Emmerdale spoilers: Dan Spencer pleads GUILTY! Is he headed for PRISON?

Dan Spencer in court in Emmerdale
In court Dan Spencer pleads guilty to punching Lloyd. (Image credit: ITV)

Emmerdale's Dan Spencer is in court in Thursday's episode (ITV, 7.30pm, see our TV Guide for full listings).

If Dan Spencer could turn back time, he'd walk away from wind-up merchant Lloyd, the married man who'd been harassing his teenage daughter, Amelia.

But the dad saw red as Lloyd jeered and taunted him and punched him.

That one punch has changed everything. Lloyd hit the ground unconscious and is now in a coma while Dan faces the prospect of prison.

Dan throws a punch at Lloyd

Dan Spencer hit Lloyd who'd been harassing Amelia on and offline. (Image credit: ITV)

Lloyd is knocked out cold

A single punch knocked Lloyd unconscious.   (Image credit: ITV)

As the mechanic goes on trial, the whole sorry saga flashes before his very eyes. Taking in the sight of Lloyd's devastated wife Julie, Dan pleads guilty to GBH.

Amelia watches on in horror as her family's fate and future are passed over to the hands of the judge… Is Dan about to get sent to prison leaving Amelia and baby Esther to fend for themselves?

Dan

Amelia sits with Victoria and reels in shock as her dad pleads guilty. (Image credit: ITV)

Having seen Nicky kissing someone else, Gabby is furious and has hit the bottle.

When she runs into her ex, she tries to swing a punch at Nicky and instead hits her housemate Billy who steps in to try to stop her!

Gabby

Gabby's furious with Nicky for brazenly kissing Suni when he knows she's still upset about their failed relationship. (Image credit: ITV)

Gabby

Drunk Gabby tries to hit Nicky but ends up lamping her housemate Billy instead! (Image credit: ITV)

Back at Home Farm, Dawn's husband Billy listens to Gabby's tale of woe and consoles her. But lonely Gabby gets the wrong impression and tries to kiss him!

Will Dawn find out Gabby's tried it on with her man?

Gabby

Billy takes her back to Home Farm… (Image credit: ITV)

Gabby

… but Gabby gets the wrong impression when married Billy consoles her and she tries to kiss him! (Image credit: ITV)

A crowd gathers in the village as Nicola unveils a new bus stop and informs the locals it's a memorial to Liv and Harriet who died in the wind storm last year.

Nicola

Nicola unveils a new bus stop which is also a memorial to Liv and Harriet who lost their lives in last year's wind storm. (Image credit: ITV)

Nicola

Nicola's touching speech is interrupted… (Image credit: ITV)

But as Nicola delivers her touching address, the peaceful, tender moment is ruined by the noisy arrival of Colin, the homophobic councillor.

After bolshy Colin insists the whole unveiling is repeated, the crowd starts wandering off. Furious that no one is listening to his speech, aggro Colin kicks off, targetting Jai and Laurel who took in his gay son Marshall, who recently moved away.

A reporter catches Colin's meltdown and before long, the footage has gone viral…

Nicola

… angry homophobic councillor Colin kicks off at Nicola and demands that the unveiling is started all over again. (Image credit: ITV)

Trouble looms in the air, elsewhere, as Nate discovers that Caleb is secretly behind a new contract that Cain's landed at his garage.

Can Caleb stop Nate telling his dad that Caleb, his hated brother, has effectively given him a handout?

Nate

Nate twigs that Caleb is behind Cain's new contract. (Image credit: ITV)

Corey

Caleb is secretly in business with Corey, who's offered Cain some new business. (Image credit: ITV)

Emmerdale continues weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV see our TV Guide for full listings.

Sarah Waterfall
Soaps Editor at What's On TV

Sarah has been writing about soaps for over 20 years! She’s worked for Hello!, WOMAN, PA News, Closer, TVeasy – and is currently What’s On TV's Soap editor as well as writing for WhatToWatch.com 

She’s interviewed tons of famous people from movie stars to pop stars, TV stars and of course, soap stars. The soaps have always been at the heart of Sarah's work; visiting the sets, getting the goss, and writing about all the soapy shenanigans week in week out, earning her a place on the judging panel for The British Soap Awards in 2017 and 2018 and on the BAFTA TV Awards in 2022 … and the nickname Soapbird!