John Darwin disappearance case
Encyclopedia
The John Darwin disappearance case was an investigation into the faked death of British
former teacher and prison officer John Darwin, who turned up alive in December 2007, five years after he was thought to have died in a canoeing
accident.
John Darwin was arrested and charged with fraud
ulently obtaining a passport, and claiming money by deception. His wife—who was also arrested and charged, having claimed the money on his life insurance
—alleged he had been secretly living in their house and the house next door, and that the couple had planned to set up a hotel for canoeing holidays in Panama
. On 23 July 2008 John and Anne Darwin were each sentenced to over six years imprisonment.
The events were dramatised in the BBC Four
television drama Canoe Man.
, County Durham
. He attended St Francis RC Grammar School
and De La Salle College, Salford, Manchester
where he studied biology
and chemistry
. On 22 December 1973, John Darwin married Anne Stephenson at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, in Blackhall
. Darwin then taught science and mathematics
at Derwentside
for 18 years before leaving to join Barclays Bank. He later became a prison officer
. He and his wife, a doctor's receptionist
, also ran a business renting bedsit
s in County Durham
with 12 houses. They ran into debt after purchasing two houses in Seaton Carew
in December 2000. The debts, amounting to "tens of thousands of pounds
", caused Darwin to talk about faking his own death to claim the insurance by early 2002.
on 21 March 2002, at Seaton Carew
, in Hartlepool
. Later the same day, he was reported as "missing
" after failing to report to work. A large-scale sea search
took place, during which 62 square miles (160 km2) of coastline were searched. There was no sign of Darwin, though a double-ended paddle
was retrieved from the sea near North Gare, Seaton Carew, the following day. Later on 22 March 2002, the wreckage of John Darwin's canoe was found.The North Sea
was unusually calm and rescuers had been puzzled that Darwin could have got into trouble in such conditions.
next door to the family home; he then moved back in with his wife Anne in February 2003. A death certificate
was issued the following month, stating that John Darwin "probably encountered difficulties, as a result of which he died". This allowed his wife to claim on his life insurance; it is alleged that £25,000 was paid out from Unat Direct Insurance Management Limited (part of the AIG
insurance group) as well as a much larger amount which paid off the £130,000 mortgage." Sometime that year, a tenant of the block of bedsit flats that the Darwins owned, Lee Wadrop, recognised Darwin and asked him "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" to which Darwin replied "Don't tell anyone about this". Wadrop later said that he had not told the police because he "did not want to get involved".
In 2004, the Darwins decided to move abroad, considering Australia
, Canada
, Cyprus
and the Falkland Islands
. John Darwin applied for, and obtained a passport using the false name "John Jones," but using his true home address. In November 2004, the couple visited Cyprus to investigate buying property there.
In May 2005, an angler
named Matt Autie claimed to have met John Darwin - who was going under the name "John Williams" - at a lake near Penzance
, Cornwall
. When back at home, Mr. Darwin is reported to have spent most of his time on the Internet
where he encountered a woman from Kansas
in the United States
whom he flew out to meet. By November, Darwin was back in the UK and flew from Newcastle
to Gibraltar
, and then travelled to El Puerto de Santa María
to view a £45,000 42 ft catamaran
that he was considering buying from boat
dealer
Robert Hopkin.
On 9 March 2006, Darwin is reported to have signed a planning objection to a neighbour's building work using a false name. Darwin and his wife began to consider Panama
as a possible destination. The couple flew from Newcastle to Panama on 14 July 2006, where they were photographed by a Panamanian property agent. In February 2007, they spent a further week in Panama. Newspapers from February 2007 were later found in the boarded-up gap between the Darwins' house and the bedsit where Darwin had hidden. In March 2007, the couple returned to Panama and formed a company called Jaguar Properties in order to buy a two -bedroom apartment in El Dorado for £50,000. The bedsit house next to the family home was sold under the name of the Darwin's son, Mark; the home had been transferred to Mark Darwin in 2006. The proceeds from the sale were then transferred to Panama.
