Anyone watching The Thief, The Wife & The Canoe?

There is a moral to this story. The moral is spouses should retain a level of emotional independence from each other.

Although I really do not understand why she had a longer sentence than him.

I think because she pleaded not guilty, and then was found guilty, whereas he pleaded guilty from the start.

Enjoyed the fictionalised nature of this dramatisation, it is incredible that they bought up all the properties they did and never let them out to give them a decent income, they just seemed to get off on owning them?

That's awful Chestnut I feel sorry for her. He of course has moved away and won't be bothered.

What I find absolutely deplorable is that the DM is publishing pictures of her and her house and saying where she lives. She has paid the price for her crimes and just wants peace and quiet, but now they have ruined her life. Some people didn't know who she was but now everyone does. With all this publicity she may get harassed and vilified which she doesn't deserve after all this time. I feel this is very, very wrong.

I watched this docu-drama with total fascination. It seemed almost too surreal - surely,if any scriptwriter had come up with this scenaria, they would have been told to go away and make something more believable. Truth is (as so often), so much more strange than fiction.

Watched the final (5th) episode and saw the 'real' people. Thought how brilliantly the play had been cast and researched.

Do wonder how there was no check by the police or insurance companies into their finances right from the start.

It seems as the £64,000 debts on credit cards was to do with their purchasing of the very cheap pit-villlage properties. John evidently even boasted to his work colleagues that he could buy a house on credit card!!!

Do we assume that the Insurance Companies have all now got back their money? In the interviews, John appeared to find the whole thing slightly amusing - do not think he has, even now, accepted he did anything at all criminal. He stated that he was only 'borrowing' the money from the insurance companies, and always meant to pay it back!!! Yep, we believe that whilst the squadron of pigs are flying overhead.

She may have been coherced in the first instance, but seems to have accepted the life-style that this criminal activity afforded her. I would have liked to have seen more of their trial - I understand that the prosecution pulled her stories to pieces. Although I really do not understand why she had a longer sentence than him.

But, from an entertainment point of view, think this five one-hour mini series was excellent. At least there was no swearing, no violence and nobody was killed.

Sparklefizz

sodapop

Did anyone else notice the comment that was made more than once " how could a mother do that to her children" no one actually said "how could a father do that "
Unless of course I missed it.

Yes... but of course she was the one having face-to-face contact with her sons for years, and lying to all and sundry.

Yes, she was the one looking them in the eye and lying, knowing full well he was the other side of the door.
He just carried out the initial deception.

She must be a very good actress to maintain that for so many years.

I didn't watch it through to the end.

I've just discovered that yet again they are going to dramatise the Raoul Moat shooting incident that happened locally. They are filming it in another area, but really, it's too sensitive for the people it affected.

I watched the documentary as well. I thought he came across as much less appealing than in the drama. He had an air of superiority and coldness that wasn't at all attractive.
He was living with her for a lot of the time when she began lying, so perhaps there was coercive control to begin with. Then it simply became lying to support the lying.

sodapop

Did anyone else notice the comment that was made more than once " how could a mother do that to her children" no one actually said "how could a father do that "
Unless of course I missed it.

Yes... but of course she was the one having face-to-face contact with her sons for years, and lying to all and sundry.

Not only did she lie to her sons but also to her father-in-law who must have been devastated at the ‘loss’ of his son.

Did anyone else notice the comment that was made more than once " how could a mother do that to her children" no one actually said "how could a father do that "
Unless of course I missed it.

I watche, and enjoyed all episodes, although I felt really angry - the husband, because of his arrogance and contempt. The wife, for being so stupid and gullible. Both of them, for being so terribly cruel in lying to their sons for years. Also, they apparently had 12 rental properties, so why did the husband have £64,000 over 13 credit cards?! Where was the rent for all those places?

Yes she did lie and lie.
He seemed to find it all rather amusing afterwards

I wondered how they managed to live such a high life as the insurance payout wasn't huge, but presumably they sold all their properties.
She held the purse strings as it was, of course, all in her name because he was supposedly dead.
I don't believe she was coerced.

Having watched the documentary about them to night I have two observations first they got the acting absolutely spot on the actress was so like her you could barely tell the difference

And secondly I feel even less sorry for her if that’s possible I think she was every bit as much to blame and maybe more so
As they said in the program he just disappeared she had to lie and lie and lie blatantly day after day not only to her sons, and family members , but the press, court, and neighbours etc for five long years I also didn’t realise they had travelled extensively on holidays as well as the Panama settlement idea

Re their property business.
It sounds as if they fell into that trap where you pay the deposit and mortgage.
That’s fine if you have money behind you for non payers and people leaving. You only need a few non payers and your up the creek without a paddle.
I’ve known a few people who’ve lost an awful lot of money through buying property this way.

I've enjoyed this series. The documentary tonight should be interesting.

Callistemon21

Yes, it was a hair brained scheme which caused extreme distress to many people when they could have easily taken another route out of debt.

They owned about 12 rental properties and their own home looked rather dingy according to the programme - how come they racked up that debt, shouldn't the rents have been steadily paying off any mortgages?

I wondered about the rents too.

Like many criminals, she was only sorry because she was caught.

You only know what you have read and what spin she has put on it.

The only people to really know are those involved.

In real life, she was bullied and manipulated.
I have been reading about their life and what she put up with.
Obviously what she did was wrong, but unless you have experienced living with a bullying, controlling b.....d, then we shouldn’t be too hasty to judge.
The man was an inexcusable moron .

I agree with 'OODLES' .....unfortunately in history of Insurance claims, I do wonder exactly HOW many people have actually got away with these false claims !!!! and then we wonder why our premiums go up ! (the only claim I ever had to make was for a flood caused by the water tank in the loft being wrongly connected to the supply (it was a brand new house ......think the Ins co got the money back from the builders) BUT although they paid the claim (we claimed just for the ceiling and light fitting damage ) they sent round an assessor, who said we should also claim for the bathroom carpets, cleaning the lounge carpet and the chairs in the lounge .........so he recommended a much bigger claim than we asked them to pay out !!) .....but how on earth did not assessors look further into this couple, their financial situation et al .....and how come the threat of repossession and bankruptcy they said they were under, was never investigated !!!!! beyond belief....HOW on earth can her sons have 'forgiven' her ..............she doesn't deserve to have contact with them or her grandchilden for what she put them through (yes, HER .....since she went along with it and was ever happy and smiling in her new flat, with her dead husband !

I remember it at the time as I live quite near to saltburn . Can’t believe he lived next door and nobody saw him ! So cruel on their sons to think their dads dead

Spot on Grammygrammy

Yes, it was a hair brained scheme which caused extreme distress to many people when they could have easily taken another route out of debt.

They owned about 12 rental properties and their own home looked rather dingy according to the programme - how come they racked up that debt, shouldn't the rents have been steadily paying off any mortgages?