When a respected Army major and his well-spoken wife were accused of conducting an audacious crime that would see them in receipt of a million pounds worth of prize money from TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the story gripped the nation.
But what made the crime even more shocking wasn’t only the fact they tried to win the money fraudulently, but that the couple seemed like such unlikely criminals.
And as the recently aired ITV drama Quiz suggests, as individuals, Charles and Diana Ingram might not have undertaken such a far-fetched public crime – but, together, they made a powerful combination.
We take a look at some of Britain’s most infamous criminal pairings.
Anne and John have since separated
THE PHANTOM CANOEIST
Former teacher and prison officer, John Darwin, and his receptionist wife, Anne, had spent their entire lives playing by the rules. And when John went missing in March 2002 after being seen paddling out to sea in his kayak off Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, the community was saddened.
A search was carried out but John wasn’t found, and he was declared dead, leaving his wife Anne and their two sons devastated. Only, all was not what it seemed.
‘Their sons were devastated’
John’s ‘death’ had been a carefully planned ploy so the couple could escape escalating debt and pocket £25,000 in life insurance. They even allowed their sons to believe John had died.
By February 2003, John was living in a bedsit next door to Anne’s home, and the following year, he got a fake passport, travelling to Cyprus, America, Gibraltar and Spain.
This story is from the May 25, 2020 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 25, 2020 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is it ever OK to lie about your age?
Kaye Adams has done it, and even Mel B jokes that she doesn't believe friend Geri Horner is 51. We ask...
‘I DIDN'T THINK.I'D SEE MUM AGAIN'int ICAT AFAR
MelB on rebuilding her life rebuilding her life after her abusive’ marriage
8 WAYS TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON
Improve body and mind with just a few simple tweaks to your daily routine
WHY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE
(laire Dore, 50, learnt a lot from her first serious relationship
WHAT'S THE NAKED ATTRACTION ?
After a host of celebrities admitted to stripping off behind closed doors, Natalie Brown, 43, decided to bare all to find out just what all the fuss was about
MY FURY AT BEING A GRAN AT 52
Shona Sibary was far from excited when her eldest daughter welcomed her first child
A YEAR IN THE MAKING
Many of us shy away from drastic change but for these three women, it was just what they needed
I LOST 6ST AND FOUND THE REAL ME!
Shay Al-Ajami May, 32, was fed up pretending to be happy, so she decided to make it a reality
WHAT DO YOUR FEET SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?
From heart disease to arthritis, here’s what they might be trying to tell you…
HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CHILDREN?
With more young people facing mental-health crises, we investigate what needs to be done