John Darwin's dad's cutting response when told son was still alive

dailyrecord.co.uk:

When John Darwin walked into a police station claiming that he had amnesia after faking his own death, officers contacted his shocked family to tell them the baffling news.

Sons Mark and Anthony rushed to the police station in December 2007 to be reunited with her beloved dad. However their grandfather, Ronnie, John's father, had a more cutting response when journalists arrived at his home in County Durham after the news came out, The Mirror reports.It is believed that the couple had a difficult relationship before John went missing, although it is not known why, which may detail his less than excited remarks to the media.In his book The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe, Mirror journalist David Leigh, who was despatched to Panama to speak to Anne, reveals 90-year-old Ronnie's reaction.He writes that he said: "I always said to the police that there might be more to this than it appeared at first."When his canoe was found but he wasn’t, it didn’t seem right."He had ideas above his station.

He had big dreams and ambitions, and I sometimes think he was in too much of a hurry to make money."And it wasn't just Ronnie who had some strong opinions, with the book claiming that John's aunt Margaret Burns added: "Most of the family believe that the trauma of nearly drowning was enough to make him lose his memory, but I’m not so sure."I’m a cynic.

To be honest, I don’t believe he ever got his feet wet."In the book, David Leigh also reveals the first words John said to his son when they were reunited in the police station.Five and a half years after the last time they were together, he kept up his lies that he was suffering from amnesia.Mark said: "Oh my God, Dad!" to which John replied: "I can’t find your mam and the dogs anywhere." J