EastEnders horror as Karen Taylor defends Chantelle’s murderer Gray – and accuses Kheerat of killing her

EASTENDERS fans are horrified as Karen Taylor defends murderer Gray - and accusing Kheerat Panesar of killing Chantelle.

The launderette manager - who is played by actress Lorraine Stanley in the BBC soap - has no idea what really happened to her daughter.

Chantelle was pushed onto an upturned knife by her husband Gray after years of physical and emotional abuse.

The solicitor staged the scene to look like a an accident caused by their children’s toys - and Karen believes it’s a tragic accident.

In tonight’s episode a grieving Kheerat opened up to Chantelle’s dad Mitch to tell him the truth about what had gone on - and he believed him.

Hitting the bottle to cope, Mitch told Karen: “She was going to run away with Kheerat. On the night she died, she asked him to get this. 

“He thinks, he knows, he reckons that Gray had something to do with this.What if he's right? What if Gray found out? 

“What if they had a row and it got out of hand? What if he killed her Karen?”

But instead of hearing what Mitch said, Karen refused to accept it - and accused Kheerat of killing her.

She raged: “Look at you - you've only been in her life for five minutes. What gives you the right? I should be the one sat there with a bottle. I should be the one pointing the finger to make myself feel better. 

“I raised her Mitch, not you. She loved Gray, she loved those kids, she wouldn't.

"Maybe Kheerat's got something to hide? Maybe he broke into their house? 

“Maybe he loved her and she didn't love him back? Maybe he killed her - have you thought about that? Get out.”

Viewers were left horrified by Karen’s words and desperately want her to realise the truth.

One wrote: "The fact how Karen is in denial about Gray because she is fooled by his nice act is terrible."

Another said: "Its gonna be so heartbreaking when karen finds out grey really did kill chantelle."

A third tweeted: "Karen bring drawn in by Grays nice guy act is typical of how manipulative abusers are they never show their dark side unless it’s towards their victim."