True story of disgraced MP John Stenhouse who faked his own death as new ITV show hits screens

05.01.2023 - 02:33 / dailyrecord.co.uk

ITV viewers were captivated by the ending Monday night's shocking opening episode of Stenhouse.

Featuring Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes, the new three-part series explores the rise and fall of runaway Labour MP John Stonehouse, 49, who faked his own death in 1974, reports the Daily Mirror.

It was believed the politician had drowned at sea or even eaten by sharks after his clothes were discovered on Miami beach.

Following his disappearing act he left behind his wife Barbara Smith and three children for an affair with his secretary, Sheila Buckley, in Australia.

He set about embarking on creating a new life as cops investigated his death. But this did not last long and Australian cops soon nicked him on suspicion of being Lord Lucan - a Peer who was accused of murdering his ex-wife.

The conman tried for asylum in the likes of Mauritius and Sweden to avoid a trial in Britain, but was returned to London by Scotland Yard. Stonehouse still acted as MP for Walsall North from prison, before he was released on bail in August 1975 and gave a speech in the House of Commons.

He said: "I assumed a new parallel personality that took over from me, which was foreign to me and which despised the humbug and sham of the past years of my public life."

The next year he faced new charges of fraud, theft, forgery, conspiracy to defraud, causing a false police investigation and wasting police time. That trial lasted 68 days and again in August 1976, he was jailed for seven years in Wormwood Scrubs.

He resigned from Parliament but suffered three heart attacks and underwent open heart surgery during his time in prison. Stonehouse was released early for good behaviour in 1979 and Barbara divorced him, then two years later he