List of Minor Emmerdale Characters (2004) - Thomas King

Thomas King is the son of Carl King (Tom Lister). He appeared in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013

Named after his grandfather, Tom King (Ken Farrington), Thomas's parents separated when he was young. He first appears in 2004 when his mother tells Carl she wants a divorce and initially refuses to let him see the children.

However, Thomas and his sister, Anya, visit their father in 2005, 2006 and June 2007. In February 2009, he and Anya visit, following Carl's engagement to Lexi Nicholls (Sally Oliver). Thomas is meant to attend his father's wedding but stays at home, due to chicken pox. In January 2010, Colleen arrives with the children, asking Carl to look after them as her husband has had an accident at work. They move into Mill Cottage temporarily. Thomas and Anya cause problems for Ashley (John Middleton) and Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) and Edna Birch (Shirley Stelfox). In April 2010, Colleen returns and tells Carl she wants to emigrate to Saudi Arabia and take the children with her. She leaves with Thomas and Anya the following day.

Thomas returns along with Anya eight months later on Christmas Eve in preparation for Carl's wedding to Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) the following day. After the wedding ends in chaos with Chas jilting Carl and revealing his affair with Eve Jenson (Suzanne Shaw), Carl takes Thomas and Anya back home to Saudi Arabia.

Thomas and Anya return to the village in October 2012, following their father's murder. Thomas asks his uncle Jimmy (Nick Miles) why Chas, who is believed to be Carl's killer, killed Carl. Jimmy is hesitant in telling them so Thomas goes to the local garage and asks Chas's brother Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and he tells Thomas that Chas killed Carl because he tried to rape her. Thomas later confronts Jimmy with this information and Jimmy is forced to tell Thomas and Anya that Cain is telling the truth and that Carl had been trying to rape Chas when he was killed. Thomas angrily tears up a photograph of his father.

The following day, Thomas gets upset during his father's funeral service and angrily blurts out that Carl is a rapist in front of the congregation in the church as Jimmy is reading a eulogy about Carl. Thomas also claims that his father got what he deserved and leaves the church in a distressed state. Edna tracks Thomas down to the Cricket Pavilion and attempts to talk him round, telling him that he only has one chance to say goodbye to his father. Thomas accompanies Edna to the cemetery in time for the burial and comforts Anya by the graveside. Following the wake, Thomas and Anya return to the cemetery to discover Cameron Murray (Dominic Power), who unbeknownst to them is Carl's real killer, by the grave. He tells them he is sorry for their loss and leaves.

The day after the funeral, Sean Spencer (Luke Roskell) invites Thomas and Anya to a party his father, Dan (Liam Fox), is holding in the cafe but Thomas is too upset to go. On 5 November, Thomas and Anya return to their mother in Saudi Arabia. They bid an emotional farewell to Jimmy and his wife Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) and their Aunt Scarlett (Kelsey-Beth Crossley) drives them to the airport.

Thomas returns to the village in January 2013, when he is revealed to have been stalking Chas. Thomas had been sending her photos in the post, of her and Carl together with her eyes on the pictures scrateched out, telephoning the pub on a withheld number, and slightly injuring her when he throws a glass bottle at her outside the Woolpack. He is revealed as the stalker when, after he graffities the wall of the pub's living room, and is disturbed by Gabby Thomas (Annelise Manojlovic), Chas and Jimmy chase him and apprehend him when he trips over.

Thomas reveals that he wanted revenge on Chas for killing his father. She tries to apologise to him and explains that she was acting in self-defence but Thomas refuses to forgive her. Jimmy lets Thomas stay at his house, much to Nicola's disapproval. Jimmy intends to send Thomas back home to Saudi Arabia but Thomas begs to stay, claiming that his mother does not care about him. Feeling guilty, Jimmy agrees and gives Thomas a job cleaning the haulage firms trucks.

Nicola's sister Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) gets her boyfriend Steve Harland (Tom Mannion) to give Thomas a job at the stables at Home Farm. Still wanting revenge on Chas, Thomas begins manipulating Sean, claiming that Chas had been bad-mouthing his father, to whom she had been married, behind his back. An infuriated Sean throws a brick through the window of the Woolpack. Sean confesses this to Steve who sacks Thomas from his job at the stables because of his trouble making.

When Cameron, now in a relationship with Chas, returns to the village after visiting his children in Jersey, he warns Thomas to stay away from Chas and leave her alone. Thomas continues to get up to mischief with Sean. The boys steal Sandy Thomas's (Freddie Jones) mobility scooter and damage it by driving it through a ford. Thomas also befriends local girls Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) and Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota). Belle develops a crush on Thomas and poses for provocative pictures which Gemma takes on her mobile phone in an attempt to get him to notice her.

Nicola convinces Chas to give Thomas a job as a kitchen hand at the Woolpack. Thomas agrees and tells Chas he wants a fresh start. Cameron is unnerved by Thomas's presence and tries to bully him out of his job, accusing him of still wanting revenge on Chas and criticizing him for every mistake he makes. Eventually when he discovers Thomas upset and crying, he feels guilty and gives Thomas a rise in his wages. Thomas accuses him of being "weird".

Thomas and Belle then begin a relationship after kissing at Sandy's 80th birthday party. They keep it a secret from their families at first but the truth eventually comes out. Jimmy and Nicola ban Thomas from seeing Belle and Belle's parents ban her from seeing Thomas. Thomas goes to visit Belle at Wishing Well Cottage and her father Zak (Steve Halliwell) arrives home to discover them kissing and orders Thomas to leave.

Jimmy reveals that he intends to send Thomas back to his mother in Saudi Arabia. He and Nicola then convince Bernice to sack Thomas from his job at the pub. Thomas and Belle then decide to run away together and, with Sean's help, they steal Dan's camper van, and drive away from the village. Belle's mother Lisa (Jane Cox) becomes convinced that Thomas intends to attack Belle, like his father did to Chas. She calls the police and reports that Thomas abducted Belle.

When Belle reveals that Carl had been in the camper the night he died, Thomas becomes upset. He then turns the vehicle round and drives them back to the village, telling Belle that he wants to do the right thing. Jimmy and Nicola then arrange for Thomas to be sent home. On the day he is due to depart, Nicola realises that Jimmy is upset by Thomas's upcoming departure. As he is about to leave in a taxi she stops him and asks him to stay. Thomas then goes to see Belle and she tells him that she hates her parents and blames them for ruining their relationship and her life. Thomas feels guilty and decides to leave after all. He steals Dan's camper van again, and flees the village. The police later tell Jimmy and Nicola that the camper has been found at the airport. Jimmy telephones Colleen in Saudi Arabia and she tells him that Thomas had arrived home, safe and sound, and shut himself in his room, not wanting to speak to anyone.