Billy Fletcher

Billy Fletcher is the son of Jessie Dingle and her late first husband, as well as the half-brother of Ellis Chapman.

Backstory
Billy was born to Jessie Grant and Evan Fletcher. Evan died when Billy was young and Jessie went on to remarry, resulting in the birth of Billy's half-brother, Ellis Chapman. Much to Jessie's horror, Billy fell in with the wrong crowd and was desperate to impress his new friends. During a night out following their exams, a man named Evan Norwood was viciously beaten and left for dead by Billy and his friends. Under Joint Enterprise laws, Billy was sentenced to three years imprisonment for the assault along with his friends, Luke Dockley, Nathan Delfield, and Freddie Hart. Jessie was convinced of her son's innocence, although Ellis, whose relationship with Billy had fallen apart as Billy refused to stop his friends from bullying Ellis, was just as convinced of his brother's guilt.

In September 2018, Jessie revealed Billy would be granted early release from prison later in the year. In November 2018, Billy was hospitalised after a fight with another inmate, who was also hospitalised.

2018-: Arrival in Emmerdale
On Christmas Day 2018, Billy turned up at Jessie's wedding to Marlon Dingle, having been released from prison. Jessie was elated to see her son and proclaimed the day was "perfect". The joy quickly faded away when Marlon's first cousin once removed, Aaron Dingle, attacked Billy. Aaron had previously mentioned to his husband Robert Sugden that Billy was part of the prison gang that made his short prison sentence almost two years ago a living hell. Ellis also wasn't happy with his brother's arrival as he unlike his mother didn't believe Billy's prison time was due to bad luck and falling in with the bad type of people but rather his own doing.

In January 2019, Billy got a job for Jai Sharma at the sweet factory as a delivery driver. Later, Ellis' girlfriend Victoria Barton, who wants the brothers to make up lures Billy to the scrapyard then locks him and Ellis in the port-a-kabin and instructs them to sort things out. A claustrophobic Billy begins to panic although Ellis manages to calm him down. After calming down the brothers begin to talk and Billy insists that he wants to start again and make things right. When Victoria unlocks the cabin door, Billy orders her not to ever lock him in again then storms out. Although their relationship remained rocky they started building up a relationship and grew closer. In February, Billy starts flirting with Tracy Metcalfe. At a party, Ellis attempts to put Tracy off Billy but it backfires, resulting in Tracy kissing Billy.

In late March, Tracy convinces Billy to go to an interview for an apprenticeship at a garage, and as Billy and Tracy head off, Ellis asks them to pick up Billy's young step-sister, April. Later, Billy and Tracy watch April play in a park when two police officers approach Billy and explain a concerned parent has reported he was acting suspiciously. Tracy believes Billy has been targeted because he's black, but Billy tells her to let it go. April asks Billy if he's going back to prison which the woman who reported him takes as confirmation that Billy was dodgy. Tracy turns around and storms towards her and accuses her of being racist. While she protests that she's not Billy holds Tracy back as she and the woman engage in a slanging match, resulting in Tracy being arrested. Later, Billy is annoyed at Tracy and explains that people like him have had it the same all their lives and he didn't need her acting the saviour. Billy also asks April to keep quiet about what happened in the park as it'll upset Marlon and Jessie, however, they find out from Ellis, upsetting Billy who doesn't want to make it a big deal. Ellis approaches Billy outside the pub to apologise but Billy ends up pinning him against the wall. Tracy runs over and questions what Billy thinks he's doing and furiously walks off with Ellis. The next day, Billy approaches Tracy to apologise for yesterday but Tracy states she is over him.

