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According to The Mirror today, the climactic conclusion to the Stape saga will see the former schoolteacher imprison his wife Fiz and her brother Chesney, along with family friend Kirk Sutherland and Charlotte Hoyle's parents Alan and Dorothy.
It is thought that the dramatic showdown takes place in the cellar of the Hoyles' home as the truth about John's crimes starts to emerge at last, leaving viewers to wonder whether he could kill again.
A source told the newspaper: "John's world starts to crash around him in spectacular fashion when all the terrible secrets he has been hiding start to piece together in one big jigsaw.
"It ends with all five people being locked in the cellar fearing for their lives as Stape mulls over how to get out of the biggest mess of his life. He finds himself in a situation where everyone knows what he has done."
In a tragic twist, John is expected to later commit suicide as the thought of facing prison for his dark secrets becomes too much to bear.
Reports say that John's past will start to catch up with him when fresh building work at Underworld leads to the discovery of Colin Fishwick's body. John and Charlotte hid his corpse at the factory last summer after he died during a heated argument at the Stape household.
As his dark storyline continued last year, John attacked Charlotte with a hammer after she made his life hell by blackmailing him over Colin's death. She later died in hospital, but John managed to fool authorities that her injuries were sustained in the street's tram crash disaster.
More recently, John was also involved in the death of Colin's mother Joy Fishwick after befriending her amid his guilt.
Rumours surrounding the twisted character's departure have yet to be confirmed or denied as Corrie bosses do not comment on future storylines.
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