I had always heard bits and pieces of the story of the man who rowed his canoe into the middle of the ocean and faked his death to get the life insurance, mostly from Mock the Week joking about it, but I was fascinated to see a television series of it, written by Chris Lang (Unforgotten). Basically, set in 2002, prison officer John Darwin (Eddie Marsan) is in financial difficulty, with numerous debts, including the mortgage, and is desperate to find a solution. One day, he has a crazy idea and tells his wife Anne (Monica Dolan) that he is going to fake his death so that she can claim the life insurance and pay off their debts. He suggests that he can continue living with her in the house, and when necessary, he will hide in the house they rent next door, the opposite side of the wall, as it is unoccupied. She is initially reluctant to even consider the idea, especially knowing what it would do to their children. But through coercion, John persuades her to agree to his scheme. On the morning of 21 March, John takes his canoe out to the nearby beach, and is sure to have a couple of people witness him leaving his house. He paddles the canoe out into the ocean, gets out and swims back to shore, far away, leaving the canoe to drift out with some of his belongings inside. Swimming back to shore, he is picked up by Anne at a further beach and driven back home. The following day, Anne calls the police to report that her husband has gone missing, and police investigate his disappearance. John hides in the opposite house whenever police visit to ask questions and give updates on the search. Sometime later, his canoe is discovered, and he is presumed dead from drowning. John and Anne's children, Mark (Mark Stanley) and Anthony (Dominic Applewhite), are devastated by the "tragedy". Anne does indeed receive life insurance and John believes they have got away with it. The debts are paid off, and John and Anne live comfortably. John continues the pretence of being dead and is forced to hide during certain times of the year, including Christmas, when there are family get-togethers. Four years pass, John has continued to live with Anne, and only occasionally leaves the house, in disguise, where he may or may not have been recognised by certain people. John suggests they could live abroad, and Anne is excited about the idea. They consider Panama as a possible location, as he has found affordable luxurious housing. On 14 July 2006, they use false names to travel there for a holiday and explore the possible options for a new home. During their visit to a Panamanian property agent, they carelessly agree to a photograph with him, not realising that it will be posted on the internet. After returning home, John has had enough of hiding and wants to be back home and reunited with his family properly. On 1 December 2007, Darwin walked into a London police station, claiming to have no memory of the past five years. The police call Anne to inform her that her husband has been "found", and she is heard to express joy, surprise, and elation. John is questioned by police and gives vague answers, but he initially seems to fool them with his claims of amnesia from the canoeing accident. The children and many others are relieved that John has returned, but the Darwins are unaware that the police have suspicions about recent events. Eventually, evidence is found that John was alive before his sudden reappearance, after the photograph of him and Anne together in Panama, dated in 2006, is found online. Subsequently, John and Anne are arrested for insurance fraud, deception and making false statements. In 2008, after various other fraud charges are brought forward, and following numerous trials for their "callous and calculated" crimes, John and Anne are both convicted. Both are sentenced to six years in prison, both appeal against this and are denied, but both were released in 2011, and divorced sometime later. Also starring Carrie Cohen as Anne's Mother, Ellis Jones as Anne's Father, Freddie Davies as Ronald Darwin, Lois Chimimba as DC June Ayoade, Karl Pilkington as DC Phil Bayley, Andrew Lancel as DS Paul Sampson, and Luis Soto as Judge. Dolan gives a convincing performance as the wife manipulated by her husband, and Marsan is equally good as the man who hatches this scheme and convinces his wife to help him. It is a compelling story based on the real events, it is told essentially from the wife's point-of-view as she is talked into this unbelievable plan, it is gripping to watch how they almost got away with it, but it is humorous in the moments it can be as well, it is a well written, well performed and most worthwhile biographical crime drama. Very good!
