Darwins jailed for canoe fraud

Back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin has been jailed for six years and three months, while his wife has been jailed for six years and six months.

Anne Darwin, aged 56, had claimed her "domineering" husband forced her to go through with the plan to con insurance and pension companies by faking his death at sea.

But the jury at Teesside Crown Court rejected her defence and convicted her today of six counts of fraud and nine of money laundering after a seven-day trial.

Darwin tricked everyone, including her sons Mark and Anthony, with "superb aplomb", maintaining the lie for over five years while she and her former prison officer husband set up a new life in Panama.

But her defence of "marital coercion" was undermined when the prosecution produced emails they sent each other.

Anne Darwin showed no reaction as the jury foreman delivered the verdicts after four hours of deliberation.

Mark Darwin sat in the public gallery with his brother Anthony as the verdicts were read out in a silent courtroom.

Neither of the sons reacted to the guilty verdicts.

The Darwins hatched the plot as they hurtled towards bankruptcy.

The elaborate plan involved Mr Darwin paddling out into the North Sea in March, 2002, in his home-made canoe, within sight of their home in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, then going into hiding while his wife claimed he was missing at sea. She raised the alarm after driving him in secret to Durham railway station.

A huge air sea rescue operation was mounted - without success. Mrs Darwin turned on the tears when she broke the news of their father's disappearance to her sons. Mark Darwin, 32, told the court: "It crushed my world."

It was only five-and-a-half years later that they learned the truth. With her husband living rough in Cumbria, the grey-haired former doctor's receptionist began the process of declaring him dead, and conning insurers and pension funds out of the £250,000.

But then Darwin flew back to the UK from his new home in Panama and handed himself into a central London police station, claiming he suffered amnesia and could remember nothing since 2000.

He was reunited with his sons in December. They told the court they could not believe he was alive.

Before his wife's trial Darwin had admitted seven counts of fraud and one of dishonestly obtaining a passport. He denied nine counts of money laundering, which will remain on file.