start of Ashley's downfall, Marlon finds him and asks him to move in with him. Ashley gets a job as a barman at The Woolpack and over the next year, Ashley gets his life back on track and his family forgive him. In December 2013, 17 years after initially becoming the Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Ashley gets his old job back. However, after discovering that his rival, Harriet, was the first choice but resigned because of him, he gave the job up for her. Harriet is later fired after officiating an unauthorized same-sex blessing for Ali and Ruby. Ashley regains his position as vicar for Saint Mary's church. Harriet and Ashley begin a relationship soon after. Ashley is critically injured after being run over by Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) who was intentionally aiming for Adam. After having numerous seizures, he learns that he has epilepsy. He struggles to cope with his condition and soon realises that he is losing his memory. Ashley takes some memory tests. However, these tests lead to a diagnosis of vascular dementia. Ashley reunites with Laurel and they become engaged. Ashley and Laurel are later remarried, but on their wedding night, Laurel is devastated when Ashley cannot remember them marrying and thinks that she is married to Marlon and he is with Harriet. During a church service on Easter Sunday, Ashley suffers a crisis of faith and decides to retire from his duties as vicar. Ashley becomes a father again, when Laurel gives birth to a daughter, Dotty Thomas, named after Ashley's & Luke's late mother and Sandy's late wife. Among the next few months Ashley's dementia worsens and in October 2016 he is one of many residents injured in a large car pile up after he drives away from the village when he forgets Dotty's christening. Laurel later takes the hard decision to put Ashley into a home and is heartbroken when she finds out he has forgotten who she is and found another woman who also had dementia. In March 2017, Ashley is visited by Laurel regularly however he begins developing a cold and after dancing with his friend Bob Hope he begins coughing blood and is taken to hospital. Laurel is distraught to hear that Ashley may only have a few days left to live and takes him back home to live with her. At home, Laurel is overjoyed when Ashley recognises