Journalist who wrote articles while in prison 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.

- GEORGE THOMPSON

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.

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

The hearing was told 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.