On 12th April 2019, Billy is approached by an old acquaintance, Max Garrick, who asks Billy to work for him as a getaway driver during a robbery. Billy initially refuses but later agrees as he needs money. However, Ellis finds out and tries to stop Billy from heading off to meet Max by setting off the fire alarm in the factory, making him miss the robbery. Afterwards, Ellis warns Billy that if he goes through with the robbery, they are through but Billy states that it's too late anyway and tells his brother that thanks to him, he's made himself an enemy. The following day a threatening Max turns up at Tall Trees Cottage wanting what Billy cost him by pulling out of the warehouse robbery. When Billy doesn't give him what he wants Max punches Billy so Billy goes for him and they fight. Ellis returns home and pulls Max off Billy, then Billy orders Max to do one but Max vows he'll be back which leaves Billy fearing Max will never leave him alone. Max goes on to threaten Billy and his family in order to pressure him to do another job for him.

On 25th April, as Ellis goes on a group night out with some of the villagers, Billy fears for his brother's safety when Max sends him a picture of Ellis at the club. The following day, the family visits Ellis in hospital after being stabbed. Jessie is convinced Max is to blame but Billy is reluctant towards telling the police. On 7th May, Billy reveals the true story behind the night at the club to Ellis. Whilst looking for Ellis, Billy got pinned up against a wall by two men whom Billy assumed to be Max's minions, however, the men reveal they're actually Kaiden and Tyler, the brothers of Riley - the man Billy viciously attacked, resulting in him being sent to prison. A fight ensues and Billy admits to attacking Riley and declares he wishes he would've finished him off as he was racist, drug-dealing scum who pushed his friend Ben to kill himself at eighteen because he was so scared of Riley. When Billy declares that Riley deserved every punch, Kaiden goes for him. Billy makes a run for it and manages to lose them. Later, Billy calls Ellis to apologise. As the brothers are talking, Billy hears muffling sounds and realises Ellis is in trouble. As a frantic Billy searches for Ellis, he runs into Kaiden and Tyler who tell him they're even now. Billy discovers Ellis lying unconscious with blood pouring from his side and has been stabbed using Billy's knife. As instructed by the 999 operators, Billy puts pressure on Ellis' stab wound, but when he sees the blue lights of the ambulance approaching, he scarpers. Following the revelation, Ellis and Billy decide to put this behind them as they got rid the knife. However, Ellis soon starts developing PTSD.

In June 2019, Billy was forced to agree to participate in a job with Max, however, Max and his gang soon realise Billy has set them up and tipped off the police. On 25th June, Max went to Billy's house and held Jessie, Marlon and April hostage as revenge. Billy arrived at the house which was surrounded by the police and despite their warnings, Billy sneaks in via the back door. He manages to get April out to safety and a struggle ensues between him and Max. Billy continues to beat an incapacitated Max until Marlon pulls him off him. Whilst a shell-shocked Jessie hugs Billy, a battered and bloody Max reaches for the gun and pulls the trigger, ending up shooting Jessie. She is taken to hospital where she luckily recovered, however, Marlon blamed Billy for Jessie's injuries and was far from pleased by his presence at the hospital. Billy explains to Jessie that everything that's happened all comes back to what he did to Riley. He explains drug dealer Riley was the reason his best friend, Ben, is dead, and when he saw Riley, he couldn't control himself. Jessie can't believe it but soon decides to forgive her son as she recalls how the last time she saw her father, they argued and she doesn't want her son to have those regrets.

Quotes
"'Scuse me, mate? Sorry to bother you. I'm running seriously late, I'm looking for Jessie Grant? And the problem is, I actually don't know where I'm going." (First line, to Bob Hope)

"Couldn't miss your big day, could I?" (To Jessie Grant at her unofficial wedding)

"'Cause you're either the hard man, or the punchbag. And that's the only option for a young black man. And that kind of thing, it destroys you."

"My best mate topped himself! He was 18! Terrified of what your brother would do! Too scared to tell his family what he owed! He was just some punter to Riley! Probably didn't even know his name! Well, his name was Ben. And it was a total waste. And I miss him. So yeah. We went out after exams, four instead of five...and there he was. So when he pushed past me, told us to go back to where I came from, I put his head into a wall. And my mates joined in. Mum makes me better than this. Rise above it, don't react. But that night, I didn't care! Because he deserved every punch we gave him!"