An English couple who schemed to fake the husband's death in order to collect the insurance money has been sentenced to more than six years each in prison.

The plot of the deceitful couple began to unravel in December 2007, five years after John Darwin and his wife conspired to fake his death in a canoeing accident, when John, 57, walked into a London police headquarters saying he had amnesia.

Shortly thereafter, a newspaper published a photo of John, with Anne, 56, in Panama. The photo was taken four years after his alleged death.

The couple has two adult sons, now 29 and 32, both of whom were reportedly "crushed" by their father's disappearance, and then devastated again to find out it was all a hoax on which both of their parents conspired. They have reportedly disowned their parents.

According to The Times of London, the Darwins had plans to develop a eco-tourism resort with the $500,000 they received in life insurance dividends in Escobol, Panama.

Wednesday, a judge sentenced Anne Darwin to six and a half years in prison after a jury found her guilty of six counts of fraud and nine counts of money laundering.

John Darwin, who plead guilty to to seven charges of obtaining cash by deception and a passport offense is sentenced to six years and three months in prison.