The Canoe Con | Dead Man Walking | 3
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Alice. Matty, baby. Oh, hi. It's too much, isn't it? Just trying something new. I like it. You know, you were saying the other day that you wish your life had more jeopardy, heartbreak and the fundamental breakdown of your relationship with your nearest and dearest. I don't remember that, no. Well, in this episode, you're going to get it anyway. Thank you. Pleasure. Saturday, December 1st, 2007. Central London, 4.30pm.

John Darwin comes out of the tube station at Oxford Circus. The streets are full of Christmas shoppers. He walks one way, then the other. Stops and stares at buildings. Rubs his forehead. He's putting on a show of looking confused and bewildered. He wants a stranger to take him to a police station. He landed at Heathrow Airport a few hours ago. He changed into warm clothes and dumped his old ones in the gents. He remembers he's still got his John Jones passport with him.

He takes it out of his pocket now, rips out the pages, tears each one into little pieces, throws the whole thing in a bin. The last thing he wants is to be caught with false ID. Back on Oxford Street, it's an hour later and he's still wandering up and down. Eventually, he stops a middle-aged woman and asks for help. "I think I'm lost." But she hurries away. He walks out in front of a car.

Maybe a near miss will get him some attention. But the driver is furious. Out of the way, idiot! He's spent five and a half years hiding from everyone. Five and a half years! Now that he wants to be seen, nobody wants to know. The irony. Yeah, welcome to London, mate. Another half hour later, he walks into Topshop.

It's three stories high, full of neon lights and pumping music. It was the mecca as a 14-year-old girl. I used to come from Nottingham for a day out at Topshop. Did you really? Yeah. And did you ever see John Darwin? Now you mention it. There was a guy who was just staggering around. He rides up and down the escalators for a while, making sure he's caught on CCTV. He wanders aimlessly among endless rows of mannequins and party dressers.

He puts on a confused face, looks around as if he's lost something. Eventually, an assistant comes up. Are you okay there? He glances around, bewildered. Where is my wife? But at that moment, a young woman approaches the assistant and interrupts. Excuse me, where are the changing rooms? The assistant disappears with her. He stands there for a few more minutes. Then he leaves the shop. Ten minutes later, he's in Savile Row.

There's a sign outside a grey building. West End Central Police Station. If nobody will bring him here, he'll have to do it himself. He looks up at the stark four-storey concrete building. CCTV cameras are on the corner beneath the blue police lamp. They're also on the entrance. He walks round the building a few times to make sure he's recorded. Rubs at his forehead. Mutters to himself. Then he walks up the few steps and into the station. The desk sergeant looks up.

Can I help you, sir? He glances round as if he's still not sure where he is. Scratches his head. I was in Topshop with my wife and two dogs. I don't know where they are. Why would you take two Rottweilers to Topshop? You are not going to find something for them there. He sees a flash of confusion over the officer's face. Can you tell me your name? For a second, he hesitates. Glances back at the door. It's still not too late to change his mind.

He could walk away now, fly back to Panama, and live with Anne in secret. He turns back to the officer. "I'm John Darwin, and I think I'm missing." "My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big ROAS man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend.

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Already a nightmare opening to the episode. Yeah. Oxford Circus at Christmas. LAUGHTER

actually makes me want to be sick. It's the stuff of fever dreams. It's added to the list of some of the terrible things in this story. But we shouldn't forget, John Darwin actually did quite well at the start. Yeah. He'd managed to get the insurance money. He'd bought a farm in Panama. It seemed like he was actually going to get away with things. But then his number one enemy reared its head, hubris, as we know. John suffers with that often. And I'm

Am I right in thinking we'd got to the point where he was considering coming back from the dead? Yes, and I know that sounds strange, but things are going to get a lot stranger and a lot more serious. This is episode three, Dead Man Walking. Later that day, Mark Darwin bursts into the West End Central police station. He's with his girlfriend, Flick. His dark hair is damp with sweat. He ran here from the tube station. He catches his breath.

