THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND CANOE (2022)
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe is a TV mini-series which tells the story of a man who declared himself dead to claim $250,000 from his life insurance policy to pay off his debts. This fraud was executed with the help of his wife during the years 2000-2007.
Before commencing this act of fraud, John Darwin, who planned and executed this fraud successfully ensured that he understood every rule of the UK penal code and read the life insurance policy conditions between the lines. For 5 ½ years he successfully pretended to be dead. The couple then claims from his life insurance policy and paid off their debts.
The brilliance of this fraud lies in the choice of his hideout, a place where no one would search. The place he chose? The very next door! The couple successfully sold their properties in UK and migrated to Panama, a tropical tourist paradise to start a new life on the beach and in the sunshine! All went well and according to the plan, except for a photograph taken by an unsuspecting real-estate agent in Panama, who then posted it on social media. This is what caused the fraud to fall apart. Due to the change of settlement laws, Mr. John Darwin had no option but to leave Panama and return to the UK where he claimed he had amnesia.
This life insurance fraud became a national and international sensation, and after a trial, the Darwin couple were sentenced to 6 ½ years’ imprisonment for insurance fraud & money laundering.
After their release, Mrs. Darwin divorced her husband; and now lives with her two sons in UK. She is 70 years old. Mr. Darwin married a young girl from the Philippines, 23 years younger than him, and settled there. He is 72 years old and now works as a small-time trader, while in 2022, his Filipino wife claimed John was heading to Ukraine to fight against Russia.
Needless to say, the original John Darwin did not like the series and refused to contribute during its production. These events are an excellent example why no one can cheat a life insurance company. Darwin perceived other people as merely two-dimensional and thought he was the only three-dimensional person. He underestimated other people’s ability to see through him!
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