Canoe wife 'no shrinking violet', Darwin trial told

9:20am Wednesday 16th July 2008

CANOE wife Anne Darwin is not a shrinking violet but "a determined resolute woman who is able to lie and deceive at length", the jury in her trial was told yesterday.

Prosecutor Andrew Robertson, QC, described the doctors' receptionist as an accomplished actor who was able to trick everyone close to her as well as those in authority.

The jury heard yesterday how Mrs Darwin changed her account each time she was confronted with fresh evidence after her arrest in December last year.

Details of her numerous interviews with detectives from Cleveland Police were read to the jury during the closing stages of Mr Robertson's opening of the case.

He dismissed her defence of "marital coercion" - that she acted against her will on the orders of her husband - and said she acted alone on many of the transactions.

Mr Robertson said: "It is the Crown's submission to you, and it is for you to consider having heard all the evidence, including hers, that far from dealing here with a shrinking violet, we have a determined, resolute woman who is able to lie and deceive at length...

"...who is able to act out equally the emotions of the tragically bereaved widow and the emotions of a weak woman who was somehow bullied into telling lies for nigh on six years, as she would have you believe, much against her true nature.

"We accept she may have been nervous when she and her husband - acting jointly - took that first step of faking his death, who would not have been nervous in taking such a step in a crime such as this?

"And it may be that as regards some of the financial complexities of this fraud, it was John Darwin who had the ideas, but it is our submission that when you have considered all the evidence, it cannot for one moment be said that this woman was forced to commit these offences in the presence of her husband, when one considers everything she did and how well she did it.

"It is our submission that she was able to act alone and effectively because she was motivated by greed and eager for the fruits of this fraud, to discharge the debts and enjoy an idyllic lifestyle."

He concluded the opening - which stretched over two days - by telling the jury: "Your task, of course, now is to decide the guilt or innocence of Anne Darwin on the basis of the evidence we are about to call."

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