| John Darwin and his wife Ann have certainly made a | | | | canoing accident and that his wife had claimed the life |
| huge stir after trying to get away with Life insurance | | | | insurance money in good faith. He thought he could |
| fraud. | | | | then pay back the money and return to his new home |
| In an attempt to save his family from bankruptcy John, | | | | in Panama having wiped the slate clean. |
| a former teacher and prison officer pretended he was | | | | Unfortunately there was too much evidence stacked |
| dead for more than five years, convincing even his | | | | against the couple including photos of them holidaying |
| two sons that he had died in a canoing accident at | | | | together within the period that Mr Darwin had said he |
| sea. Mr Darwin, the instigator and brains behind the | | | | had been suffering from amnesia. The police were |
| plan had made sure he had thought of everything. It | | | | also tipped off by one of Mrs Darwin's colleagues who |
| has been reported that a spreadsheet with instructions | | | | overheard her talking on the phone and guessed she |
| was left by him for his wife to follow. | | | | was talking to her husband. |
| Just weeks after disappearing, Darwin moved into the | | | | A jury later found the couple guilty of six counts of |
| bed-sit next to his home. Disguised with a beard and a | | | | fraud and nine of money laundering. Mr and Mrs |
| limp he opened an account at a local library using a | | | | Darwin are now serving a six year stint each in prison. |
| dead child's name later he also managed to get a | | | | Mr Darwin's attempt to solve his financial worries has |
| passport in the name of John Jones. | | | | not only landed him and his wife in prison, left them with |
| Meanwhile, his wife continued to insist he was dead | | | | added monetary worries, but more devastatingly their |
| and managed to obtain a death certificate after an | | | | sons have disowned them. And to top it all off it is |
| inquest the following year. She was then cleared to file | | | | very unlikely that they will be able to find another life |
| a claim for her supposed dead husband's life insurance | | | | insurance company willing to cover them. |
| policy, worth £250,000, and paved the way for | | | | I know they aren't the only people to have attempted |
| them to start a new tranquil life abroad in Panama. | | | | to falsely claim on a life insurance policy and I'm they |
| Fed up with life as a fugitive, John Darwin believed that | | | | wont be the last. Even the popular teen soap, |
| by claiming to be suffering from amnesia he could | | | | Hollyoaks has jumped on the bandwagon with a similar |
| persuade police that he had without a doubt been in a | | | | storyline. |