My dad's been missing. I've been told he's here. The officer tells him to take a seat. He grabs Flick's hand, shifts his weight from one foot to the next. He's too nervous to sit down. He just wants to see his dad. He and Flick were at a friend's wedding when he got a call from the police. Can they catch a break with weddings? Cancel theirs. Add another one. Just let them go to a bloody wedding. Mr Darwin, we have a man at the station who says he's your father.

He bursts into tears. He's cried all the way here on the tube. A sob catches in his throat now. Flick guides him to the seat. His legs shake. A few minutes later, a police officer comes up to him. Can you follow me, please? He follows the officer into a small room. He sits on the plastic chair. The police officer puts three photographs on the table in front of him. He's looking at photos of his dad. He's older and thinner, but it's definitely him.

This would be like looking at a ghost. Yeah, I mean, for him it is. Imagine what he's trying to make sense of now. Psychologically, this would be so nuts. He nods up at the police officer. That's him. That's my dad. The officer leaves the room. A few minutes later, he comes back. Mark looks up to see his father. He stands up. He wants to say something, but he can't speak. He starts to sob. His dad sits down. Nobody says anything. Are you OK?

His dad nods. But he looks vague, unsure. Mark takes hold of his dad's hand. He holds on tight. After six years, he can't believe his dad is really sitting here in front of him.

Think of the grief of six years and how you're piecing your life back together and then he just pops up out of nowhere. But all the other mad feelings that go with that, the relief that may be now you're over it, the guilt you might feel of thinking, oh, I don't think of him as often, and it's torture. And now he's bewildered and confused and you're like, is this the guy that we lost? I've missed you so much, Dad. Where have you been? His father glances around, confused. Top shop. I got lost.

Where's your mam and the dogs? To be fair, quite a funny line. Where have you been, Topshop? I mean, I know it's part of the act, but it's a great one-liner. I'm a shop for milk. Just joking. I faked my own death. A few minutes later, a police psychologist comes in and tells Mark that his father could have amnesia. He'll be fragile for a while. Best not to ask too many questions. Five minutes later, Mark rings his brother, Anthony...

He tells him he's at a police station and that he's with their dad. He's here! It's really him! He listens as his brother cries. Anthony tells him he's on his way. Don't let him out of your sight. An hour later, Anthony arrives with his wife, Louise. No one says anything for a few moments. The boys gaze at their father, taking him in.

Eventually, John speaks. I don't know what happened. One minute I was with your mam and the dogs, the next I'm here. Then he adds, where is your mam? Mark explains she is in Panama. His dad looks bewildered. Panama, he asks. What's she doing there? Mark tells his dad he's going to ring her right now.

She'll tell you all about it herself. He dials out, looks up at his dad and grins. She's not going to believe this. Marky boy, she is not the only one. A few minutes later, Panama and Darwin paces up and down the balcony of her apartment. She grabs the phone. Hello? She's been expecting this call since John left a few days ago. She needs to sound surprised when Mark tells her their dad is alive.

But a few minutes into the conversation, Mark still hasn't mentioned it. He's talking about the wedding he's been to in London. She wonders if John went to a police station after all. But a few minutes in, the conversation dries. Is everything okay, son? She hears her son's voice wobble. Ma'am, brace yourself. I'm sitting next to Dad. She tries to sound shocked. Did I hear you right? Your dad...

Mark sounds overjoyed. He's here, ma'am. She pauses for a second, unsure what to say. Is he okay? A police officer comes on the line and tells her he's putting her husband on now. A second later, she hears John's voice. Is that really you, Anne? I'm confused. I was in a shop and I didn't know where you and the boys and the dogs were. She realises the conversation might be recorded.

Are you alright, John? Where have you been all these years? I can't remember. This is ridiculous. I mean, bad acting is terrible enough in a film or on the stage, but in real life... And we're not even talking about your rendition of it. Mark comes back on the line. He talks in a hushed voice. He's really confused. He might have had a stroke or something. When can you come home? She takes a breath, tries to sound disappointed...

All my furniture's coming over. I have to be here to sign for it. But I'll get home as soon as I can, I promise. Her son is silent for a few seconds. Okay, don't worry, ma'am. We'll take good care of him till you get here.

