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ITN
Darwin sons express anger and confusion
Darwin sons express anger and confusion
The sons of back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin have spoken about their "anger and confusion".In a statement, Anthony and Mark Darwin said: "Having seen the recent media speculation surrounding our parents ever since our dad was arrested, we are very much in an angry and confused state of mind."In the short space of time following our dad's appearance in London on Saturday, we have gone through a rollercoaster of emotion."From the height of elation at finding him to be alive to the depths of despair at the recent stories of fraud and these latest pictures. And the shock of being thrust into the media spotlight."If the papers' allegations of a confession from our mam are true then we very much feel that we have been the victims in a large scam."How could our mam continue to let us believe our dad had died when he was very much alive?"We have not spoken to either of our parents since our dad's arrest and at this present time we want no further contact with them."Cleveland Police have asked for anyone with knowledge of our dad's whereabouts over the last five years to come forward and we support this wholeheartedly."We too want to know where he has been and what he has been doing."We have been in constant contact with the police and will be helping them with their enquiries in any way we can."They issued the statement as Cleveland Police said Darwin had passed a medical and was fit to be interviewed about his disappearance.The 57-year-old is being held at Kirkleatham police station after he was arrested on suspicion of fraud at his son Anthony's home in Basingstoke, Hampshire.The police station stands a few miles outside Middlesbrough, across the Tees estuary from Seaton Carew where Darwin was reported missing five-and-a-half years ago.Meanwhile, Darwin's wife Anne has been confronted with a photo apparently showing the couple together in Panama last year.Anne Darwin is reported to have broken down in tears and confirmed the picture is genuine, telling reporters that her life had become a "nightmare".Her husband appeared as if out of the blue on Saturday, when he walked into a London police station and announced: "I think I am a missing person."He was declared dead after his disappearance in March 2002 during a canoeing trip within sight of his home in Seaton Carew near Hartlepool.Mrs Darwin, 55, claimed she had initially thought her husband had died in the canoeing accident but realised he was still alive when he had got in touch "years later".She said she had known he was going back to Britain but she had not expected him to hand himself in to police.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | December 6, 2007
