Joan Hannington’s life reads like a thrilling novel from a troubled childhood in London’s East End to becoming Britain’s most notorious female jewel thief, and finally, a respected grandmother who turned her back on her criminal past. Her story, recently brought to life in ITV’s hit drama Joan, has captivated audiences across the UK and beyond. But who was the real Joan Hannington behind the headlines, the tabloids, and the sparkling diamonds?
Key Details:
Born in Hardship: Early Life and Family Trauma
Joan Hannington was born in 1957, the youngest of six children in the hardscrabble neighbourhoods of East London. Life was never easy. Her father, a former boxing promoter, was violent. Family accounts recall extreme incidents, including an attempt to drown Joan and her siblings. By age 13, the abuse and chaos prompted Joan to run away in search of safety and control over her destiny.
Just four years later, Joan married Ray Pavey, a convicted armed robber, thrusting her further into London’s criminal underworld. Their relationship was filled with abuse, and together they had a daughter, Debbie. Tragedy struck when, after separating from Pavey, Joan lost custody of Debbie, who was placed in foster care, an event that shaped much of Joan’s motivation for the choices that followed.
The Infamous Beginnings: The Birth of a Diamond Thief
Joan was desperate for stability, for money, and especially to reunite with her daughter. She faked her references and secured a position at an elite jewellery store in West London, a setting that would spark her career as a criminal mastermind.
Her first major heist came almost by accident: alone with trays of diamonds and out of the view of cameras, she instinctively swallowed a handful of gems, unwittingly pocketing nearly £800,000’s worth in her “tummy bank”. As she later recalled in her memoir, I Am What I Am, swallowing diamonds became her signature move, relying on olive oil and gin to retrieve and sanitise her ill-got gains.
Undetected, Joan continued to steal, flipping the proceeds through contacts in the diamond business and stashing some treasures in secret hiding spots around London.
A Criminal Partnership: Love, Mastery, and Millions
It was through her ever-expanding black-market dealings that Joan met Ronald “Boisie” Hannington, an antiques dealer and accomplished thief. Boisie was 17 years Joan’s senior and became both her mentor in crime and her husband. The pair, now infamous partners in crime, operated across London, dealing in stolen gems, antiques, and counterfeit checks.
Boisie taught Joan the finer points of distinguishing real from fake antiques at auction and trained her to use elaborate disguises, from fur coats to American accents, to avoid detection. At their peak, they handled several million pounds worth of goods, a rarity in the 1980s criminal scene, especially for a woman.
Their criminal creativity didn’t stop at swallowing diamonds. Joan perfected a ring-swapping technique: she’d memorise the exact look and weight of a diamond ring at a shop, have a counterfeit made, return pretending to be the customer again, and through clever sleight of hand and sometimes a faked sneeze, replace the real gem with the fake.
Double Life: Glamour and Guilt
Outwardly, Joan’s life was glamorous: designer clothes, luxury cars, art-filled apartments, holidays to New York and Paris. Inside, she wrestled with the deep pain of losing her daughter and the stress of staying one step ahead of law enforcement. Despite millions earned, her dream of regaining custody of Debbie never came true, an enduring regret, just as her memoir candidly reveals.
Behind Bars: Arrest, Sentence, and Unexpected Resilience
Incredibly, Joan’s most notorious crimes never resulted in a prison sentence; she was finally caught in 1980, aged 24, for possession of a stolen chequebook. She was sentenced to 30 months in Holloway Prison, a brief interruption in her criminal career, but not the end of her ambitions.
Shortly before her jail term, Joan married Boisie, deepening the bond of their relationship. Upon her release, Joan picked up ‘where she left off,’ soon working in another jewellery shop and reportedly stealing another cache of valuable rings and bracelets.