I mean, that's sus, isn't it? Your husband's turned up after nearly six years, but you're like, I've got a delivery on Tuesday, so that would mean I'll sign for that. Yeah, I've got a Hermes parcel coming. Yeah, and then Jane's not around to order the plan. I tell you what, week Saturday, let's call it week Saturday. No, but I did say that I'd meet up with the girls. Oh, and it's so hard to get everybody together. We did a doodle. She paces the floor again. She can't leave Panama until she's verified all their new bank accounts.

She needs to sort out her own investor's visa so she can run the business. She pours a glass of wine and sits on the balcony. If the police had suspected anything, they would have arrested John. The officers she spoke to sounded convinced, and the boys seemed to believe him. This might work. John's a good liar. He might convince everyone he really has got amnesia. They just might all become a family again.

I was with her up until that point. You're right, he's a good liar. You're right, he might convince them. Will you all be a family again? Tuesday, December 4th, 7.15pm, Panama. David Lee stands outside Anne Darwin's flat in the El Dorado district of Panama City. He's a freelance journalist, middle-aged, with short grey hair. His suit is crumpled from the flight over. He's flown here from his home in Miami.

he left as soon as news broke that John Darwin, missing for six years, had suddenly turned up alive and well. He's desperate to get this story before anyone else. Mrs Darwin, I want to ask you a few questions about your husband. Mrs Darwin, are you there? He's been knocking at her door for 30 minutes now, but there's still no answer. He's been sent here by the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror, but other papers have the story. Another journalist must have already beaten him to it.

He's about to give up when he hears a noise. He puts his ear to the door, listens carefully. Mrs Darwin, what do you want? He's so surprised, he takes a step back. Mrs Darwin, are you relieved your husband's turned up after all this time? He waits for an answer. He slips his press card under the door. He tells her, it's an amazing story.

She doesn't reply. A lot of other journalists will be turning up soon. It'll be a free-for-all. But I can stop all that if you talk to me first. The door opens. Anne Darwin looks out. She looks scared. A few minutes later, he's sitting at a table in her flat. Oh, Anne! What are you playing at? Anne's trust of people will simply be her downfall. I love how much she really felt that. She brings him a glass of water.

She tells him she's shocked and overjoyed that John is still alive. I can't wait to see him after all these years. I am so shocked and overjoyed that he is still alive. He looks at his texts. Rival reporters are in Panama now. Everyone wants this story. He needs to get her out of this apartment as quickly as possible. He tells her that in a few hours TV crews will be camping outside her door. They won't leave her alone and they'll start investigating her past.

She looks worried. If you come with me now, I'll take you somewhere safe. She goes into the bedroom and closes the door. He waits, unsure what to do. A few minutes later, she comes back out with a small suitcase. Let's go. God, Anne. Anne, can I have a word with you over here on the balcony? 8am the next morning. Hotel Coronado, 60 miles from Panama City.

Anne Darwin sits in a wicker chair on the hotel terrace and sips a strong coffee. She's tired. Understatement of the year. She didn't arrive here until two in the morning. David had driven her to various hotels before deciding on this one. She'd wanted to sleep this morning, but David asked to interview her. She sits across from him now and smiles. She needs to convince him she has no idea where John's been all these years.

David's photographer is a young dark-haired guy called Steve Dennett. He's been taking photos of her all through breakfast. He stands with his camera now as David asks his questions. How does it feel to have your husband back from the dead? She pushes her glasses up on her nose. I still can't believe it. David nods. Where do you think he's been? I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. He must have hit his head or something. She smiles. Steve clicks his camera.

But David is staring at her. Anne, did you know he was alive all along? She tries to sound shocked. No, she did not. She was grief-stricken when he disappeared. She can't believe he's back. I'm amazed as anyone by this. But David's frowning. Did John plan the whole thing? David! She shakes her head, looks down at her coffee cup. He wouldn't have done that. Steve moves round the table, taking shots. David asks her about the insurance money.

Will she give it back? I hadn't even thought of that. Of course. They're both looking at her, waiting. So she adds, This is the moment I've always prayed for. David nods and smiles. Steve clicks again, then puts his camera down. The interview is over. Jesus. It's like Frost Nixon. Honestly. She goes to her room and sleeps for an hour. When she wakes up, she starts to pack. Surely David will take her home now.