The following month, Anne Darwin returned to the UK to sell her home while John Darwin remained in Panama. In May 2007, the couple purchased a £200,000 tropical estate in the village of Escobal, Colón
, Panama
near the Panama Canal
with the intention of building a hotel from where canoeing holidays could be run. Anne Darwin visited Panama again in July 2007, staying for six weeks. A police investigation was then started in September when a colleague of Anne Darwin became suspicious upon overhearing a phone conversation between the couple. The Darwin family home was sold for £295,000 in October 2007 and Anne Darwin subsequently left for Panama. In the third week of November, the couple holidayed in Costa Rica
before returning to Panama. On 30 November 2007, Mrs Darwin bought an airline ticket for her husband to England
because "he was missing his sons". On the same day, their son Mark left his property firm after working his notice period.
. On 14 June 2007 he emailed Anne to say that in order to obtain the now required Panamian "investors's visa" their identities would have to be verified by the UK police. He knew his John Jones alias would not pass such close scrutiny. So he decided to turn John Jones back into John Darwin. He thought he could convince the UK that he had lost his memory and rejoin Anne in panama with his new passport, police check and driving licence.
On 1 December 2007, Darwin walked into West End
Central police station in London
, claiming to have no memory
of the past five years. His wife Anne - who had sold up her properties in England and moved to Panama three months before his re-appearance - expressed surprise, joy and elation at the return of her missing husband. The UK police by that time already suspected that Darwin may not be dead since Anne Darwin, who portrayed herself as a broken-hearted widow, took foreign holidays, planned to sell the family home in Hartlepool to move to Panama, transferred large sums of money abroad.
The story deepened on 5 December 2007, when the Daily Mirror published a photo of John and Anne Darwin that was taken in Panama in 2006. Anne reportedly confirmed that the photograph was of John, saying "Yes, that's him. My sons will never forgive me". The photograph had been discovered when a member of the public typed the words "John", "Anne" and "Panama" into Google Images
. The photo was featured on the website movetopanama.com and brought to the attention of the Daily Mirror and Cleveland Police
. The police then arrested Darwin at the house of his son Anthony in Basingstoke
.
Police had begun inquiries into the financial circumstances of the case three months before Darwin's reappearance, following the report made by one of Anne Darwin's colleagues. Mrs. Darwin was known to have claimed on her husband's life insurance and then emigrated
to Panama
, so the possibility that she knew him to be alive suggested an irregularity.
John Darwin's two sons initially expressed elation at the return of their father but, as the story unfolded, they issued a joint statement stating they felt they had been victims of a scam, and implying that they wished to have no further contact with their parents. Both sons were reported to have changed their jobs prior to their father's re-appearance. On 6 December, one of John Darwin's sons allegedly disappeared after clearing out his North London flat and leaving a notebook reportedly containing coded messages for his girlfriend, as well as directions for her to get to London City Airport
. Police emphasised that he was not suspected of any crime.
John Darwin had been using the name "John Jones" in a false passport and other documentation. Police examined the passport in order to piece together Darwin's movements in the previous five years; it reportedly showed several trips to Panama. Darwin used the identity of a deceased baby to obtain a false passport; the infant, John Jones, was born in Sunderland, County Durham
in March 1950 but died a few weeks later. This technique featured in the 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal
by Frederick Forsyth
.
On 8 December, the Daily Mail
quoted Anne Darwin as saying that, although she initially thought her husband was dead, he turned up at their home in 2003 and lived there secretly, and in an adjacent bedsit that she owned, for about three years. He entered the home from the bedsit through a secret hole in the wall; the hole was hidden behind a wardrobe
with a false back. The article stated that, two months after he had moved back in with Anne, she was persuaded to attend an inquest
into his death so she could claim the life insurance. John was pronounced dead, and the life insurance company paid only half of the £50,000 policy total because no body had been found. Anne said he had fake
d his death to escape financial difficulties arising from properties they owned. She claimed that he had decided to return publicly because he missed his sons, who had not been aware he was still alive. Later that day Darwin was charged with obtaining life insurance money by deception and making an untrue statement
to obtain a passport.