A Final Escape: Tragedy, Turning Point, and New Beginnings
The frenetic pace and constant stress took their toll, but nothing prepared Joan for the death of Boisie in a tragic house fire, reportedly during an ill-fated attempt at insurance fraud. The sudden loss, compounded by her unresolved grief over Debbie, marked a major turning point.
Joan, now in her early thirties and with a baby son, Benny (now a musician known as Benny Banks), decided to turn her back on crime. She moved to Islington, began flipping ex-council flats, and started living a quieter, more legitimate existence. Even after years of swallowing stones, Joan remarkably avoided major health problems, though she still suffers from ulcers, a legacy of her risk-fraught career.
Legacy: The “Diamond Godmother” and Media Fascination
Joan’s story is legendary in British crime history. Dubbed “The Godmother,” she’s remembered both as a master of her trade and as a woman who, despite her crimes, inspired mixed feelings of admiration and empathy. Unlike most in her profession, she was never caught for her jewelled heists and never expressed regret for her victims, justifying that her targets were insured and could afford their losses.
Her exploits are immortalised in her memoir and, most recently, in the drama series Joan. The ITV show, starring Sophie Turner, has renewed interest in Joan’s life, with the real Joan advising on set to ensure accuracy in key scenes. Now in her late sixties, Joan lives quietly by England’s South Coast, enjoying retirement as a grandmother and dog lover.
Joan Hannington’s Financial Status
Estimating Joan Hannington’s net worth is challenging, and sources differ dramatically. At her criminal peak, she and Boisie were multi-millionaires by 1980s standards, though not all their wealth was recoverable once their partnership ended and assets were liquidated. Today, Joan lives comfortably yet discreetly, far removed from the excesses of her former life.
Public Image and Controversies
Joan’s unapologetic attitude is perhaps her most controversial trait. She feels no guilt for her actions, repeatedly assuring interviewers that she stole from the privileged and that everything she took was insured. Her media appearances, particularly surrounding the Joan series, have only deepened her notoriety, making her a figure of fascination for true crime enthusiasts and pop culture fans alike.
FAQs About Joan Hannington
Who is Joan Hannington?
Joan Hannington is widely recognised as Britain’s “Diamond Godmother” and the country’s most notorious female jewel thief. Her criminal career, beginning in the late 1970s, has been immortalised in books and TV series.
What made Joan’s heists so unique?
Joan was famous for swallowing stolen diamonds and later retrieving them, a risky but effective method. She also became adept at swapping expensive rings for cheap duplicates using memory and distraction techniques.
Did Joan Hannington go to prison for her diamond heists?
No, she never went to prison for her jewel thefts. However, she did serve a 30-month sentence in Holloway Prison for possessing a stolen chequebook.
Why did Joan turn to crime?
Joan’s criminal activity was largely motivated by her desire to regain custody of her daughter after losing her during a troubled marriage. The necessity for quick money and stability led her down a path of high-stakes theft.
Who was Boisie Hannington?
Boisie Hannington was Joan’s husband, mentor, and criminal partner. Seventeen years her senior, he introduced Joan to the intricacies of antiques theft and financial fraud.
Did Joan ever reunite with her daughter?
Unfortunately, despite all her efforts and financial success, Joan was never able to permanently regain custody of her daughter, Debbie, a matter she has discussed with deep regret.
What is Joan doing now?
Joan Hannington now lives in quiet retirement on England’s South Coast, helping with the ITV series about her life, and enjoying time as a mother and grandmother.
How much wealth did Joan accumulate?
At their height, Joan and her husband ran millions of pounds through their hands, but much of it was spent or lost when Joan left the criminal world.
The Enduring Allure of Joan Hannington
Joan Hannington’s story remains compelling both for its glamour and grit. She is at once a symbol of survival, audacity, and controversy, a woman who dared to beat the system at its own game, paid her debt for what she felt were minor crimes, and ultimately reinvented herself against overwhelming odds. The ITV drama and her memoirs stand as a testament to her enduring legacy in the annals of British true crime.