John Darwin, a prison officer, faked his own death in March 2002. He paddled out to sea near his home in Seaton Carew. Mr Darwin abandoned his canoe boat and went into hiding. His wife raised alarm and a huge rescue operation was mounted. After the unsuccessful search, he was declared dead.
Mrs Darwin filed insurance claims for the total amount of £250,000. In the meantime, Mr Darwin was hiding in an adjoining bedsit next to their house. Their two sons were deceived and made believe that their father had died.
The couple planned to start a new life in Panama, but the scandal unravelled when Mr Darwin walked into a police station last year. Mrs Darwin had put forward the defence of “marital coercion”, meaning that her husband made her act against her will.
The couple came up with the idea of faking the death of the husband when they had been facing bankruptcy. They deceived their sons, the insurance companies and emergency services. The police expressed that they were pleased with the verdict, as Mrs Darwin is a compulsive liar.
Vocabulary
fraudster – sikkasztó
guilty – bűnös
fake – hamisít
insurance claim – biztosítási követelés
deceive – megtéveszt
scandal unravels – botrány kitör
bankruptcy – csőd
verdict – ítélet
marital coercion – házastársi kényszer
