Darwins: "This is not the end of the story"

4:10pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

• Play Video

THE Darwin story has not ended today in court, Detective Inspector Andy Greenwood said.

"I dont think we have really got to the bottom of everything here today," he said.

"Im sure there will be more stories that come to light but she has clearly been brought to task for the offences she committed."

Press Conference Part One

Press Conference Part Two

The now famous photograph of the grinning couple prompted police to arrest Mr Darwin, the detective said.

He feared Mr Darwin might flee back to Panama if he saw the damning picture.

He said: "I suppose it would have been difficult to get Mr Darwin back."

He said the couples sons were treated in a disgraceful way.

When he started his investigation he feared the sons must have known about their parents plan.

"But the more we investigated it, the more we realised they did not know, they had gone through a particularly horrendous sequence of events.

"For her to say I had to go along with it because John told me, I just dont know how any mother could do that," he said.

Mr Greenwood said it was not a victimless crime.

"You just had to stand in court and listen to the evidence of her sons or her friend, Irene Blakemore, to see that."

He added: "She was out and out despicable and I don't have the time of day for her."

Mr Greenwood agreed that her desperate defence was the last throw of the dice.

"The sensible option would have been to put her hands up to the offences committed and not put her sons through the turmoil of giving evidence," he said.

"She put a lot of people through a lot of heartache and a lot of expense as well.

"A lot of professional people were employed for a very long time to deal with his particular inquiry."

He added: "I am really pleased with the verdict.

"To my mind, Anne Darwin has been a compulsive liar throughout this inquiry."

He stressed that the police will work hard to make sure the couple do not benefit financially from their huge deception.

Speaking outside court, Mr Greenwood added: "We always said the story was bigger than the crime and the sentences are proportionate to the effect it has had on the people involved.

"Clearly, the judge in his observations saw that it had greatly affected the sons. I have just left them and, to be fair, they are devastated and their emotions have transferred through to me.

"They are devastated. If they get over it, it will take some time and some assistance. I just hope they can go away from the court building today and move on with their life.

"They have dealt with it, under the circumstances, extremely well."