But he wants another interview. He asks her again where she thinks John has been all this time. She sticks to her story. There are so many unanswered questions, but it's a complete mystery to me. David writes down her answer. Then he asks, why did you move to Panama? All these questions are so good. She starts to tell him how she needed a new start. How hard it was for her living in the house she shared with John, looking out at the sea where he went missing.

But David isn't listening. He's staring at his laptop. He looks up at her. I've got something to show you, Anne. I feel so tense and sweaty. He swivels the laptop round. She looks at a photo of herself. She's wearing her white vest top and grinning into the camera. On her left is Mario Vilar. And on her right, also smiling, is John. The date stamp on the bottom reads the 14th of the 7th, 2006. She stares at it.

David closes the laptop. He leans forward. The game's up, Anne. I'm sorry. We know you've been lying. She blinks back tears. Finally manages to speak. My sons are going to hate me. Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. At Mint Mobile, we like to do the opposite of what Big Wireless does. They charge you a lot. We charge you a little. So naturally, when they announced they'd be raising their prices due to inflation, we decided to deflate our prices due to not hating you.

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The 4th of December, the same day, Basingstoke. It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Anthony Darwin sits in his living room next to his dad. He hands him an old family photograph. "That's me and Mark. That's you and Mam in the background." His father studies the photo, frowns. "Don't remember, sorry." Anthony takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes. He's been showing his dad family photos for two hours. He's hoping something will trigger his memory.

Then he can find out where he's been all these years. But all his dad can remember is a family holiday to Norway in the year 2000. He asks his dad if he can remember anything from his own childhood. His dad frowns. "Only that I used to hunt rabbits." His dad has been staying with him since he walked into the police station in London. Two days ago, they went shopping for clothes in Asda. He turned around and his dad had disappeared. He'd ran up and down the aisles in panic.

Since then, he's been terrified of letting him out of his sight. His dad looks tired. Anthony gathers up the photos. We can look at them later. But his dad stops him. Show me a recent photo of your mother again. Anthony takes out his phone. Scrolls to a photo of his mam sitting on a horse. This is her a few weeks ago in Panama. His dad takes the phone. Stares at the screen. I don't know who she is. When can I see the dogs? Anthony puts his hand on his dad's arm.

They've already had this conversation, but he breaks the news gently. Dad, they both died. He watches his dad's face cloud with pain. They were good, loyal dogs. That night, Louise cooks fish. His dad looks at his plate, puzzled. What's this? It's fish, Dad. You like it. His dad looks blank. What is fish? Oh, come on, John. Come on. That is surely an overread. You're taking the mick now.

And this thing that the fish is on, what's that? A plate. Later, Anthony's in the kitchen with Louise while his dad watches TV. Yesterday, he couldn't remember baked beans or if he took sugar in his coffee. But he can remember yours and Mark's dates of birth. Something's not right. Anthony's been having a few doubts of his own. He can't understand why his mum's in no hurry to leave Panama to see his long-lost dad. Well, that's the biggest glaring thing, surely, never mind the fish fingers.

That night, they watch television. And his dad's like, oh, I love this one. Oh, officer, too much. You don't get this in Panama. Oh, sugar. He puts his doubts to the back of his mind. It's just a relief that his dad is alive and safe and with him at last. He's about to go to bed when someone bangs on the door. It's midnight. He looks out into the street, sees a police car. A few seconds later, three uniformed police officers are in the living room.

His dad's on his feet. The colour's gone from his face. One of the officers takes hold of his dad by the arm. Mr Darwin, you are under arrest on suspicion of deception. You do not have to say anything. Anthony tries to get him off. No! You can't take my dad! Please, don't take him! He holds on as tight as he can, but the police gently move him away. They take his dad outside to the waiting police car. Anthony stands in the street, watches the car disappear, and his dad with it.

The 6th of December. Redcar and Cleveland Police District Headquarters. It's half one in the afternoon. John Darwin shuffles in his chair. The police have been asking him questions all morning. They drove him here from Basingstoke last night. He's spent the long journey working out his strategy. He's going to stick to his amnesia story. He's being interviewed by DI Andy Greenwood. He's got an earnest face and chopped grey hair.

