The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe: Anne Darwin confirmed to be living in Yorkshire village

The former wife of 'canoe man' John Darwin who faked his own death is now living in a picturesque North Yorkshire village.
By Grace Newton
Published 21st Apr 2022, 14:54 BST
Updated 22nd Apr 2022, 06:58 BST

Anne Darwin, now 69, has been tracked down by national newspapers to Yorkshire.

She now lives alone in a bungalow and enjoys walking in the nearby hills.

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She was jailed for six years for her part in the fraud that saw her then-husband John 'vanish' during a canoe trip off the coast of Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, in 2002.

Monica Dolan played Anne Darwin in The Thief, His Wife and The CanoeMonica Dolan played Anne Darwin in The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe
Monica Dolan played Anne Darwin in The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe
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Assumed drowned, he actually moved into a bedsit near the family home and his wife was later able to claim his life insurance pay-out while their two sons grieved for him.

They later moved to Panama with John using a fake passport, but when he ran into issues over his new identity he walked into a London police station in 2007 and claimed to have been suffering from amnesia.

Their story unravelled and they divorced while serving their prison sentences.

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Anne Darwin studied courses in IT and business while in prison and is believed to have worked for the RSPCA since her release.

Her former husband now lives in the Philippines with his new wife, a local woman.