July 2, 2021
We often see in the movies about people suffering from amnesia after their disappearance or accident, but many cases about this had been reported in real life as well. Let's continue the part 2 of the Amnesia or Disappearing Act? This was supposed to be included in the previous article but that was quite long already so I have decided to separate this part.
Amnesia or disappearing act?
John Darwin
John Darwin is a former teacher and prison officer. In March 2002, he went canoeing with his kayak and has last seen paddling at the Seaton Carew in Hartlepool. After failing to return home, his wife Anne Darwin reported him missing later that day. A massive search took place involving police and coast guard and 62 square miles of coastline were searched.
There was no sign of John Darwin and they only retrieved his double-ended paddle the following day. The search was called off when they found no sign of John on the sea and they presumed him to be dead. Later that month, the wrecked kayak of John was found at the North Gar near the blue lagoon and the rescuers were puzzled because the sea was unusually calm and so they thought that John might get into trouble seeing the kayak's condition.
In April 2003, John was legally declared dead. This allowed his grieving widow to claim John's 25 thousand pounds life insurance policy, 25 thousand pounds teacher's pension, 58 thousand pounds prison service pension, and 4 thousand pounds in payouts from the department of works and pensions, and additional 137 thousand pounds from a Norwich Union mortgage insurance policy. That makes it a total of 249,000 pounds.
But in 2007, John Darwin walked to the London police station claiming that he has no recollection of the past five years. But what unfolded next was nothing but hilarious.
Does Losing Our Memories Can Save Us From Misfortunes?
Anne Darwin was overjoyed after knowing that his husband was alive. Unfortunately, the police have been investigating John's disappearance without their notice, and they know that John wasn't dead all along after receiving a tip that he is only living in Panama.
John Darwin's fake death and his wife's lies started to unravel when a photo of the Darwins looking for the property came to the spotlight and circulated over social media. They both lied to their family throughout the tribulation who continued to search for John's disappearance.
The reason for the fake death
The couple ran a renting bedsits business with twelve houses in Country Durham. However, after purchasing two houses in Seaton Carew in 2000, they ran into substantial debts. This made John fake his death to pay the huge debts they have accrued through the insurances that can be claimed a few years later.
During the years of disappearance
During the first years, John secretly lived in a bedsit next to the family home and he would stay at the flat at day and would creep into the family home at night through a secret doorway. The couple lied even to their sons who had no idea at all.
In 2004, John became exhausted from living lies and decided to move abroad. He applied for a passport using the false name "John Jones" using his home address and it was issued. By November of the same year, the couple visited Cyprus to have property-hunting and by 2006, the couple chose Panama to be their possible destination. They bought a property in Panama and were photographed by the agent and the photo was posted on the internet.
Since they are planning to put up a business in Panama, they needed an investor's visa. Unfortunately, his name John Jones would not pass the scrutiny level as the UK police need to verify their identities. John decided to show up and claimed to have amnesia and no recollection for the past five years. His wife sold her British properties and moved to Panama three months prior to his reappearance. She then expressed surprise and elation seeing her husband alive not knowing that the police have already suspected John Darwin to be faking his death and don't really have amnesia.
And through the photo posted online by the property agent, the investigation ended and concluded that John faked his death and the couple was arrested. The police found out that John had made several trips in the past five years.
The Aftermath
John Darwin was jailed in 2008 for six years and three months after admitting eight deception charges and Anne Darwin was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail for fraud and money laundering. Both have been charged for obtaining money and the frauds committed by the couple were confiscated. By 2015, the couple has no longer assets and was able to repay more than 541 thousand pounds.
Who were the real victims?
Both their sons were the real victims. They felt like they have been victims of a scam and the two changed their jobs after their father's reappearance. They said that their parent's sins were unforgivable.
This case has been one of the most controversial cases in the UK during those years and I guess, users here from the UK know about this disappearing act story. Some movies were even based on John Darwin's disappearance story, such as Hollyoaks soap opera on Channel 4 and the couple's story was dramatized in BBC Four program Canoe Man in 2010. And many more programs related to the Darwins' stories that you can find on this link.
Where are John and Anne Darwin now?
After completing their sentences, the couple chose to go in different directions. Ann Darwin reconciled with her sons and lives quietly near York. Meanwhile, John Darwin remarried a Filipina named Mercy May she met online. The couple is living in the Philippines right now as they can't settle in the UK due to immigration issues.
His new wife Mercy has a clothing stall business and ran another retail venture. John still receives a UK pension which is around β¬134 per week.
They have dreamed to have a fairytale-like life to end their misfortunes, but only ended as a tragic one. It is indeed true that karma will hit you back so badly if your motives are against the will of the law and to God.
The Darwins were said to run bedsits with twelve houses, if they truly want to settle their substantial debts, they should have just sold those houses and just start a new small business than creating horrible storylines that will change their lives and will lead them to live behind the bars with a nightmare of the past. Greediness will only put people to hell.
You can also read the story of John Darwin's disappearance on this link.
If you will face the same situation, will you do the same?
Thanks for your time.
Karma is indeed real, so be careful to you decision in life. Their greediness in money made them suffer for years and ruined their family. Hope they learn their lesson now. Running away to your problem doesnt solve it instead it makes it worst.