Son felt betrayed by parents

9:33am Wednesday 16th July 2008

SHE wiped away a tear as her eldest son revealed how the web of lies she had spun with their father had "crushed his world".

Anne Darwin gazed at Mark in the witness box from her seat in the glass-fronted dock as he gave evidence for the prosecution.

He stared straight ahead at the jury, and never looked towards the woman he accused of lying to him for "God knows how long".

Younger brother Anthony - in the witness box for 45 minutes - did not glance at his mother either as he gave evidence.

Each son told of their anguish at their father's apparent death and their amazement and delight at his reappearance last year. Amazement that turned to bewilderment and, eventually, anger and resentment.

They went on to condemn both their mother and father for the betrayal they feel now the truth of John Darwins disappearance is known.

Mark, an international property consultant when his father turned up alive last December, was the first to give evidence.

He told how he had a happy family life and that he got on well with both parents during his childhood in County Durham.

The jury heard that Mr Darwin helped Mark train for a fun run, played computer games with him and enjoyed watching television.

He told how the family had frequent camping trips to France and as they grew older visited a time-share in Spain.

But John Darwin was driven by the pursuit of cash and came up with some bizarre money making schemes.

Among his plans were snail breeding and making garden gnomes.

The canoeist ran market stalls, wrote computer games and also dabbled on the Stock Market.

The jury has been told that the couple amassed a property portfolio of around a dozen homes across the Durham area.

They were told he bought some houses on a credit card.

Anthony Darwin, told the court: "I remember hearing that he was buying a property on his credit card.

"I believe at the time the properties were rather cheap."

He was a teacher who retrained to become a financial advisor for Barclays Bank before changing career again and becoming a prison officer at Holme House Prison, Stockton, Teesside.

He enjoyed driving his Range Rover with the personalised number plate D9 JRD, which stood for John Ronald Darwin.

In a statement to police, Mark called the number plate cherished.

He told the court: "It was something he had in front of his car that he liked having there."

Marks mother sipped at her plastic cup of water, reached for a tissue and dabbed her eyes when Mark recalled his father's reappearance.

Mark, in a dark suit and blue tie, was asked by prosecutor Andrew Robertson, QC: "Up until that point, had you any idea at all that your father was still alive?"

He replied: "No, none, whatsoever."

Mark had been at a wedding reception on the Saturday evening when he got a call from a sergeant in Hartlepool saying there was a man claiming to be John Darwin at a London police station.

He left the party immediately and could not believe his eyes when he got to the police station and saw his dad - a man he believed had died five-and-a-half years earlier - standing there.

Anthony turned up several hours later and before they left for his home in Basingstoke, they decided to call their mother in Panama to break the incredible news.

"The officer there dialled and I spoke to my mother," Mark told the jury. "After rambling on for about ten minutes, I explained that my dad had turned up and I was sat next to him.

"She sounded really shocked that he had turned up after all these years."

That shock - shared by the sons - turned to disbelief when Mr Darwin was arrested three days later after a photograph showing the couple together in Panama emerged.

Anthony told the jury he initially thought it had been doctored - two pictures merged into one by using a computer program - and placed on the internet.

He said: "When he realised it was true, I felt upset, betrayed."

Mark was more damning when asked by Mr Robertson how he felt when he saw the photograph - dated July 2006.

"I could not believe the fact that she knew he was alive all this time and I had been lied to for God knows how long," he said.

The sons went to sit in the public gallery of courtroom 11 with their partners after giving evidence, and listened intently to the remainder of the day's proceedings.

They left the court in Middlesbrough with their partners - Anthony with wife Louise and Mark with girlfriend Felicity Witts - and were driven off by a police officer.

Anne Darwin - dressed in a beige jacket over a round neck pink top, rather than Monday's rather plain zip-up cardigan and cream blouse - left in a prison van.

They are all expected back today.

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