Kate Sugden

Kate Sugden (née Hammond, previously Hughes) arrived in the village in 1988 and started a war with Joe Sugden after he shot her dog but they eventually fell in love and in 1989 she moved into Emmerdale Farm. She married Joe later that year much to the disappointment of her children Rachel and Mark who wanted their mother to remarry their dad; David. In 1989 Kate decided to quit her job as a waitress and checkout girl in Hotten and with her savings she bought out her brother in law; Matt Skilbeck's (who was departing for Norfolk following the collapse of his second marriage to Dolly) share of Emmerdale Farm and she thrived in her new career as a farmer, she made friends with Dolly, Sandie Merrick, Kathy Merrick and Amos Brearly during her time in the village.

In August 1990, Kate accidentally ran down and killed Pete Whiteley in her car. Pete happened to be Rachel's lover with whom she was having an affair. She was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

When Kate was released from prison in January 1991 she tried to make a go of things again with Joe but she was unable to make her marriage work so Kate told him that their marriage was over.

Realising there was nothing left in Beckindale for her, Kate left the village in July 1991 and headed for her home town of Sheffield, she was devastated when Rachel and Mark opted to remain with Joe at the farm rather than move with her, ironically Rachel and Mark hated the idea of moving to the countryside three years earlier grew to love it. Kate never appeared onscreen again.

It seemed unusual that she didn't attend the funeral of her son Mark in January 1994 after he died in the Plane Crash in December 1993 nor did she attend the funeral of her second husband; Joe when he died in 1995.

After the actress Sally Knyvette refused offers to return to the series, Kate died offscreen of a brain haemorrhage in Sheffield in July 1997. Her daughter Rachel and former brother in law Jack Sugden attended her funeral.