If a person decides it's a good idea to throw petrol around and chuck a lighter at it because someone has made them mad, I think a quick glance around about to make sure that no one else is in danger and that there is nothing highly flammable near by, is the least they could do. She didn't even need to scour the area they were right there next to her.

As it was Chrissie gave not a thought to the possible consequences of her actions, the only thing she cared about was making Robert pay. To hell with Adam's business, to hell with The Dingles whose back garden they were in, to hell with the firemen who had to risk their lives to put out that fire, to hell with the people caught up in other emergencies who may have been badly in need of the fire services assistance at that moment, Chrissie wanted to make her husband pay and that was the only thought on her mind.

Besides being dangerous under any circumstance, arson is a deeply selfish act, even if the gas canisters hadn't hit the helicopter and the only peoples lives she had put on the line had been the firefighters, her own, Roberts and those possibly more in need of the fire service at that moment, she still would have been guilty of a very serious crime.

I appreciate that your post speaks nothing but sense, but its a very idealistic view to hold. If we all always purposely thought out the consequences of our actions the world would indeed be a wonderful place.

The realist in me tells me that whilst Chrissie's actions were indeed idiotic and hugely selfish, she was in no state of mind to properly understand the consequences of her actions. Her mind was clouded by anger, resentment and bitterness at being treated so badly by Robert that she made the rash decision to do whatever she could to hurt him. I do not believe for one second that she even realised it would affect anyone other than Robert. Her current mindset shows that hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing, and she now appreciates the gravity of her stupidity, but at the time, the red mist had descended and all common sense was thrown out the window.

IMO she will get a decent barrister and get off, or receive a light sentence. The character has a lot of mileage left in her, I really wouldn't like to see her leave before she's even really got started.

What Chrissy did was premeditated. She was not acting in the heat of the moment and should go to jail for a long time. Think about how many other characters on the show have been cheated on and NONE of them did what she did. Now I do think you're right she will get off as they still have a lot of mileage to get out of her character, plus there are quite a few murders walking free in the Dales.

Have I missed something? Did she lure Robert to the scrapyard with the intention of burning out his car? I thought he was there already and she showed up with the paperwork to pay him off? When he refused and taunted her she stormed out, and seeing the petrol can, picked it up and doused his car?

I didn't see it that she had brought the petrol and lighter with her on the basis that she would burn out his car if he refused her offer?

This is true. It was NOT pre meditated. She went there to pay him off.

Thanks CC, I thought that was the case, but then doubted myself....she did pull that lighter from nowhere mightily fast!!!

Hmm, so Pete killing Ross deliberately isn't actually as bad then?

She went to the scrap yard with intent to do harm and she had tried it before when she found out he was behind the home invasion. I case could be made she went there with intent to kill him.


Pete didn't kill Ross, Ross is still alive.

It may seem like an ideal view of the world to you (I'm a realist myself and do have sympathy for Chrissie and certainly admire her for confessing) but in the real world (which ED isn't) it is the view the law would take.

A large majority of crimes are committed by people whose minds are clouded by anger and by people who are acting rashly, who just lost control, it doesn't make them bad people. But it also does not lessen the consequences of their actions, it does not lessen the pain of those they hurt and it does not make them any less deserving of punishment by the law.

Being angry at your husband is not grounds for diminished responsibility.

I agree.

Irrelevant, Pete thinks he killed Ross and he hid his body. Besides, nobody knows if he is alive or dead atm.

It was an accident just like Gemma and Belle. It wasn't like he showed up with a gas can and a lighter like Chrissy did.

Mark, I don't think Chrissie did show up with the petrol can and a lighter did she?!?! The view seems to be that, given she was in a scrap yard, the petrol was simply there as she stormed out after her argument with Robert. Its my understanding that she took the petrol and doused his car, as it was an opportunity she saw available to her at the time.

Whilst I am of course going to defend Chrissie to the hilt because I LOVE her, I don't think it was implied that the petrol was left there by her, for her to use in case Robert didn't do what she wanted.

Though I guess this is all down to interpretation as it hasn't been made totally clear by the writers.

She set fire to a family car

You do realise that's illegal right? When Andy set for to a family barn and killed Sarah it was illegal.

You do realise that if for example you set fire to your husbands clothes in the garden, the fire spread to the fence and ended up burning the neighbours house down killing the family, you can't just say don't worry officer I was burning family owned clothes so there is no need for an investigation, there's no crime here.

You're right about the writers, they weren't very clear on what exactly happened. I assumed she came there with the gas can and lighter as she had done this before. Still though setting fire to the car took thought its not a natural reaction like punch someone

Why are there posts attempting to defend Tightjumper !? She's a cold-blooded criminal, and I can not... nay, will not... have her walking around a free woman in some incredibly tight jumper or something.

Who is that Chrissy? Where did that nickname come from?

She was partial to a tight wooly jumper when she first arrived. Many posters noted how well they showed off her ample bosom. She hasn't even wearing them as often since the weather turned to be fair.

LOL, if anything her nick name should be Waiting to Exhale after what she did

Ha. I don't think us Brits would get the reference. I had to google it after you referenced it....good analogy though

She didn't, the actress said there was a conveniently placed lighter nearby. Chrissie didn't have it on her, she didn't plan anything, she just went mad when Robert wouldn't sign the papers and saw an opportunity to hurt him by destroying something he valued. If he'd have had the deceny to leave her alone instead of taunting her she might not have felt the need to take such drastic action. And the slimy arrogant tosser is still trying to work his way back in. At least she saw sense and told him it was partly his fault , though given he's used to having a death on his conscience, he won't give a damn.

True, I'm sure a lot of people in the US wouldn't get it either, that movie and the fire scene is really only a classic in the African American community.

Leaving aside the tragic consequences and my own difficulties in accepting Emmerdale as the same without Ruby, I did find Chrissie's willingness to confess a refreshingly honest change from soaps dragging out how long someone or everyone does NOT find something out.

It would just have been better to see Chrissie's interview with the Police. I guess she will not even have a bail hearing until after the fire inspector's report has been finalised.


What Chrissie did was in complete contrast to