Man fakes death for life insurance

Twenty years after attempting to fake his death, John Darwin’s coworkers have revealed that he was finally caught red-handed gardening outside his home.

Darwin, a Hartlepool prison officer known as the ‘Canoe Man,’ attempted to disappear in 2002 so his wife Anne, who was involved in the scheme, could claim life insurance money but he was apprehended in 2007 and sentenced to six years in prison for the fraud.

Following his disappearance in March 2002, a large-scale search that included scanning 62 square miles of shoreline appeared to have proven the worst, with just a single paddle and subsequently the wreckage of his kayak located.

While Darwin’s two sons were mourning their father’s death, the ‘Canoe Man’ would boldly wander around outside his home, believing he couldn’t be recognised with a hat and beard.

Former colleague Dave Smith said he spotted Darwin outside his Seaton Carew, County Durham house just 14 months into his five-year swindle. ‘He had a large shaggy beard and looked like a caveman, but I knew it was him,’ Smith reported.

Mr Smith claims his wife told him not to be ‘daft,’ but he was ‘100% sure it was him and drove up outside the house to take another look before reporting the incident to the police.

Darwin remained at large for five years while Anne raked in more than £500,000 in payouts.