'Pierce cracks and confesses he raped Rhona', reveals Emmerdale’s Jonathan Wrather

emmerdale, pierce harris

When Rhona Harris confronts her husband Pierce in court, he finally admits he raped her, Jonathan Wrather reveals. But what will the court decide?

Pierce Harris is the picture of composure as he takes to the dock to stand trial for raping wife Rhona. He’s a lawyer, he knows how to work the system. It’s very different for Rhona. When she feels that all is lost, she confronts her husband and urges him to confess.

“At this point she thinks he is going to get off,” Jonathan Wrather told Soaplife. “It totally knocks the wind out of his sails and he confesses to her that he raped her.”

But will the jury see through his lies?

How is Pierce feeling about the trial? “He feels confident. He tells the court that the reason Rhona [Zoe Henry] left him was because of Paddy and here is the evidence – he has photos of them together. His story is similar to Rhona’s in terms of the chronology, but their endings are different.”

So what is his tack? “He explains that Rhona said she couldn’t go through with the marriage because of Paddy. He says he was angry and upset, but didn’t rape her. All these things are sort of layered against Rhona and it makes her case look weaker and weaker.”

What about the testimonies of her friends? “Jimmy is a bit blundering, Marlon gets a little bit caught out and Vanessa says ‘He told me he raped her’ which he never did, so that weakens the case.”

Does Pierce have any remorse? “Well, he has this capacity to delude himself. He thinks that if he says it, it is the truth. He does know that what he has done is wrong, but cannot face up to admitting to it. He is kind of clutching at straws, but is very coherent about it.”

What happens when Rhona confronts him? “She confronts him in a side room and it surprises him. He has never seen Rhona like this before and is rather threatened by it. He cracks and confesses to her. He doesn’t say he issorry, though. After that, they go back into court. It is a great moment.”

Will he be found guilty? “You’ll have to wait and see. Let’s just say there are a number of twists to come after the verdict.”

Emmerdale, ITV