Canoe wife launches appeal

[13 August 2008]

Anne Darwin, wife of canoeist John Darwin who faked his own death, is appealing against her conviction and sentence for fraud and money laundering.

Mrs Darwin was jailed for six and a half years, after she was found guilty of 15 charges in the scam. Her husband admitted deception and received a six year jail sentence. If Mrs Darwin's appeal bid is granted, the Court of Appeal will hear her case. John Darwin went missing while canoeing off Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, in 2002. He turned up at a London police station in December, claiming to have lost his memory. In fact, Mrs Darwin had kept her husband hidden in their home, while Mr Darwin assumed a false identity, 'John Jones'. He later travelled to Panama, where the couple planned to start a new life together. They were later convicted of a £250,000 fraud. Mrs Darwin claimed her 'domineering' husband forced her to go through with the scam to con insurance and pension companies.

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