D.I. Greenwood's questions have been easy to deal with. He's been told he's been arrested on suspicion of deception, but the police have no proof. If they had, they'd have shown him by now. So he repeats his story. He's just so smug. The last thing I remember clearly is a holiday in Norway in the year 2000. Everything else is hazy. D.I. Greenwood fiddles with a pen. You don't remember going out in the kayak? John Darwin lets his eyes wander round the room.

I have a vague recollection of that, but I can't remember when that was. D.I. Greenwood glances at his notes. I can tell you exactly. We have a witness statement from March 22nd, 2002. You were seen in a red kayak on the coastline near your home. Two witnesses recall you barking at their dog. What happened next, Mr. Darwin? He shuffles in his seat.

I must have hit my head. It's the only explanation. I have a sense that D.I. Greenwood doesn't agree. D.I. Greenwood leans back, raises his thick eyebrows. He looks pained. How were things at home at that time? John Darwin rubs his eyes. They clearly don't have proof of anything. I can't remember. D.I. Greenwood asks if he was in debt at the time he went missing. He says he can't remember. D.I. Greenwood's dark eyes are watching him carefully. He leans forward.

I've got something here that might jog your memory. For the record, I'm showing John Darwin a copy of the Daily Mirror dated yesterday, 5th December 2007. Greenwood pushes the newspaper towards him. He picks it up and stares. Oh, my goodness. The headline reads, Canoes this in Panama. Very nice, though. Very nice. He's at least got to smirk at that. Imagine if he went, it's actually quite a good pun. OK, I did do it. What I do remember is humour, and that is fantastic. LAUGHTER

Underneath is a picture of him with Anne in Mario Vila, the estate agent's office. All three are grinning at the camera. That's you and your wife Anne together, dated 14th July 2006. How can you explain it, John? He twists his hands, glances at his solicitor. D.I. Greenwood carries on. We've interviewed Kelly Steele. We've spoken to the FBI. We know about the ranch and the yacht and the land in Panama. Oh my God! I did not expect Kelly to show up again.

They show him copies of emails he sent to Anne's work, where he'd signed himself off as Panama Jack. Yeah, that's not great, is it? You set up your own disappearance, didn't you, John? It's time to tell the truth. John Darwin opens his mouth, but no words come out. He glances at his solicitor, then back at his hands. He's in the biggest mess of his life. And this time, there's no way out. But he has a plan. No, I'm joking, he doesn't have a plan.

The 10th of December, Cleveland Police Station. Anne Darwin sits in the small interview room opposite two police officers. She looks down at her lap. She's shaking. She's desperate to save herself from being charged. A few days ago, she was in hiding with journalist David Lee in his home city of Miami. She flew back to England with him yesterday. She was arrested as soon as the plane landed at Manchester. But before she was led away, David Lee gave her some advice.

If you want to be reconciled with your boys, Anne, tell the truth. Hold up your hands and take the punishment. She spent last night in the police station cells. She hasn't slept. The thought of being locked up terrifies her. Right now, she can't stop crying.

She's being questioned by two officers, D.C. Waterfield and D.C. Marchant. She tells them, I had no idea what John was planning. I truly and honestly believe John was dead at the time I made the insurance claims. Oh, Anne. She wipes her eyes. I'm prepared to pay it all back. She was shocked when he came back, but he blackmailed her. He told me if I went to the police and reported him, he would say I'd been in on it from the start, but I wasn't.

DC Marchant glances at his colleague. Then he puts some documents on the table. She looks down, sees John's library card. DC Marchant tells her it was taken out on the 22nd of April 2002. That's a few months after he went missing. Look at the address, Anne. For the cliff. Can you see where this is going? She puts her head in her hands and starts to cry. Then finally, she says, He went out in his canoe. I waited for him on the shore.

