When Chris commits suicide, Scott is delighted and is one of the few people who believes his wife, Charity's (Emma Atkins), story that Chris has framed her. With Chris gone, Scott and Zoe get closer and begin raising Jean together. With Scott now working at Home Farm, Zoe begins relying on him more and more and in her loneliness, vulnerability, and her feelings that Jean should have a mother and father to help raise her, ends up kissing him. Although they try to have a romantic relationship, Zoe is obviously not attracted to Scott and ends it. Scott becomes closer to his new stepsister Dawn Woods (Julia Mallam) who leaves her husband, stroke victim Terry (Billy Hartman), for Scott. When convicted rapist Frank Bernard Hartbourne (Rob Parry), Pearl Ladderbanks's (Meg Johnson) son arrives in the village, Scott, due to a misunderstanding involving Donna, attacks Frank, and beats him up badly. Facing an assault charge, Scott forces Dawn to lie for him - only to get his comeuppance a few days later when she retracts her statement. Scott later receives a twelve month suspended sentence.