Emmerdale’s Pierce Harris will go on trial for assaulting wife Rhona Goskirk on their wedding night next week.
At the start of the trial it seems he’s set to go all out to ruin Rhona and make her suffer even more. But will he have a last minute change of heart?
“Pierce has a very good defence lawyer who utterly annihilates [Rhona],” Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona, admitted to Inside Soap. “It becomes quite clear that Rhona is losing it, and the jury starts wavering almost immediately.”
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With Pierce using the sex tape against Rhona to prove she likes it rough, as well as making accusations against her and Paddy, saying they’ve been having an affair, his defence case is looking strong.
The sex tape ends up not being used as evidence, which is a massive relief to Rhona. But then she takes the stand and Pierce’s lawyer begins his questioning. It’s pretty brutal.
Things look even worse when Vanessa Woodfield gives evidence and starts to trip up over her own words – so much so that she starts to spin the truth to make Pierce look bad and keep Rhona’s fight alive. But she’s caught out.
Jimmy and Marlon don’t fare any better when they give evidence.
“It couldn’t get any worse for Rhona,” Zoe says.
Convinced that Pierce is set to walk away a free man, Rhona believes she has nothing left to lose and accosts her ex-husband outside.
It’s just before he’s due to give evidence himself and in an emotionally charged showdown, she angrily tells him she’ll lie under oath if she has to to make sure he gets sent down.
It’s a risky move and could be seen as intimidating a witness, but Zoe reveals that “Rhona thinks the trial is going so badly that she can’t possibly make it any worse. She’s quite bold with Pierce.”
And Jonathan Wrather, who plays Pierce also told Inside Soap: “Pierce has never seen Rhona like this – she knocks the wind out of his sails, and he cracks and admits what he did.”
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But will he waver in the court room? If he has finally been able to own up to his actions to Rhona, can he confess when it really counts?
Will he be brave enough to change his plea and admit he did rape his wife?
And if he does, is there a redemption in sight for the creepy lawyer?