We pretended he was dead. Next day, she meets with her lawyer, Nicola Finity, an efficient-looking woman with shoulder-length dark hair. They sit in a small interview room. She tells Nicola it was all John's idea. I hated to lie, but I was too frightened to tell the truth. Nicola tells her if she acted out of fear of her husband, then she has a chance of avoiding prison. She can plead not guilty if she can prove John coerced her, but she'll need witnesses on John's controlling behaviour.

That means she'll have to put her sons on the stand. That night, she can't sleep. The boys have been through enough pain, but the thought of spending the next few years in a cell terrifies her. The next day, she calls Nicola. She's made her decision. She's going to claim marital coercion. She's going to make her sons give evidence. Wow. This is never-ending. Their Christmases must be mad. Well, it is December.

The 12th of December, Lowe Newton Prison, the North East of England. Anne Darwin sits in her cell and looks down at a blank sheet of paper. She wants to apologise to her sons for everything she's put them through. But every time she starts writing, she starts to cry. After an hour, she goes back to the blank piece of paper, picks up a pencil, steadies her hand. I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling after all the trauma of the last few weeks.

I can understand if I'm the last person you want to hear from, but I need to tell you both how sorry I am for the pain and anguish that I have caused. Please believe me when I say Dad missed you both so much, and that was his reason for trying to find a way back. There is no excuse for the pain and heartache you have been caused. All I can do is apologise again, and hope that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me and Dad. They don't write back.

I really feel for Anne. It's just so, so sad. And I know she made some really bad decisions, but it still just gets you by the heart, doesn't it? A week later, she gets a visit from her parents and her sister, Christine. They try to smile when they see her. They all sit in moulded plastic chairs in the visiting room. Because she lied, obviously, to them as well. Yeah. To her parents. Her parents look exhausted. She can tell Christine is trying extra hard to be cheerful and upbeat...

But after a few minutes, the conversation dries. Everyone sits in silence. She's never seen her father cry, but today he sobs. A few days later, she meets her lawyer, Nicola. They've been going over Anne's defence of marital coercion. Nicola hands her a thick file. It's copies of John's police interviews. Nicola asks her to read them. I want you to think of examples that show John's dominance in your relationship. Something the boys could remember too.

That night in her cell, she tries to write a list, but every time she thinks about Mark and Anthony, she starts to cry. A month later, she gets a letter. She scans down, excited. But it's not from her sons. It's from John. She screws it up, throws it in the bin. But an hour later, she takes it out, smooths it down, and reads it. John tells her how much he misses her, how lost and lonely he is without her. He's making plans for their life together when they get out.

He tells her he loves her. Right now, he's the only person in the world who understands what she's going through. So she writes back, tells him she misses him too, how she's worried about the boys. Three weeks later, a prison warder hands her a copy of the News of the World. John Darwin is front page. He's been writing sexually explicit letters to a female pen pal. What? He'd given the woman a mathematical formula to work out the size of his penis. Sexy!

Why don't you just tell her? If you're saying, if you want to figure out the size of my penis, do this thing, you might as well just say, my penis is, you know, this long in the winter, this long in the summer. It's not wood, it doesn't warp. Whatever as normal guys do. The whole prison is talking about it. She's furious. She's more determined than ever to stand up in court and say this whole scam was his doing.

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Let's face it, we were all that kid. So first call your parents to say I'm sorry, and then download the Instacart app to get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes all school year long. Get a $0 delivery fee for your first three orders while supplies last. Minimum $10 per order. Additional terms apply. Monday, the 14th of July, 2008. Teesside Crown Court, Middlesbrough. Anne Darwin sits with her fingers folded in her lap. She blinks around the hushed courtroom.

Her eyes are huge behind her big glasses. It's the first day of her trial. She needs to convince the jury she was coerced by John. She's desperate to show her sons that this was all John's idea. Then they might forgive her. The prosecuting barrister, Andrew Robertson QC, makes his opening statement. He's an imposing figure with shoulder-length grey hair and round wire glasses. His voice booms around the courtroom.

It is the Crown's submission that far from dealing with a shrinking violet, we have a determined, resolute woman who is able to lie and deceive at length. He says she played a vital and equal role in these crimes. She looks down at her hands, knots her fingers tightly. Over the next two days, she hears extracts of her police interviews where she keeps changing her story.

