Sharon Elaine Harman · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 24 February, I concluded an inquest into the death of Sharon Elaine Harman, 49, who was stabbed to death by her husband at their home address in Polperro, Cornwall on 6 August 2021. Mr Harman then cut his own throat. Tragically, both these events took place in front of the couple’s teenage daughters.
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Elaine’s medical cause of death was recorded as:
1a) Stab wounds to the neck and chest

I recorded a Conclusion of Unlawful Killing.

On 31 July and 4 August 2021, Elaine was assaulted by her husband. He was arrested by police on suspicion of assaulting her and occasioning actual bodily harm. In interview on 5 August, he denied the charge. He was released from custody later that day on police bail subject to two conditions (i) not to contact Elaine or their two children and (ii) not to attend the property.

On 6 August, it had been arranged for Mr Harman’s son to collect personal items from Elaine at the home address. Mr Harman rang his son to delay the appointment. In breach of the bail conditions, he then attended the home address, forced entry and stabbed Elaine to death.

There appears an obvious disconnect in the guidance issued by the College of Policing and the laws provided to police under s19 PACE or otherwise. This appears of particular concern in cases of domestic violence where, previously, the parties have lived together.

The police officers who gave evidence at inquest were of one voice that an additional power to retain a house key – for the duration of imposed bail conditions only – would be an additional helpful power to have.

It was recognised there may be difficulties in applying any such power from a practical perspective. Of note, there was no easy way, other than an Officer returning to a property, to check whether a key being retained was actually a house key. Further, it was foreseeable that there may be issues about what could be done where there were multiple copies of a house key perhaps held by a variety of different persons.

Nevertheless, it was felt appropriate to make this report to you so that you could reflect on the position generally.