DNA Test Uncovers Glasgow Taxi Driver’s Secret Family History

A Glasgow taxi driver’s routine DNA test has unraveled a decades-old family mystery, revealing his true heritage and nine half-siblings scattered across the UK. The story highlights how modern genetic testing is reshaping personal identities and reconnecting lost relatives.

Shocking Discovery Through DNA Testing

Darrel Severn, a 64-year-old taxi driver from Glasgow, grew up believing his father was a British Army Staff Sergeant. His darker skin, which led to bullying at school, was explained by his mother as a side effect of medication taken during their time in Aden. However, a conversation with his older brother one night changed everything.

Darrel stated:

"I was stunned, shocked, and hugely upset for months because my dad had been a wonderful man, a British Army Staff Sergeant who had nurtured and supported me all my life and never treated me differently. He had known I was not his son, but he loved me all the same."

When he confronted his mother, she revealed that his biological father was a man named David Sands from Birmingham. Yet, no records of this person existed, and despite years of searching, Darrel was unable to uncover the truth.

It was only during the COVID-19 lockdown that a DNA heritage test, purchased by his daughter, finally revealed his true ancestry. Instead of the expected results, the test showed that Darrel was 40% South Asian and 51% English with Yorkshire origins. His biological father was not David Sands but Gurdev (David) Singh, a former British Army soldier from India who had fathered multiple children across the UK.

The Role of DNA Testing in Uncovering Family Secrets

Darrel was not alone in his discovery. Across the UK, individuals who took commercial DNA tests found themselves connected to newfound siblings. With over three million people in the UK using DNA tracing services, many have uncovered long-hidden family ties.

His half-brother, Mark Wadsworth, who had also grown up with no knowledge of his biological father, was working on a detailed family tree when he made the connection.

Mark Wadsworth stated:

"At 58, I joined a DNA online heritage site, and discovered my dad was Indian, so I confronted my mother who agreed. But David Singh had long since disappeared."

Similarly, Hugh Hayden, another half-brother, discovered his Indian heritage after taking a DNA test. Born to a Scottish nurse in the Midlands, Hugh was given up for adoption due to social stigma.

Hugh Hayden stated:

"I went to a Catholic family nearby, as was the practice of the time, and had a wonderful childhood with parents who loved me."

A Taxi Driver’s Emotional Reunion With Siblings

After the shocking revelation, Darrel reached out to his newfound siblings. The group arranged a meeting in Blackpool, where they shared childhood experiences of growing up in single-parent homes, foster care, or adoption.

Darrel stated:

"It was hugely emotional meeting as we told our life stories, passed around family pictures, and saw how much some of us looked like each other."

Among the group was Debbie Hammond, an NHS Stop Smoking in Pregnancy adviser, who had also grown up without knowing her biological father.

Debbie Hammond stated:

"My birth mother’s parents were strict Salvation Army members when society did not have much sympathy for unmarried mums and I was left in a mother and baby home."

While these reunions brought joy, they also required emotional adjustment. Some, like Mark Wadsworth, took a pragmatic approach to their newfound father’s absence.

Mark Wadsworth stated:

"It takes nine months to make a child, but with some of us born in the same year, it seems that every three months David Singh had a different woman."