Journalist who wrote articles while serving murder sentence drowned in harbour

The journalist and editor Erwin James, who wrote articles while serving a prison sentence for murder, drowned after falling from a marina pontoon, an inquest has heard.

James, real name Erwin James Monahan, 66, who was born in Clevedon, Somerset, was convicted of two murders in 1984 and served 20 years in prison.

An inquest at Devon Coroner’s Court heard he met his wife, Margaret, in 1991 while detained at HMP Long Lartin and the couple married shortly after his release in 2004.

During his prison sentence, James gained a history degree and became an accomplished writer – with his Guardian column A Life Inside the first of its kind in the UK.

He was the author of three books, as well as an eminent public speaker, and edited the prisons newspaper Inside Time until 2023.

Faithful

His inquest at Devon County Hall heard James lived in Wrexham, Wales, but was staying at his boat called Faithful which was moored at Brixham Marina while renovations were taking place.

The hearing was told that James had been at the Blue Anchor pub in Brixham on the evening of January 19 last year before making his way back to his boat for the night.

CCTV cameras from the marina captured him walking “unsteadily” along the pontoon before falling over a railing and hitting his head, the coroner said.

James stood up and began making his way towards his boat but fell into the water. His body was discovered by a family walking nearby the following morning.

Area coroner Alison Longhorn reached a conclusion of accidental death, contributed to by alcohol intoxication.

Alcohol

She said: “Erwin James Monahan died on January 20 2024 at Brixham Marina.

“He had been attempting to return to his boat, having been at a pub, under the influence of alcohol when he fell into the water and drowned.

“My conclusion is that Mr Monahan’s death was an accidental death, contributed to by alcohol intoxication.

“It was dark and I heard evidence that it had been cold and the pontoon surface was slippery.”

The coroner concluded the hearing by offering her condolences to James’s family and friends.

In a statement, James’s wife Margaret Monahan describing meeting him in prison where she was working as a teacher.

She visited him every week when he was moved to a prison in Nottingham the following year and they married in 2004, when he was released.

The couple lived in Hastings before James bought a property in Wales in 2023, as well as a boat called Faithful which was an Airbnb rental.

Mrs Monahan described her husband’s difficult upbringing, with his mother dying when he was aged seven and his father “a drinker”, with James leaving home aged 10.

Two murders

The father-of-two began stealing sweets and fruit but his offending escalated and he committed two murders in 1982 before fleeing to join the French Foreign Legion, later handing himself in to police.

During his prison sentence, James gained a history degree and was later awarded a masters, worked as a journalist and editor, published three books and spoke about his experiences.

“He was a very accomplished and articulate man,” Mrs Monahan said.

Her statement, read by the coroner, detailed how James – who she referred to as Jim – had a “drink problem for most of his life” and had been banned from driving due to drinking.

“I think Jim used drink to block out the things that had happened to him during his life,” Mrs Monahan said.

“I know he also suffered with grief at the crimes he had committed.

“Despite the awful upbringing Jim had and serving 20 years in prison, Jim was the most kind, generous and loving man.

“He did a lot of work voluntarily and he was a good role model.”

‘Rehabilitation’

Sophie May, a woman who spoke to James at the pub shortly before his death, described how they chatted about “the power of rehabilitation”.

He told her about his sell-out performance at the Sydney Opera House and of attending the Christmas party of author JK Rowling, she said.

“We were a bit tipsy but not incoherent,” she said.

“I didn’t think Erwin was unsafe to walk back on his own.”

Emergency services were called to the marina at 10.49am on January 20 after James’s body was spotted in the water.

Marina staff told police officers it was not unusual for James to consume two bottles of whisky per day, the inquest heard.

A post-mortem examination recorded his cause of death as drowning.