A friend of Clifford said the publicist had helped the family with ‘a bit of free advice’. The friend added: ‘Max likes to be helpful when he can – it’s not like Darwin’s a mass-murderer.’
When approached by PRWeek, Clifford denied involvement. On a day-to-day basis, media enquiries for Darwin are being handled by the family’s Middlesbrough-based solicitor John Nixon, of law firm Brown Beer Nixon Mallon.
His wife, Anne Darwin, is being advised by London-based lawyers Corker Binning.
The couple stand accused of obtaining £162,000 by faking John’s death, pretending that he had drowned in a canoeing accident.
