Today’s speaker was retired Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Braithwaite of Cleveland Police Force, who gave us a talk entitled “The Canoe Man”.
Mark gave us a short, potted history of his time with the Cleveland force, from which he retired in 2010.
The case in question began in 2002, 19 years ago, when John Darwin, 52, and his wife, Anne, came up with a scheme to fake his own death to enable his wife to claim on substantial insurance policies, amounting to £1/2m. This would then enable them to pay off crippling outstanding debts, and start a new life of luxury abroad.
He was a man unable, or unwilling to hold down decent long-term jobs, which varied from teacher to bank clerk to prison officer, to name but a few. They had invested in two side by side properties in Seaton Carew, both with substantial mortgages.
He, therefore, made sure that he was seen by the public taking a canoe from the houses, into the sea, and cleverly faked his disappearance. After a 4-day search involving police, Coastguard, and air/sea rescue he was presumed dead. He had, in fact, fled to Carlisle, where he stayed in a tent for 2 weeks before returning back to one of the two houses, heavily disguised, where he was able to escape detection.
An inquest determined that he was indeed presumed dead, so Anne was able to obtain a death certificate, essential in claiming the insurance monies. Using methods similar to those outlined in “The Day of the Jackal” he obtained a false passport in the name of John Jones, which then helped them both to flee abroad to Panama City.
For whatever reason, the pair fell out, and 5 years later he resurfaced in Topshop, Oxford Street, London, where, by liaison between the Met and Cleveland Police, he was eventually recognised and identified as John Darwin.
The mainstream press jumped on the story, and the Daily Mirror were first to send staff to Panama City to find Anne and persuade her to return to the UK with promises of cash for her story.
Inevitably they were both found guilty of fraudulent deception and received jail sentences of 6 years each. The police were instrumental in the recovery of almost all the £1/2m.
Welcoming signs to the town of Seaton Carew were somehow altered to read, “Welcome to Seaton Canoe, twinned with Panama City”!