoner Robbo discovered he is transgender.

“He was so scared of what others would do when word gets around that he’s trans, he got himself put into hospital. Does that sound like someone who’s going round deliberately stabbing people? Every day he’s in there, his life is in real danger,” Moira begged.

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ITV
“Samson is like a son to me,” Lydia replied. “You’re asking me to turn him in?”

Moira pleaded: “Mother to mother, I know what I’m asking is a lot, but I’ve already buried one child, please don’t let me bury another.”

Lydia is left shocked by the news and goes to urge Samson to tell the truth, as his lies are mounting up to much bigger consequences than he realises. Feeling both remorseful and under pressure, Samson finally gives in and reveals that Matty’s version of events – that the youngster had been accidentally stabbed after Josh pushed him into the knife Matty was holding while they tried to rob The Hide – is the truth as he starts to cry.

Lydia is disgusted by her step-son’s behaviour and walks out, saying: “I have never been so disappointed in you, so ashamed”.

Meanwhile, his dad Sam is also less than impressed, encouraging his son to go on the run rather than face the police.

What will Samson do?

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Actor Sam Hall, who plays the troubled teen, recently opened up on Samson’s change of heart to reveal the truth, saying his own conscience gets the better of him.

“There’s multiple stages of pressure, and the pressure will build and, of course, that would have an effect and potentially guide his own conscience to tell the truth in the end. But I do think that, deep down, his morals are correct. So I think in the end, he himself thinks: ‘This isn’t the right thing to do. We need to do what’s right here.’ I do think it’s him.