Caleb Dingle covered up his son Nicky when the police tried to uncover the truth about his mysterious attack.
On Thursday night, the pair had a furious confrontation after a bloodied and bruised Caleb (Will Ash) discharged himself from the hospital.
Nicky (Lewis Cope) said he pushed his father off the cliff and left him for dead because he was ‘tired of lies and games’.
He told his father that he was going to confess his crime to the police and was ready to go to jail.
However, when two officers knocked on the door, Caleb called off the investigation by blaming his fall on a deer.
‘It was a deer!’: Caleb Dingle covered up his son Nicky as police tried to uncover the truth about his mysterious attack
He told officers, “It wasn’t Mackenzie. I looked around, it must have been a deer or something. I think I’ve just lost my footing.’
Nicky, who attacked Caleb after confessing his sexuality to his fiancée Gabby, had told him during the fierce argument, “You destroyed me.” I ruined Gabby’s life and I lost Ally.
“I’ll gladly tell the truth, part of me wishes you never woke up. The blackmail, the games, I’m done Dad, we’re done.
‘
Nicky was engaged to Gabby Thomas as part of his father’s plot to take over Home Farm in an effort to no longer face financial ruin – but he was secretly dating a man named Ally.
Afterwards, police told suspect Mackenzie that he was off the hook, but added, “We’re not crazy either, we know there’s more to it.”
Fans watching the show took to Twitter in disbelief at the cover-up.
One wrote: ‘Emmerdale is going downhill fast. Caleb gets shoved by a damn DEER and Belle listens to her music through earphones. Compelling storylines.’
Another added, “So after all that Caleb says it was a deer that pushed him or he slipped!?” How gullible are these police officers.’
A third viewer typed, “How did Caleb get in so fast when he was in the hospital? Is that a new sofa? Thought he had no money.’
“It was a deer” #Emmerdale Cue Swirling and Hotten’s flying team rushed to arrest Bambi’, another wrote.
Attacked: Caleb was in a coma in hospital after Nicky pushed him off a cliff and was left for dead
Surprised: Fans watching the show reacted in disbelief on Twitter by the cover-up
Tough: Caleb raged at his son Nicky after being revealed as his attacker when he woke up in hospital remembering everything on Wednesday night in Emmerdale
Ouch: Caleb was left comatose after being pushed off a cliff and left for dead as the village tries to uncover the villain – but Nicky admitted on Tuesday that he did it
Caleb was left in a coma after being pushed off a cliff and left for dead when the village tried to expose the villain – but Nicky admitted this on Tuesday while bedridden next to his unconscious father.
In recent episodes, the entire village turned on Caleb, as he called out to his family in a Western-style scene at the Woolpack.
In a major whodunnit, Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley), Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) and Will Taylor (Dean Andrews) were all potential suspects, and the police worked hard to uncover the villain.
But as soon as Caleb came off the ventilator, he was eager to let Nicky know he knew it was him after he remembered the incident.
When he woke up, he said, “It’s a shock that someone hated me enough to kill me!”
Nicky (Lewis Cope) then tried to leave the hospital after staying there all night, when Caleb firmly said, “No, sit down, there are things we need to talk about.”
“You can stop pretending you care. I remember exactly what happened and it was you who pushed me. You could be charged with attempted murder.’
‘I suppose you thought you could get away with it! You left me there to die!’
He replied, “I am guilty, but you are not exactly you. You wouldn’t tell the police about me, would you, Dad?’
A flashback of the woods scene then played as Caleb fell while Nicky watched his body fall to the floor.
Nicky had tried to blame Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), but Caleb saw him cross.