Home and Away Spoilers – Stephen turns Leah against Justin!
On next week’s Home and Away in the UK, Leah begins to suspect Justin was involved in Susie’s death after Stephen plants the seeds of doubt in her mind.
Just why is he so keen to point the finger?
Stephen (Bren Foster) arrived in Summer Bay after meeting Leah (Ada Nicodemou) on the Scam Stop forum. He’d fallen for one of Susie’s scams a number of years ago, and had been trying to track her down ever since.
He first met Susie when she approached him with a property development offer – she proposed that he build an apartment and they’d sell it together, but she hung him out to dry.
As a result, he ended up losing his house, his wife and his business, and has been hell bent on revenge ever since.
He has seemed nothing but helpful as he gave John (Shane Withington) and Leah tips, using his years of experience to prevent them from wasting their time on dead end leads and lost causes. However, once Susie’s body washed up in the Bay, things did seem to change slightly.
John was taken back when Stephen revealed to Cash Newman that neither he nor Leah had been around when John received the text messages from Susie, hinting to the new cop that perhaps John had been sending them to himself!
Next week, he turns his attention to Justin (James Stewart), as he tries to convince Leah that perhaps her boyfriend had something to do with Susie’s death.
As the pair walk along the beach together, Stephen recounts how Detective Amy Peters (Lisa Flanagan) has dragged him into the police station multiple times, and he’s fully expecting another questioning the following day.
Leah tells him how Justin has been treated equally badly by the cops. She explains how he’s trying to get better, is going to counselling, and they’re even talking about him moving home soon – but the police’s misdirected actions are just sending him backwards.
Stephen pounces on the opportunity to badmouth Justin, commenting that him moving home sounds like a big step.
“You really think it’s safe having Justin back in the house?” he questions, attempting to put doubt in her mind. “I mean, we’ve both seen what he’s capable of.”
His next question knocks her for six. “How did [Susie’s] phone get in Justin’s car?”
Leah says that he thinks that somebody planted it there, but it’s clear Stephen thinks otherwise. She exclaims that there’s no way Justin is a murderer, but when Stephen reminds her how violent and unpredictable he’s been recently, she realises that she can’t be 100% sure.
Later, she recounts Stephen’s accusation to Roo and Marilyn. The pair both think it’s ridiculous, but eventually Leah adds some extra details that she’s been going over in her mind.
“He’s been losing time,” she explains, thinking back to his recent blackout where he found himself at the side of the road with no idea how he got there. “And there have been moments where he really does lose his temper.
“What if Justin really did have something to do with Susie’s murder?”
When Justin finds Leah and Stephen together yet again, he flips out, adding more fuel to the fire. He can’t cope with seeing his girlfriend with another man, and just wants her to admit that she’s moved on.
However, the reaction he gets is the last thing he expected.
Rather than focus on his concerns about Stephen, Leah asks him if it’s guilt over Susie’s death that’s sent him over the edge and driven him to pills!
Stephen’s plan has worked – Leah has lost all trust in her boyfriend.
When the two later head back to Stephen’s motel room, he manages to convince her to go to the police. She’s devastated, but knows it’s the right thing to do. She knows that Justin would never have done anything to Susie intentionally, but now fully believes he could have done it under the influence of his pain meds.
However, everything is about to change.
Giving her some time with her thoughts, Stephen heads out to grab them some lunch, and it’s then that Leah discovers something that blows Susie’s case right open.
As she goes to lie down, she finds a spare phone down the side of the bed. Pulling the bed aside, she discovers a bag hidden away. She opens it to find wads of money inside, along with a laptop.
Her mind begins to race – surely not?!
Turning the laptop on, it confirms what she’s thinking. As the login screen comes up, the name on the screen sends a shiver down her spine: “Susie McAllister.”
Next she turns the phone on, where she finds the messages to John, the ones purporting to be from Susie! Poor John has spent weeks thinking he’s been texting Susie, when he’s been texting Stephen the whole time.
It seems Leah has discovered the real culprit. Now just the small matter of letting the police know.
Unfortunately for Leah, Stephen returns with their lunch moments later. She just has time to send an emergency SOS text to John before he comes back into the room… but will he see it in time?
Looking for a way out, Leah tells Stephen that he’s right, she should go to the police station right away and tell them she thinks Justin is to blame. However, as she gets up to go, Stephen spots the strap of his bag poking out from the bed.
Straight away, he knows that the game is up – Leah’s onto him. The pair race to the door, but he gets there first and holds it shut – “you know, don’t you?”
Suddenly, Leah finds herself in a hostage situation, trapped in the motel with the man who murdered Susie.
His exit strategy is simple – he wants them to run away together, taking the $90,000 and make a fresh start somewhere else, leaving Justin to take the rap for what he did. After all, Justin is out of control, the police already think he’s guilty, it’s an easy way out.
Will Leah be able to convince Stephen to do the right thing and let her go? And will John get his text message to the police before he manages to skip town?
It’s set to be a dramatic week of Home and Away as the Susie McAllister storyline reaches its crescendo.
Here’s the full spoilers for next week’s Home and Away episodes in the UK:
Monday 16th August 2021 (Episode 7600)
Roo faces the music. Leah confesses the depth of Justin’s behaviour. Bella’s world is shattered by Nikau’s truth.
Tuesday 17th August 2021 (Episode 7601)
Bella and Nikau realise the truth of their new reality. Leah is faced with some hard truths. Justin returns to the interview room.
Wednesday 18th August 2021 (Episode 7602)
Nikau goes through a hard time after the breakup. Will the police get to Stephen in time? Bella gets support from the people around her.
Thursday 19th August 2021 (Episode 7603)
Bella struggles to deal with everyone’s input. Ryder and Chloe are at opposites. Can Roo help Kieran?
Friday 20th August 2021 (Episode 7604)
Ziggy takes her frustration out on Tane. Chloe and Ryder find middle ground. Will Kieran be able to face Alf?