Her bank statements show all the financial transactions are in her name only. Her flirty emails from John are read out. I'm writing this naked on the balcony of our new apartment. Oh, John, put it away. She replies, Missing you already? Kiss, kiss, kiss. Next day, her sons are called to give evidence. She's shocked when she sees them. They've both lost half a stone each. They don't look at her. Mark gives evidence first. He speaks quietly.

He tells the silent courtroom that his parents have crushed his world. My mother's account of her marriage isn't true. That's not the mam and dad I grew up with. Anthony's next. He looks gaunt and tired. His voice is raw. When I saw the picture of them in Panama, I thought it was a joke. He talks about his feelings of betrayal, that he doesn't know who he can trust anymore, about the strain the whole thing has put on his relationship with his wife. When he leaves the stand, he looks at her.

His eyes are filled with hurt and hatred. She finally realises what she's done and what she's lost. A few days later, she's called to the stand. She speaks in a quiet, trembling voice. I'd always done what John wanted in our marriage. He made all the key decisions. He was overbearing. I felt I had no choice other than to go along with him. On the final day of the trial, the judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, sums up.

It takes him four hours. He says the jury have to put aside their emotional responses and consider the evidence. Next day, she's led back into the courtroom. The jury have reached a decision. John is already there. A custody officer stands between them. She bows her head as the charges are read out. Six of fraud and nine of money laundering. The judge asks the jury foreman how they find the defendant. The verdict is the same for every charge.

On Wednesday the 23rd of July 2008, she's led back into the courtroom with John for sentencing. Mr Justice Wilkie sentences John Darwin to... Whoa. He sentences Anne Darwin to...

Six years and six months. Wait, what? She got more than him? Three months extra. Why? I mean, I suppose her name's on all the documents and the bank stuff, but I mean, it was obviously his plan. Unless it's because she pleaded not guilty. That could be it. She leaves the courtroom and collapses in floods of tears. That seems incredibly unjust. The 16th of August 2009, Lowe Newton Prison.

Anne Darwin is watering plants in the greenhouse at the prison grounds. She's been working hard since May, planting seeds and mowing lawns. She wants to show how hard she can work and how much she's changed. She wants to be moved to a low-security prison. Yeah, high security for Anne Darwin feels a bit OTT. A few months ago, she'd volunteered to be a listener, helping new arrivals with their problems. Some of the women's stories shocked her, but she helped them settle in.

She's also started paying the insurance and pension companies their money back. And she's studying for a degree. She applied for the move three months ago. She's also asked to spend Christmas with her parents. Her dad is ill. She worries she might not have much time left with him.

She'll get the prison's decision any day now. That's a horrible thought, isn't it? When John's saying, shall I go out in my canoe and pretend that I'm dead, you're not fast-forwarding to this, are you? When John Darwin first sidled up to her and said, can I buy you a drink? If she'd just said, no, I'm not thirsty, her life would have been completely different. The following Thursday, she's on her way back to her cell when a prison warden hands her a copy of The Sun. John is front page.

Oh, for God's sake, what's he been doing, texting a woman with an equation for how heavy his balls are? He's been writing a book and boasting how it would make him rich. He's been smuggling chapters out of prison and some of the documents are her private letters to him. He has zero shame. She sees her own words quoted back, where she says she loves him and plans for their future life together when they get out of prison. She throws the paper across the room.

This is so sad. Oh my God!

He says his dad is ill and he wants to see him before he dies. He says his sons are depriving both of us from seeing our fathers alive again. She writes back: "It's rich you accuse your sons when you deprive them of their father." But she tears the letter up. She doesn't want to write to him. She refuses to take his calls. Four days later, she gets another letter from him. It's eight pages long. She scans through. He's annoyed she hasn't written.

So he's given her an ultimatum. What? Either you reply to me by October 1st 2009 or I will instruct a solicitor to send papers of separation. The outrage of it! She slowly tears up all eight pages. Dumps the pieces in the bin. She's been married to John Darwin since she was 20 years old. But she's finally had enough. It's all over. Thank God for that.

