Joan had some children by Ismael. The marriage did not work out.

{While Dolly is in hospital with TB, Joan moves in to the home of Dolly and Ian, and looks after Dolly's children. Ian is in the army at this time. Joan and Ian have an affair.

On the very day that Dolly is finally discharged from hospital, Ian picks her up and takes her to the beach, and tells her that he wants a divorce. They have a row. Ian takes an axe from the boot of his car, and strikes her in the head with the axe. He thinks she is dead, but she is not. He puts her in the boot of the car, and takes her home to Joan. Joan asks where Dolly is, and he shows her. Both get drunk, panic, burn Dolly and bury her body and possessions in the garden. This is in army accommodation. He applies for a transfer to Hong Kong, and gets one quickly. Joan assumes Dolly's identity using a false passport obtained by Ian. Ian, Joan (masquerading as Dolly), and both sisters' children live in Hong Kong for a while, then move to Hounslow when Ian is transferred (in the mid 1970s).

During this time, Elsie and the other sisters have been writing to "Dolly", but never get a reply. The sisters in Singapore eventually report Dolly to the Singapore police as a missing person. The police take it seriously, and contact the army in Hounslow. Ian's commanding office tells Ian that he has a strange request. Ian cracks up and confesses all.

When Dolly's body was dug up, the post-mortem revealed that the blow to the head should not have killed her, and concluded that Dolly had been burned alive.

Ian and Dolly were arrested, and tried at the Old Bailey. The British authorities refused Singapore's request to try them in Singapore. Singapore still had the death penalty at the time. Ian was sentenced to 9 years, and Joan got a suspended sentence and was released to take care of the children. The family all stood by Joan. Joan sold her story to a newspaper for 180,000 pounds.}