EDWIN SHARMAN'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN EXETER AND PENZANCE LEAD TO TRAGIC END

In December 2015, a tragic and disturbing series of events unfolded involving Edwin Sharman, a convicted sex offender with a long history of heinous crimes across Cornwall and Exeter. The sequence of incidents culminated in a devastating act of self-harm that shocked the local community and highlighted the ongoing dangers posed by individuals with such criminal backgrounds.

Sharman, a 43-year-old man residing on Howell Road in Exeter, had previously lived on Bread Street in Penzance and Tuckingmill in Camborne. His criminal record was extensive, marked by multiple convictions for sexual offenses, including a particularly chilling incident in 2011 when he was sentenced to five years in prison for two separate sexual assaults in West Cornwall. During that period, he broke into the homes of strangers while they slept, committing acts of violence and indecency. One of these assaults involved a young mother in bed with her infant, while another targeted an 81-year-old deaf woman, leaving her so terrified that she barricaded herself in her bedroom until he left.

His criminal history also included a 2009 suspended sentence for voyeurism, where he used a hidden mobile phone to record women shopping. Judge Christopher Elwen expressed concern that jailing Sharman might not serve the public interest, fearing he was becoming a more dangerous offender. Further offenses included crawling into a couple’s bedroom in St Austell in 2008, only to be chased out by one of the victims, and in 2007, performing an indecent act while watching a teenage girl sleep in her home, an incident discovered by her father and leading to his arrest.

In 2003, Sharman committed a disturbing act at a campsite in Hayle, West Cornwall, where he cut through a tent and sleeping bag of a girl under 13 before indecently assaulting her. His earlier criminal record also included a 1999 conviction for voyeurism and insulting behavior after he was caught peering under a shower partition at a holiday camp.

On November 14, 2015, while residing at the Oakfields Project in Exeter, Sharman received his £80 benefit payment and spent several hours at the Mosaic club, where he consumed large quantities of alcohol, including Jagermeister and WKD Blue. After drinking, he returned to his accommodation and, in a disturbing turn, broke into a nearby family home. The family, unaware of his presence, was shocked to find him inside their residence.

That night, an eight-year-old girl in the household was awakened to find a stranger assaulting her in her bed. The attacker, described as a man with a ponytail wearing a cap with a red tip, fled when she managed to escape and alert her parents. The young girl told her parents, “There’s an alien in my bed,” a statement that underscored her terror. The parents discovered Sharman in their daughter’s bedroom and immediately contacted the police, leading to his arrest.

Following his arrest, Sharman was held at Exeter Prison, where he was charged with sexual assault and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. However, just four days after his detention, Exeter Crown Court was informed that Sharman had taken his own life by hanging himself in his cell. The court was shown a death certificate confirming his death, and Judge Erik Salomonsen ordered the case to be closed, expressing his condolences for the tragic loss.

Sharman’s death marked a somber end to a life marred by violence and predatory behavior, raising ongoing concerns about the management and monitoring of high-risk offenders within the criminal justice system. His case remains a stark reminder of the devastating impact such individuals can have on their victims and communities.