Emmerdale killer John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) is on the run in coming episodes after he’s revealed to be the one who killed Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) – not to mention numerous other crimes.

John isn’t the standard soap villain, as in almost every case his motive for doing what he did was to prove that he’s a hero.

But he’s so addicted to this that he’s put the lives of perfectly healthy people in danger just so he can ‘save’ them. From causing Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) to have an allergic reaction by swapping his drink, to drugging Chas (Lucy Pargeter), to whacking various people over the head, in John’s mind he’s only being cruel to ultimately be kind – and to be praised for that kindness.

But learning that his husband Aaron (Danny Miller) had slept with his ex, Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), pushed John into some increasingly desperate acts and Aaron finally discovered the true nature of the man he’d married.

With John at large, the search for him focuses on the village, and there are police everywhere. John is hiding out at Keepers Cottage, ready with a syringe loaded with poison intended for Robert Sugden as he plans his ultimate revenge on his rival.

But when Robert and Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) come home, John overhears a conversation between them in which Victoria questions whether John really cared for her at all. Meanwhile they’ve let Harry run into the house ahead of them, and John’s plan is thwarted.

He heads out again, and makes for the depot. Caleb Miligan (William Ash) is horrified to find him there, and even more horrified when John tells him what he wants him to do.

John has a huge hold over Caleb and his family, having been the one who disposed of the body of Anthony Fox (Nicholas Day) when Ruby (Beth Cordingly) killed her rapist father.

He’s the only one who knows what happened to the body, and he uses this information to blackmail Caleb. If Caleb doesn’t help him get out of the country, John will alert the police to where Anthony’s body is located – and it won’t be long before Ruby is arrested for murder.

It’s a massive dilemma for Caleb. He would do anything to keep Ruby out of prison, but on the other hand if he helps John that means letting Nate’s killer go free – and that’s something that Cain (Jeff Hordley) and the rest of the family would never forgive.

Later when Ruby catches Caleb sneaking off, she demands to know where he’s going but he’s evasive.

Is he helping John to escape?