A journalist and writer who wrote much-admired columns from prison drowned in a Devon marina after spending a night in a harbourside pub, an inquest has concluded.
Erwin James Monahan, who used the pen name Erwin James and wrote a regular column for the Guardian – the first of its kind in British journalism – fell into the ocean at Brixham in Devon, near the place the boat he was staying in was moored, the inquest in Exeter heard.
The world coroner, Alison Longhorn, concluded James’s demise on the age of 66 was unintended and contributed to by alcohol intoxication.
Longhorn mentioned family thought of that James, who was jailed for all times for 2 murders and served 20 years in jail, had had a “lifelong downside” with alcohol.
She mentioned: “Those that knew him from the marina instructed police it was common for him to have consumed two bottles of whisky a day. He had been topic to a drink-driving ban following a fourth drink-driving conviction over a three-year interval.”
Longhorn mentioned that on the night of 19 January 2024, CCTV footage captured James returning to the marina shortly earlier than midnight after spending the night on the Blue Anchor pub.
She mentioned: “He will be seen to stroll unsteadily in the direction of the pontoon on which his boat is docked earlier than falling over a railing. He’s then seen to face up and stumble over to a different pontoon earlier than vanishing.
“I discover it probably when he fell over the railing, James hit his head on the pontoon, inflicting a head harm earlier than he tried to make his method again to his boat and fell into the water.” His physique was discovered within the marina subsequent morning.
In a press release, James’s spouse, Margaret Monahan, mentioned she met him whereas she was working as a instructor at Lengthy Lartin jail in Worcestershire, the place he was being held. She later visited him at a jail in Nottinghamshire. They fell in love and married.
After his launch, they lived in East Sussex and north Wales. James purchased a ship referred to as Devoted, which was berthed at Brixham.
Monahan mentioned James’s mom died in a automobile accident when he was seven. She mentioned his father was a drinker and James left house when he was 10. He started stealing sweets and fruit, and was taken into care. His offending escalated and in 1982 he and one other man carried out two robberies during which two males had been killed.
James then left the UK and joined the International Legion. Monahan mentioned his father had satisfied James to return and he was jailed for the murders.
In jail James used his time productively, the inquest heard. He studied and wrote a column for the Guardian, studying his phrases over the cellphone to a copytaker. After being launched, he spoke to varsities and went again into jail to speak to inmates serving life sentences.
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Monahan mentioned James appeared unhappy when she spoke to him on the afternoon of 19 January 2024. “I feel he was lacking me. I might inform he had been consuming,” she mentioned. He despatched her all the lyrics of the Eric Clapton track Please Be With Me, which he realized to play in jail.
She mentioned: “I feel Jim [the name she called him] used drink to dam out the issues that occurred to him. I do know he additionally suffered from grief on the crimes he dedicated.”
“Regardless of the terrible upbringing Jim had and serving 20 years in jail, he was probably the most variety, beneficiant and loving man. He was an excellent position mannequin.”
A lady who spoke to James within the Blue Anchor pub, Sophie Might, mentioned he instructed her about his life, together with a “sell-out tour on the Sydney Opera Home” and going to JK Rowling’s Christmas social gathering.
“We had been all a bit tipsy however not incoherent,” she mentioned. “I didn’t assume Erwin was unsafe to stroll again on his personal.”
