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Original poster

THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND THE CANOE - ITV 9pm - EASTER SUNDAY TO WEDNESDAY. TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

309 replies

Blondeshavemorefun · 15/04/2022 17:39

Real life story

John a former teacher and prison officer fakes his own death in 2002 via a canoe - with the help of Ann his wife to claim Life insurance and avoid bankruptcy

It is based on an unpublished manuscript by reporter David , he was the first one to find and interview ann after a boot of the couple was seen 5yrs later in 2007

Ann knew but not the sons who believes their dad was dead

OP posts:
the80sweregreat · 20/04/2022 22:33

I bet he has money now.
I'd put money on it !

the80sweregreat · 20/04/2022 22:34

I last used my library card about ten years ago!
..

lazymum99 · 20/04/2022 22:44

The library card was hysterical. It would have been better for him to just steal the books.
if Panama had easier residency rules then they would probably have stayed and got away with it. Although I would have thought they could have just bribed someone to by pass the checks

Fizbosshoes · 20/04/2022 23:05

Haven't RTFT but did anyone else think one of the sons looked a bit like Colin Firth?

Completely unrelated by why is there a spate of programmes about them/the story now?

Penguinsaregreat · 20/04/2022 23:21

He married a Thai bride.
I think one of the sons played a policeman in the bomb disposal drama with Vicky McClure (?)

Original poster
Blondeshavemorefun · 21/04/2022 04:14

If it wasn’t a true story you wouldn’t believe the stuff they did

hiding next door for months

walking round their local town

getting a library card

being on same flight as each other

Totally thick as pigshit

some of the dramas we have watched recently have been sollg

this is true life and insane 😂

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 21/04/2022 07:42

That son seems to be on everything at the moment. Keeps popping up in secondary roles. Was also in The Girl Before and the ting about Jeremy Bamber.

On a point of order the new wife isn't Thai.

mum2jakie · 21/04/2022 08:02

I also thought if this was a drama, we'd all be complaining that it was too farfetched! Truly illustrates the effectiveness of hiding in plain sight! I think he joined the library to access the birth/death certificates which he used to create his new identity? (Although he used the same new name for his library card so not sure how.)

CaptainMyCaptain · 21/04/2022 08:25

Penguinsaregreat · 20/04/2022 23:21

He married a Thai bride.
I think one of the sons played a policeman in the bomb disposal drama with Vicky McClure (?)

Was she definitely Thai? At the end it said he was living in the Phillipines.

Original poster
Blondeshavemorefun · 21/04/2022 08:40

In 2015, John married Mercidita, otherwise known as Mercy, who is 23 years his junior in her native home of the Philippines.

She wrote a gushing message to her friends on Facebook shortly after the wedding to announce she was "in love" with the pensioner.
Mercy, whose three ­children from a previous relationship are now living with a cousin, said: "I love you so much sweetheart, your always my baby. Falling in love is easy, but staying in love is very special."

madness she’s been married to him 6/7yrs

THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND THE CANOE - ITV 9pm - EASTER SUNDAY TO WEDNESDAY. TV PACE. NO SPOILERS
OP posts:
AutumnOrange · 21/04/2022 08:51

Did anyone watch the Canoe Story Real Life (or something like that) last night? Apparently John and Ann we’re flying all over Europe when he was ‘dead’.
In Johns interviews he still looked very smug. Thought the police take on it was good.
What made me laugh was it was a housewife in Cheshire who googled ‘John Ann Panama’ and found the photo and went to the Mirror that brought it all tumbling down 😂

familyissues12345 · 21/04/2022 09:27

@Piggywaspushed

That son seems to be on everything at the moment. Keeps popping up in secondary roles. Was also in The Girl Before and the ting about Jeremy Bamber.

On a point of order the new wife isn't Thai.

Ah yes the Jeremy bamber programme, I knew I'd seen him before!
the80sweregreat · 21/04/2022 09:39

The actor playing the son (who was also in Trigger point etc) is very ' urbane' isn't he? Kind of blends in!

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 21/04/2022 11:21

I have half the third episode and all of the 4th to watch, but they won’t stream. I get loads of adverts, then an apology saying the episode is not available. Anyone else?

Is the BBC one still on iplayer?

Original poster
Blondeshavemorefun · 21/04/2022 11:36

How annoying @IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

yes canoe man is still on iPlayer. Only an hour

OP posts:
awaynboilyurheid · 21/04/2022 12:46

I enjoyed watching it, but felt sorry for Ann. John was a Walter Mitty fantasist who obviously controlled her all her life, for her to receive longer prison sentence than John was ridiculous. She married him very young too I read, and I think she said she met him at 14 so he had bullied her for more than 30 odd years. Think she just went along with whatever harebrained scheme he came up with, terrified as she was of being left. She seems a simple wee soul and I was cheering when she eventually got enough confidence to leave him.
So glad her sons now see her I feel she was a victim too.

Cocolapew · 21/04/2022 13:55

I hated both of them, I have no sympathy for Ann. What they did to their sons was awful.

Pollydonia · 21/04/2022 14:58

Coercive control in a milder form was my thought.
My knobhead ex used to try to make me believe that him leaving would be the end of the world too...............

jowly · 21/04/2022 15:08

I have no sympathy with either of them. None whatsoever.

How could anyone when they did that to their sons.

absolutelynotfabulous · 21/04/2022 17:40

Does anyone know what happened to the debt? Was it in his name only? Was it all repaid in the end? The actual scam less than £200k I think -from what I gather the mortgages on the houses at Seaton Carew seafront were repaid, then the rest of the properties were sold, presumably at a profit. Apparently JD also bought a ranch in Kansas (jointly with a woman he met through online gaming), a plot of land in Panama in addition to the apartment, and he also considered buying a catamaran in Gibraltar. All very strange.

Looking forward to tonight's programme.

Thunderpunt · 21/04/2022 19:16

And my takeaway from this was, that police officer was bloody Karl Pilkington from Ricky Gervais series years ago.... I did have to Google to be sure. Who knew he'd turned his hand to acting (instead of just moaning incessantly)

TokyoSushi · 21/04/2022 20:32

Just watching episode 3 on catch up. I didn't know he willingly came back, the whole thing is absolutely bonkers. The poor, poor sons.

GrandTheftWalrus · 21/04/2022 20:51

Thunderpunt · 21/04/2022 19:16

And my takeaway from this was, that police officer was bloody Karl Pilkington from Ricky Gervais series years ago.... I did have to Google to be sure. Who knew he'd turned his hand to acting (instead of just moaning incessantly)

We saw his name pop up and thought "naaa can't be him" and sure enough. He has acted in other things though I'm sure.

the80sweregreat · 21/04/2022 20:55

I only remember Karl Pilkington doing the grumpy podcasts with Ricky Gervais and Stephen merchant ; they were funny ! I like him and never seen him acting in anything before this.

BlueSpottedGiraffe · 21/04/2022 21:57

@Thunderpunt

And my takeaway from this was, that police officer was bloody Karl Pilkington from Ricky Gervais series years ago.... I did have to Google to be sure. Who knew he'd turned his hand to acting (instead of just moaning incessantly)
Yes loved his little cameo! We used to enjoy watching idiot abroad as he was exactly like my dad!!