On 9 December, Anne Darwin was arrested at Manchester Airport upon returning to the UK. She was detained in connection with allegations of fraud
. She appeared in court on 11 December in Hartlepool to face two charges of fraud - obtaining £25,000 and £137,000 by deception. She remained in custody until 14 December.
Darwin appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court on 10 December, where he was also remanded in custody until 14 December.
On 14 December, Anne and John Darwin appeared separately before Hartlepool Magistrates' Court
and they both were remanded in custody to appear again on 11 January 2008.
On 9 January 2008, John and Anne Darwin returned to Hartlepool Magistrates' court to face further charges of deception. John faced an additional charge of obtaining £137,000 by deception (the same charge his wife was already facing) in addition to the existing life insurance charge against both of them for £25,000 and John's separate charge of obtaining a passport by deception. They were then both charged together from obtaining more money from a teachers' pension
scheme (two separate amounts of £25,186 and £58,845), plus obtaining money from the Department for Work and Pensions
(two separate amounts of £2,000 and £2,273). They were remanded in custody once more to appear in court again on 18 January 2008.
On 18 January, they each appeared separately at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court by video-link and were remanded in custody until 15 February, when they faced committal to Crown Court
.
On 13 March, John Darwin admitted seven charges of obtaining cash by deception and a passport offence at Leeds
Crown Court. He denied nine charges of using criminal property; these charges will remain on file, according to prosecutors. Anne Darwin denied six charges of deception and nine of using criminal property.
The Crown Prosecution Service
has vowed that all profits from the "callous and calculated" fraud committed by the couple will be confiscated. John Darwin was released on probation in January 2011 and Anne Darwin was released in March 2011.
programme Canoe Man in 2010. The film starred Bernard Hill
and Saskia Reeves
as John and Anne Darwin respectively. In fiction, it also inspired a 2009 novel by Adrian Gere called Return from the Dead, and a 2010 storyline in the ITV1
soap opera Coronation Street
saw the character Joe McIntyre
attempt the same thing.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
former teacher and prison officer John Darwin, who turned up alive in December 2007, five years after he was thought to have died in a canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
accident.
John Darwin was arrested and charged with fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
ulently obtaining a passport, and claiming money by deception. His wife—who was also arrested and charged, having claimed the money on his life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
—alleged he had been secretly living in their house and the house next door, and that the couple had planned to set up a hotel for canoeing holidays in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. On 23 July 2008 John and Anne Darwin were each sentenced to over six years imprisonment.
The events were dramatised in the BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
television drama Canoe Man.
Background
John Darwin was born on 14 August 1950, in HartlepoolHartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He attended St Francis RC Grammar School
St Francis RC Grammar School
For the school of the same name in Quetta, Pakistan, see St Francis Grammar School.St Francis RC Grammar School was a Catholic grammar school for boys, in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It opened in 1956 and was subsumed into The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College in...
and De La Salle College, Salford, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
where he studied biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. On 22 December 1973, John Darwin married Anne Stephenson at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, in Blackhall
Blackhall
Blackhall can refer to* two adjoining villages in County Durham, in England:** Blackhall Colliery** Blackhall Rocks** Blackhall Gaels* Blackhall, Edinburgh, in Scotland* Blackhall townland near Clane, County Kildare...
. Darwin then taught science and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at Derwentside
Derwentside
Derwentside was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England.The district took its name from the River Derwent, which made up part of the northern border of the district. Its main towns were Consett and Stanley, with the district council offices on Consett's Medomsley...
for 18 years before leaving to join Barclays Bank. He later became a prison officer
Prison officer
A prison officer , also referred to as a corrections officer , correctional officer , or detention officer , is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison, jail, or similar form of secure...
. He and his wife, a doctor's receptionist
Receptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business...
