AS a blonde OAP decked out in a pair of stylish specs, Joan Hannington could pass for a typical pensioner with a bit of an eye for fashion. But the sweet-looking grandmother was actually once Britain’s most notorious jewel thief, and she is now the subject of a new self-titled ITV drama telling her amazing story. In the 1980s, master-of-disguise Joan Hannington stole diamond rings by swallowing them in high-class jewellery shops and netted £3MILLION in credit card and cheque frauds.
The unassuming mum-of-two also burgled country houses, shot a man, survived an assassination bid and was widowed when an arson attack by her husband went wrong. She even claims to have made love to her high-class thief hubby with £1million in cash strewn on their bed. In her new book Joan, out last week, she said: “Swallowing diamonds was my life, my buzz, my drug.
“It was the only thing that I really liked doing. To me, I had a gift.” Last night, viewers saw the first part of her incredible story unfold in ITV’s latest real-life drama.
And today we reveal the amazing truth behind six-part series Joan, which features Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner in the title role and Frank Dillane as her partner-in-crime hubby. Sophie revealed: “She is one of the most notorious figures in the London criminal underworld, earning her the nickname ‘The Godmother’. “A woman who goes about her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all while trying to get her daughter back .
