'Canoe-death' couple lose appeals

Their challenges were rejected by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting with two other judges at the Court of Appeal in London.

Neither John Darwin, 58, nor Mrs Darwin, 56, were present for the hearing.

Former teacher Mr Darwin had sought a reduction in his sentence of six years and three months, imposed on him by a judge at Teesside Crown Court last July for admitted deception charges.

His wife, a former doctor's receptionist, was convicted of six counts of fraud and nine of money laundering after a trial. She was sentenced to six and a half years, which she appealed against as "excessive".

The pair were imprisoned over a swindle which deceived the police, a coroner, financial institutions and even their sons, Mark, 32, and Anthony, 29.

Announcing the court's decision to dismiss the appeals, Lord Judge ruled that the sentences passed on the couple were severe but not "manifestly excessive".

One of the features of the case was that they had committed the "grossest form of betrayal" against their "entirely innocent" sons. He described it as a "notorious case" with "unique or virtually unique aggravating features".

At her trial, Mrs Darwin's case was that her "domineering" husband forced her to go through with the plan. The trial judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, told the Darwins their sons' lives were "crushed" by the deception, and that meant a severe sentence was needed.

The crown court had heard how the plan to hoax insurers and pension schemes into believing former teacher and prison officer Mr Darwin was dead was hatched as the couple faced losing their imposing seafront home in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, in 2002.