In a new spoiler video for Coronation Street, Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) visits Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin) to apologise after she suffered a stroke caused by consensual strangulation during sex. The pressure Dylan exerted on Betsy's neck damaged an artery, leading to a stroke that left her with aphasia and dysarthria, affecting her ability to speak.
Dylan's apology and police arrival
Dylan tells Betsy he is sorry for what happened and that he had no idea there were any risks. He begs her not to hate him, and she says she doesn't. When he asks what he can do to make things right, a police officer arrives to take Betsy's statement, interrupting them. Dylan leaves as requested.
Betsy's mother, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers), previously reported Dylan to the police after learning how the stroke was caused. Dylan initially accused Betsy of cheating with Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), but now appears ready to accept responsibility.
Legal implications and community reaction
Actress Sydney Martin told Metro: "It's such a tricky situation. She's got a detective as a mum, who's going to know the ins and outs of the law. It's only a recent law that's been brought in. Even with consent, if someone has been physically injured from it, he is still liable by law and could be charged."
Martin added: "As the audience has reacted, they didn't know that this could happen. He didn't know that this could happen either. He wouldn't intentionally hurt her, and I believe that."
The storyline also explores the wider community's ignorance about the dangers of strangulation during sex. Martin explained: "You'll see the wider community's reaction to this, and some of them are like, 'Well, I didn't know that could happen. I've done that before…' I think that was really important. To not pin it down as these two kids have done something so horrific, when actually it's quite normalised."
What Betsy tells the police officer will determine whether Dylan faces charges for causing her stroke.
