Anne Darwin has served a prison sentence and now lives a quiet life away from the limelight.
Monica Dolan plays Anne and Eddie Marsan plays John. ITV/Shutterstock, All Over Press
It’s hard to believe a new British drama is a true story, but that’s exactly what The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe is.
Anne and John Darwin are badly in debt. In order to solve the situation, John develops a criminal plan with which they can get hold of good money. With the help of his wife, he stages his own death with the intention of netting the life insurance money.
This is exactly what happened in March 2002. At that time, Anne lied to the police that John had disappeared on a kayaking trip. Before long, the man was pronounced dead. In reality, he lived next door to the couple’s home in an apartment they also owned.
John Darwin originally claimed to the police in 2007 that he had not lost his memory. All Over Press
Eventually the lie was revealed, but it took five and a half years. For just as long, John and Anne lied to their grown sons about death. When Mark and Anthony Darwin found out about the fraud at the same time as the general public, they cut ties with their parents. In retrospect, Anne has told For The Guardianhow exactly that made him realize the full horror of what he had done.
Mark and Anthony Darwin testified in the trial against their parents. All Over Press
Both Anne and John were sentenced to prison. They were released in 2011 and divorced. In an interview she gave in 2016, Anne tells how she has since done everything to make up for the differences with her children. He has succeeded in that, just like the journalist David Leigh said the British channel on ITV’s This Morning this spring. David Leigh and Anne wrote Anne’s memoirs six years ago and have remained friends.
– Anne is involved with both of her sons and has four grandchildren. Anne lives a quiet life anonymously. He is not happy about all this, Leigh referred to the publicity that the TV series brought with it.
– Anne often tells me that “I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Why is it still interesting after all these years?”
The series, which will be released today on paid streaming services, has four parts. Britbox
In April, Leigh also shared what she knows about John’s later stages. He remarried in 2015 and moved to the Philippines with his wife, who is 23 years his junior.
– John has no contact with his sons.
Anne received a slightly longer prison sentence than her husband. Picture from the series. Britbox
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe today on Britbox & C More. See program information for streaming services at Telku.