It's August 2010, Ascombe Low Security Prison. Anne Darwin stands outside the main house of Ascombe Grange. It looks more like a country house than a prison. It's surrounded by acres of open space. But right now, she's pacing nervously, watching the car park. Her youngest son Anthony told her he might visit today, but there's no sign of him. She's been here at Ascombe for two months. She's settled in well.

She does voluntary work for the RSPCA. Sometimes she's allowed to visit the village. She likes the little cafes in the duck pond. She spends her free time writing to her sons. Mark always replies. But her relationship with Anthony is taking longer to heal. He came to visit her three months ago in Lowe-Newton prison. It was the first time she'd seen him since the trial. He was with Louise. She asked him how he was. He shook his head. They sat in awkward silence.

She told him how sorry she was. She reached out to hold his hand, but he pulled away. He didn't look at her for the rest of the visit. After a couple of minutes, Louise told her why they'd come. "You've got a grandson." He was born in March, and smiled and cried at the same time. She didn't even know Louise was pregnant. She'd asked to see a photo of the baby, but Louise's eyes were full of tears.

How could you do that to your sons? I'll do anything to protect my child. How could you put them through that? This is the thing, the other halves of the sons, they don't have that same connection to Anne, so they must just be thinking she's a monster. I mean, same with John, obviously, but yeah, mother to mother, oh. She didn't have an answer. I'm sorry, I always will be. She hadn't heard anything more until a week ago.

Anthony had written saying he wanted to visit her. She's hoping this time he'll bring a photo of the baby. She'll put it up on her wall. Ten minutes later, Anthony arrives with Louise. They've brought the baby with them. She rushes over. She can hardly speak. She gazes down at him. He's beautiful. Louise hands him over. Anne gently wraps her arms around him, cradles his head. She blinks at them both, tries not to cry. Thank you for trusting me with him.

Anne Darwin's got another seven months of her sentence to serve. She's ended her 37-year marriage to John Darwin. She's paid back everything she owed, all £501,641.39. Her sons have given her a second chance at family life, and she's going to take it. So, where are they now? Anne Darwin was released from prison in March 2011. She started her new life alone in York,

She works at the RSPCA York Animal Home. She is still working on rebuilding a relationship with her sons and grandchildren. John Darwin was released from prison in 2011, but broke the terms of his parole in 2013 by making a trip to the Ukraine to meet a 25-year-old woman he met on a foreign bride's website. No comment. He now lives in the Philippines with his new wife.

This is the third episode in our series, The Canoe Con. If you like our show, please give us a five-star rating and a review. And be sure to tell your friends. You can listen to new episodes one week early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, the Wondery app or wherever you're listening right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app to listen for free. In the episode notes, you'll find some links and offers from our sponsors. Please support them. By supporting them, you help us offer you this show for free. Another way to support us is to answer a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. A quick note about our dialogue. In

In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatisations are based on historical research. If you'd like to know more about this story, there was some extensive coverage in most British newspapers. Books include Up the Creek Without a Paddle by Tammy Cohen, Out of My Depth by Anne Darwin and The Canoe Man by John Darwin. I'm Matt Ford. And I'm Alice Levine. Karen Laws wrote this episode. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford.

Our sound design is by Rich Evans. Script editing by Joseph Lidster. Our senior producers are Russell Finch and Joe Sykes. Our executive producers are Stephanie Jens and Marshall Louis for Wondery. She struck him with her motor vehicle. She had been under the influence and then she left him there.

In January 2022, local woman Karen Reed was implicated in the mysterious death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. It was alleged that after an innocent night out for drinks with friends, Karen and John got into a lover's quarrel en route to the next location. What happens next depends on who you ask.

Was it a crime of passion? If you believe the prosecution, it's because the evidence was so compelling. This was clearly an intentional act. And his cause of death was blunt force trauma with hypothermia. Or a corrupt police cover-up. If you believe the defense theory, however, this was all a cover-up to prevent one of their own from going down. Everyone had an opinion.

And after the 10-week trial, the jury could not come to a unanimous decision. To end in a mistrial, it's just a confirmation of just how complicated this case is. Law and Crime presents the most in-depth analysis to date of the sensational case in Karen. You can listen to Karen exclusively with Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.