Canoeist who vanished at sea turns up at police station five years later

Canoeist who vanished at sea in 2002 turns up at police station five years later

Surveillance footage from a police station in December 2007 shocked everyone by revealing John Darwin, who had been presumed dead in a canoeing accident over five years earlier.

Darwin was last seen kayaking out to sea on March 21, 2002, at Seaton Carew in the UK. His failure to return from this trip prompted a report of him being missing.

Despite an extensive search, no trace of Darwin or his remains were found. However, the day after his disappearance, a double-ended paddle and remnants of his kayak were discovered, leading to the belief that Darwin had died at sea.

However, Darwin had actually faked his own death. He spent some time living in a bedsit near the family home and then secretly returned to live with his wife, Anne, in February 2003.

During this time, a death certificate was issued, stating that Darwin had died on March 21, 2002, enabling Anne to claim his life insurance.

In 2004, Darwin successfully obtained a passport under the alias "John Jones," using his genuine home address.

In November 2004, he and Anne traveled to Cyprus to explore property purchases and later journeyed to Panama in 2007 with the aim of acquiring real estate.

However, changes to Panama's visa regulations required UK police verification of their identities for them to obtain the necessary "investors' visas."

Aware that his alias "John Jones" would not withstand scrutiny, Darwin decided to return to the UK using his real identity and pretended to have amnesia.

On December 1, 2007, Darwin walked into the West End Central police station in London, claiming to have no memory of the past five years.

However, their deception quickly unraveled. Initially, Darwin's sons welcomed their father's return, but as the truth emerged, they released a joint statement expressing their sense of betrayal.

On July 23, 2008, both John and Anne Darwin were found guilty of fraud. John faced an additional charge related to his fake passport and received a sentence of six years and three months, while Anne, described by the police as a habitual liar, received six years and six months in prison.

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