Bobby Beale strikes again. Walford’s answer to Damien from The Omen bludgeons Jane with his hockey stick in EastEnders, by Jim Shelley

Regular viewers of EastEnders would have known the combination of Bobby Beale and hockey didn’t sound like a good idea, even if he was in the team at his new school that made the regional finals. 

Alarm bells would have started ringing as soon as they heard Ian's euphoria about it in Monday’s episode.

And so it proved only four days later. Walford’s answer to Damien from The Omen demonstrated exactly why they had progressed so far, using his skills with a hockey stick to bludgeon Jane, felling her with the type of violent thwack usually only seen in a battle scene on Game Of Thrones.

He strikes again! Ben, Walford’s answer to Damien from The Omen demonstrated exactly why they had progressed so far, using his skills with a hockey stick to bludgeon Jane on Friday's EastEnders

In hindsight, encouraging him to take up table tennis or badminton would have probably been better.

Kids eh? Who’d have ‘em?! Not to mention weddings – in Albert Square anyway. You’d think they would know better.

Having said that, Martin and Stacey’s big day passed uncommonly smoothly – until Bobby struck that is.

True, Stacey’s muvver Jean didn’t actually make it. But frankly even that was a blessing. Budget cuts ensured that Ollie had slipped a disc, preventing her attendance.

‘Jean’s devastated,’ Martin told the bride-to-be but not devastated enough to stop her coming all the way from Sussex (which in Walford is virtually abroad).

The ceremony was simple but sweet.

Bad news: His ill temper was provoked by news that his parents could no longer afford to send him to his precious new private school

‘I will be true to you through good times and bad,’ Stacey promised Martin – even though history suggested otherwise.

Only Bobby married the occasion (albeit considerably).

His ill temper was provoked by news that his parents could no longer afford to send him to his precious new private school after Ian’s box of black and white photographs had prompted him not to sell the restaurant to a supermarket chain. (Supermarkets are something that do not exist in Walford judging by the way residents still buy bottles of booze to take home from the pub at twice the price.)

Bobby had overheard Jane saying that they would have to take him out of the school shortly before Phil informed the family of Peggy’s death.

Bobby had grown more and more moody ever since - his face wearing that malevolent expression we recognised so well (unlike his parents) and his cheeks glowing redder and redder.

‘It’s sad when someone dies,’ Jane sympathized, thinking this was the reason.

Trouble's brewing: Bobby had grown more and more moody ever since - his face wearing that malevolent expression we recognised so well (unlike his parents) and his cheeks glowing redder and redder

‘I hardly even knew her ! I’m not sad she’s dead!’ Bobby protested, aghast at the very idea but even this didn’t raise her suspicions.

His mood continued at the wedding.

‘Bobby, can I have a smile mate?’ asked Kush, Martin and Stacey’s improbable official photographer. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t.

Jane then made the fateful mistake of forgetting the wedding cake, returning home to fetch it just in time to find Bobby packing his clothes (and his hockey stick) to run away.

‘Where are you going?’ Jane asked.

‘Back to school !’ snapped Bobby, with the scowl that is so alarming. ‘I know what you’ve done. I’m going back and I’m staying for good. They’ll let me.’

Don't go! Jane then made the fateful mistake of forgetting the wedding cake, returning home to fetch it just in time to find Bobby packing his clothes (and his hockey stick) to run away

‘I’m sorry but they won’t,’ Jane explained, breaking it to him gently but evidently not gently enough.

‘Well I’m not coming back here. I hate Walford !’ the little brat spat, obviously not realising this was hardly unusual. In fact, it was standard.

When he headed for the door Jane flipped, evidently forgetting his track record (for murder) and dragging him back into the living room (and to the camera).

You knew there was trouble coming when Bobby delivered the classic kids’ complaint: ‘you can’t tell me what to do. You ain’t even my real mum !’

Hurt and shaken, Jane responded by telling him: ‘well in that case I’ll ring your father and he can sort you out!’ Yikes !

Armed: As Jane turned to call Ian, Bobby moved behind her and, with his cheeks glowing more and more furiously, swung his hockey stick into her back

As she turned to call Ian, Bobby moved behind her and, with his cheeks glowing more and more furiously, swung his hockey stick into her back with the lethal, elegant, force of a Samurai (a small one).

As she crumpled, her head hit the table sending a delicate spray of blood over Martin and Stacey’s wedding cake, although they could probably still use it if they trimmed the edges.

Shockingly, he then struck her again for good measure before standing back to admire his handiwork. Gulp.

You’d like to think that Justice will catch up with Bobby. After all, poor Jane was his second victim this week (along with the wing-mirror of the family car). Then again, the chances of Ian actually taking action are slim. Bobby’s previous misdemeanour was KILLING his sister Lucy and his father still protected him. Jane is only Ian’s wife.

Hopefully this time the little psycho will be taken off the streets and will end up in prison. Failing that, we could always give him a place in Great Britain's hockey team at the Olympics. 

Ominous end: As Jane crumpled, her head hit the table sending a delicate spray of blood over Martin and Stacey’s wedding cake, although they could probably still use it if they trimmed the edges