Christmas behind bars for John Darwin

Back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin will spend Christmas behind bars after being remanded in custody by magistrates today.

Darwin, 57, made his second appearance before Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court since walking into a police station on December 1 after being thought to have been dead for five and a half years.

The father-of-two, a former teacher and prison officer, is charged with dishonestly obtaining £25,000 (€35,000) and making an untrue statement to procure a passport.

Darwin appeared via a videolink from prison and magistrates remanded him in custody.

He will appear at the same court via videolink on January 11. No application for bail was made.

His wife, Anne, 55, is facing the same court later this morning. She is accused of dishonestly obtaining a £25,000 (€35,000) life insurance payment and a policy worth £137,000 (€191,000) which settled her mortgage in the event of his death.