, also ran a business renting bedsit
Bedsit
A bedsit, also known as a bed-sitting room, is a form of rented accommodation common in Great Britain and Ireland consisting of a single room and shared bathroom; they are part of a legal category of dwellings referred to as Houses in multiple occupation....
s in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
with 12 houses. They ran into debt after purchasing two houses in Seaton Carew
Seaton Carew
Seaton Carew is a small seaside resort within the Borough of Hartlepool, in North East England with a population of 6,018 . It is situated on the North Sea coast between the town of Hartlepool and the mouth of the River Tees...
in December 2000. The debts, amounting to "tens of thousands of pounds
Pound (currency)
The pound is a unit of currency in some nations. The term originated in England as the value of a pound of silver.The word pound is the English translation of the Latin word libra, which was the unit of account of the Roman Empire...
", caused Darwin to talk about faking his own death to claim the insurance by early 2002.
Disappearance
John Darwin was seen paddling out to sea in his canoeCanoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
on 21 March 2002, at Seaton Carew
Seaton Carew
Seaton Carew is a small seaside resort within the Borough of Hartlepool, in North East England with a population of 6,018 . It is situated on the North Sea coast between the town of Hartlepool and the mouth of the River Tees...
, in Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
. Later the same day, he was reported as "missing
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
" after failing to report to work. A large-scale sea search
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
took place, during which 62 square miles (160 km2) of coastline were searched. There was no sign of Darwin, though a double-ended paddle
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:...
was retrieved from the sea near North Gare, Seaton Carew, the following day. Later on 22 March 2002, the wreckage of John Darwin's canoe was found.The North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
was unusually calm and rescuers had been puzzled that Darwin could have got into trouble in such conditions.
Missing years
During the years that Darwin was presumed dead, he lived for some time in a bedsitBedsit
A bedsit, also known as a bed-sitting room, is a form of rented accommodation common in Great Britain and Ireland consisting of a single room and shared bathroom; they are part of a legal category of dwellings referred to as Houses in multiple occupation....
next door to the family home; he then moved back in with his wife Anne in February 2003. A death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
was issued the following month, stating that John Darwin "probably encountered difficulties, as a result of which he died". This allowed his wife to claim on his life insurance; it is alleged that £25,000 was paid out from Unat Direct Insurance Management Limited (part of the AIG
AIG
AIG is American International Group, a major American insurance corporation.AIG may also refer to:* And-inverter graph, a concept in computer theory* Answers in Genesis, a creationist organization in the U.S.* Arta Industrial Group in Iran...
insurance group) as well as a much larger amount which paid off the £130,000 mortgage." Sometime that year, a tenant of the block of bedsit flats that the Darwins owned, Lee Wadrop, recognised Darwin and asked him "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" to which Darwin replied "Don't tell anyone about this". Wadrop later said that he had not told the police because he "did not want to get involved".
In 2004, the Darwins decided to move abroad, considering Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. John Darwin applied for, and obtained a passport using the false name "John Jones," but using his true home address. In November 2004, the couple visited Cyprus to investigate buying property there.
In May 2005, an angler
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
named Matt Autie claimed to have met John Darwin - who was going under the name "John Williams" - at a lake near Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. When back at home, Mr. Darwin is reported to have spent most of his time on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
where he encountered a woman from Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
whom he flew out to meet. By November, Darwin was back in the UK and flew from Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and then travelled to El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
to view a £45,000 42 ft catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
that he was considering buying from boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
dealer
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
Robert Hopkin.
On 9 March 2006, Darwin is reported to have signed a planning objection to a neighbour's building work using a false name. Darwin and his wife began to consider Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
as a possible destination. The couple flew from Newcastle to Panama on 14 July 2006, where they were photographed by a Panamanian property agent. In February 2007, they spent a further week in Panama. Newspapers from February 2007 were later found in the boarded-up gap between the Darwins' house and the bedsit where Darwin had hidden. In March 2007, the couple returned to Panama and formed a company called Jaguar Properties in order to buy a two -bedroom apartment in El Dorado for £50,000. The bedsit house next to the family home was sold under the name of the Darwin's son, Mark; the home had been transferred to Mark Darwin in 2006. The proceeds from the sale were then transferred to Panama.
