Will Maya walk free after Priya police blunder in Emmerdale?

Viewers cheered as Maya was finally apprehended, only to be shocked when the manipulative teacher denied her inappropriate relationship with her pupil and threw Jacob's protective mum Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi), along with stepmothers Priya and Tracy Metcalfe (Amy Walsh), under the bus by telling the cops the women abducted and attacked her, leaving her for dead in the woods.

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Under interrogation, Tracy and Leyla stuck to their story that they had innocently given Maya a lift after the recent 'big night out' in Hotten and that she unexpectedly threw herself out of the moving car and wasn't seen again until her arrest at the pavilion.

When the women were released they explained to Jake's furious dad David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) that they could not tell the police they had witnessed Maya kissing Jacob outside the club because it was only Priya who actually saw them, and assured the desperate dad their friend would admit what she saw.

Why could Priya, Leyla and Tracy go to prison and Maya go free?

But following her own high-pressure police interview, Priya returned to the village and confirmed she had actually said nothing because Leyla had told her not to, angering a confused David further over what he views as the trio's betrayal of Jacob.

What Mr Metcalfe doesn't realise, however, is that they are covering up their kidnap and assault to keep themselves out of prison, which in the process sees Priya withholding the only real evidence of Maya's crimes meaning she may escape justice…

With steely Maya flat-out denying the affair with Jacob, insisting jealous Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steele) made it up because of her feelings for the lad – and with Jacob himself still under his abuser's spell and refusing to implicate her – a lack of evidence or credible witnesses means there is a strong possibility Miss Stepney could walk free with no punishment.

Teasing the next stage of the story, Wolfenden says: "Maya's arrest is not the end, it’s actually the start of the next chapter. Jacob thinks David has ruined his life and stopped him and Maya being together, I don’t know if he will ever forgive David for getting her arrested.”

Can anyone make Jacob realise that villainous Maya has been using him? Or will Leyla, Tracy and Priya risk their own freedom by coming clean so there is actual proof to get the predator locked up?

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