John Darwin, the man who faked his death in a canoeing accident as part of a £680,000 insurance swindle, has been freed from jail.
He was released early yesterday morning after serving just half of his six-year sentence.
The former prison officer was whisked away from Moorland open jail in South Yorkshire by a friend. Last night he was holed up at a secret location just miles from where he vanished in March 2002.
A free man: This is the picture which revealed back from the dead canoe man John Darwin was alive and well and living in Panama
His wife Anne, 59, remains in custody for her part in the plot but is due to be freed in two months.
Darwin will now be entitled to an array of benefits paid for by the taxpayer and could be entitled to as much as £20,000 a year.
On leaving prison he may have received a £100 grant from the prison governor as part of a scheme to help prisoners who have no home to go to.
He could also rake in as much as £130.90 a week for jobseeker’s allowance and income support followed by a further £250 for a one-bedroom property. That comes to a total yearly amount of £19,806.
He may also be entitled to apply for a crisis loan or a community care grant depending on his circumstances.
Darwin is also said to be desperate to salvage his ruined relationship with his grown-up sons, Mark and Anthony, who believed for years that their father had drowned.
A source told the Daily Mail: ‘He’s waited for this day for a long time and, obviously, he now wants to get on with his life and put everything behind him, if he can.
‘He’s determined also to try to rebuild the relationship he had with his two sons after they were led to believe he was dead. He wants to repair the damage if at all possible.’
Although a free man, Darwin will remain on licence for the next three years. He must report regularly to the probation service but will be entitled to benefits if he cannot find work.
His wife will be able to pick up the same benefits and if she remains separated from him will be entitled to a house of her own. She will also be entitled to a state pension as soon as she is freed. Darwin will have to wait until he is 65.
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