The following month, Anne Darwin returned to the UK to sell her home while John Darwin remained in Panama. In May 2007, the couple purchased a £200,000 tropical estate in the village of Escobal, Colón
Colón, Panama
Colón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
near the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
with the intention of building a hotel from where canoeing holidays could be run. Anne Darwin visited Panama again in July 2007, staying for six weeks. A police investigation was then started in September when a colleague of Anne Darwin became suspicious upon overhearing a phone conversation between the couple. The Darwin family home was sold for £295,000 in October 2007 and Anne Darwin subsequently left for Panama. In the third week of November, the couple holidayed in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
before returning to Panama. On 30 November 2007, Mrs Darwin bought an airline ticket for her husband to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
because "he was missing his sons". On the same day, their son Mark left his property firm after working his notice period.
Return and arrest
After a change in Panama's visa laws Darwin decided to return to the UK and fake amnesiaAmnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. On 14 June 2007 he emailed Anne to say that in order to obtain the now required Panamian "investors's visa" their identities would have to be verified by the UK police. He knew his John Jones alias would not pass such close scrutiny. So he decided to turn John Jones back into John Darwin. He thought he could convince the UK that he had lost his memory and rejoin Anne in panama with his new passport, police check and driving licence.
On 1 December 2007, Darwin walked into West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
Central police station in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, claiming to have no memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
of the past five years. His wife Anne - who had sold up her properties in England and moved to Panama three months before his re-appearance - expressed surprise, joy and elation at the return of her missing husband. The UK police by that time already suspected that Darwin may not be dead since Anne Darwin, who portrayed herself as a broken-hearted widow, took foreign holidays, planned to sell the family home in Hartlepool to move to Panama, transferred large sums of money abroad.
The story deepened on 5 December 2007, when the Daily Mirror published a photo of John and Anne Darwin that was taken in Panama in 2006. Anne reportedly confirmed that the photograph was of John, saying "Yes, that's him. My sons will never forgive me". The photograph had been discovered when a member of the public typed the words "John", "Anne" and "Panama" into Google Images
Google Image Search
Google Images is a search service created by Google that allows users to search the Web for image content. The feature was introduced in July 2001. The keywords for the image search are based on the filename of the image, the link text pointing to the image, and text adjacent to the image. When...
. The photo was featured on the website movetopanama.com and brought to the attention of the Daily Mirror and Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in north east England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately and has a population of over 554,000....
. The police then arrested Darwin at the house of his son Anthony in Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
.
Police had begun inquiries into the financial circumstances of the case three months before Darwin's reappearance, following the report made by one of Anne Darwin's colleagues. Mrs. Darwin was known to have claimed on her husband's life insurance and then emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, so the possibility that she knew him to be alive suggested an irregularity.
John Darwin's two sons initially expressed elation at the return of their father but, as the story unfolded, they issued a joint statement stating they felt they had been victims of a scam, and implying that they wished to have no further contact with their parents. Both sons were reported to have changed their jobs prior to their father's re-appearance. On 6 December, one of John Darwin's sons allegedly disappeared after clearing out his North London flat and leaving a notebook reportedly containing coded messages for his girlfriend, as well as directions for her to get to London City Airport
London City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
. Police emphasised that he was not suspected of any crime.
John Darwin had been using the name "John Jones" in a false passport and other documentation. Police examined the passport in order to piece together Darwin's movements in the previous five years; it reportedly showed several trips to Panama. Darwin used the identity of a deceased baby to obtain a false passport; the infant, John Jones, was born in Sunderland, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in March 1950 but died a few weeks later. This technique featured in the 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal
The Day of the Jackal
The Day of the Jackal is a thriller novel by English writer Frederick Forsyth, about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French terrorist group of the early 1960s, to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France....
by Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...
.
