FORMERLY a member of the Parliamentary cabinet, John Stonehouse's political career ended spectacularly in 1974.
Stonehouse had served under Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson, but soon saw his political career falter, and was eager for a fresh start. This is what we know about John Stonehouse.
Who was John Stonehouse?
Born in 1925, John Stonehouse was a former Cabinet minister and novelist, perhaps best known for having "died" twice.
Stonehouse had been a Cabinet minister in Harold Wilson's first Labour Government.
He held the roles of minister of aviation, was the final postmaster general and advised the Queen as a privy counsellor.
But he came under suspicion of spying for Czechoslovakia (which separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993).
He was never convicted of spying.
Though the suspicions over his double-life weren't made public, they nonetheless ended his political ambitions.
Did John Stonehouse fake his own death?
With his career stalling, he got into financial trouble and was having an affair with his mistress Sheila Buckley, a parliamentary secretary.
Seeking to escape the turmoil at home, 49-year-old Stonehouse hatched a plan to start afresh.
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He famously faked his own death on November 20, 1974, leaving a pile of clothes on a Miami beach.
He then travelled to Australia under a false identity to escape his financial issues and begin a new life with Buckley.
But just a month later, on December 24, 1974, he was found by Australian police and detained as an illegal immigrant.
Though he sought asylum in Mauritius and Sweden to avoid a trial in Britain, he was eventually returned to London.
He was convicted of fraud and received a seven-year sentence – after a trial in which Stonehouse represented himself – but he was released early for good behaviour.
He tried to make a living from writing following his conviction, and published memoirs and thriller novels.
What connected John Stonehouse to Lord Lucan?
When Stonehouse was discovered in Australia, it was thought that he might be the missing British peer Lord Lucan.
Lucan had gone missing just 12 days before Stonehouse, after being named as a prime suspect in the murder of his children's nanny, Sandra Rivett.
There have been many alleged "sightings" of the disgraced peer though none have ever been verified and his body has never been found.
Lucan was known to have had a large scar on his thigh, so the authorities were able to identify that Stonehouse wasn't him.
What happened to John Stonehouse?
Stonehouse died of a heart attack aged 62 on April 14, 1988, in Southampton.
His wife Sheila said he collapsed at their home, and ambulance attendants weren't able to revive him.
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He had three heart attacks during his time in prison and underwent open heart surgery.
ITV drama Stonehouse, starring Succession star Matthew Macfadyen will tell the story of the disgraced MP.
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