On 8 December, the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
quoted Anne Darwin as saying that, although she initially thought her husband was dead, he turned up at their home in 2003 and lived there secretly, and in an adjacent bedsit that she owned, for about three years. He entered the home from the bedsit through a secret hole in the wall; the hole was hidden behind a wardrobe
Wardrobe
A Wardrobe is a cabinet used for storing clothes.Wardrobe may also refer to:* Wardrobe , a full set of multiple clothing items* Wardrobe , part of royal administration in medieval England...
with a false back. The article stated that, two months after he had moved back in with Anne, she was persuaded to attend an inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
into his death so she could claim the life insurance. John was pronounced dead, and the life insurance company paid only half of the £50,000 policy total because no body had been found. Anne said he had fake
Fake
Fake means not real.Fake may also refer to:In music:* Fake , a Swedish synthpop band active in the 1980s*Fake?, a Japanese rock band* Fake , 2010 song by Ai featuring Namie Amuro...
d his death to escape financial difficulties arising from properties they owned. She claimed that he had decided to return publicly because he missed his sons, who had not been aware he was still alive. Later that day Darwin was charged with obtaining life insurance money by deception and making an untrue statement
False statement
A false statement is a statement that is either willfully or unknowingly untrue. Though the word fallacy is often used as a synonym for false statement, this is not what is meant by "fallacy" in logic or most formal contexts....
to obtain a passport.
On 9 December, Anne Darwin was arrested at Manchester Airport upon returning to the UK. She was detained in connection with allegations of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. She appeared in court on 11 December in Hartlepool to face two charges of fraud - obtaining £25,000 and £137,000 by deception. She remained in custody until 14 December.
Darwin appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court on 10 December, where he was also remanded in custody until 14 December.
On 14 December, Anne and John Darwin appeared separately before Hartlepool Magistrates' Court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
and they both were remanded in custody to appear again on 11 January 2008.
On 9 January 2008, John and Anne Darwin returned to Hartlepool Magistrates' court to face further charges of deception. John faced an additional charge of obtaining £137,000 by deception (the same charge his wife was already facing) in addition to the existing life insurance charge against both of them for £25,000 and John's separate charge of obtaining a passport by deception. They were then both charged together from obtaining more money from a teachers' pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
scheme (two separate amounts of £25,186 and £58,845), plus obtaining money from the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
(two separate amounts of £2,000 and £2,273). They were remanded in custody once more to appear in court again on 18 January 2008.
On 18 January, they each appeared separately at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court by video-link and were remanded in custody until 15 February, when they faced committal to Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
On 13 March, John Darwin admitted seven charges of obtaining cash by deception and a passport offence at Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
Crown Court. He denied nine charges of using criminal property; these charges will remain on file, according to prosecutors. Anne Darwin denied six charges of deception and nine of using criminal property.
Sentencing
On 23 July 2008, John Darwin and Anne Darwin were both convicted of fraud. John Darwin faced an additional charge relating to his fake passport and was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. Anne Darwin, who was described by the police as a compulsive liar, was sentenced to six years and six months. Both appealed against their sentences and on 27 March 2009, both appeals were denied by the Court of Appeal.The Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
has vowed that all profits from the "callous and calculated" fraud committed by the couple will be confiscated. John Darwin was released on probation in January 2011 and Anne Darwin was released in March 2011.
In popular culture
The story of John and Anne Darwin was dramatised in the BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
programme Canoe Man in 2010. The film starred Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill is a British actor of film, stage and television. In a career spanning thirty years, he is best known for playing Yosser Hughes, the troubled 'hard man' whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking 1980s TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff...
and Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves is a British actress perhaps best known for her roles in the films Close My Eyes and ID , and the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune....
as John and Anne Darwin respectively. In fiction, it also inspired a 2009 novel by Adrian Gere called Return from the Dead, and a 2010 storyline in the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
saw the character Joe McIntyre
Joe McIntyre (Coronation Street)
Joseph "Joe" McIntyre was a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character was portrayed by actor Reece Dinsdale. Joe was introduced as the father of Tina McIntyre, and made his first appearing onscreen during the episode that aired in the UK on May 26, 2008...
attempt the same thing.