In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Edwin Griggs, 87, was found deceased in a heavily decomposed state at his home in Sandwich, Kent. An inquest at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 30 July 2019 heard that police forced entry to his property in Strand Street after a community warden raised the alarm. It was reported that Griggs, a former sweet shop owner and convicted child abuser, had lived as a recluse following his release from prison for offences committed in the 1970s.
The investigation established that Griggs was discovered on his living room floor with the television still on and thousands of pounds in cash left on a table. Kent Police reported that because of the level of decomposition, he could not be identified visually and required DNA profiling of his femur to confirm his identity. The prosecution of the inquest reported that although police had previously checked on him in June 2019, his deteriorating condition was only fully realized when Kent Fire and Rescue Service assisted in the final forced entry.
Judicial Findings and Criminal History
The court reported that Griggs had been jailed for 15 months in 2014 for the sexual abuse of two children. Canterbury Crown Court heard during his trial that he used his business, The Chocolate Box in Sandwich, to target young girls. The investigation established that Griggs would deliberately accuse children of shoplifting, using the threat of reporting them to their parents or the police to coerce them into another room where he would sexually assault them.
Dr Nipin Bagla, who carried out the post-mortem, was unable to establish a medical cause of death, leading the coroner to deliver an open conclusion. For his actions in Sandwich, Griggs had been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life in 2014. The judge at his original trial noted that he had taken advantage of his position as a local shopkeeper to trap and abuse victims, a betrayal of trust that left a lasting impact on the community.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in England, the status of Edwin Griggs is as follows:
- Current Status: Deceased (Confirmed July 2019).
- Previous Sentence: 15 months (Sentenced August 2014).
- Sex Offenders Register: Was subject to notification requirements for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Inquest held at Canterbury Magistrates Court; convicted at Canterbury Crown Court.
- Criminal Record: Indecent assault (3 counts).
- Origin: Strand Street, Sandwich, Kent.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Prior to his death, Griggs was managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) within the Kent area. Due to the nature of his conduct in Sandwich, which involved the predatory targeting of children in a commercial setting, he had been subject to supervision by the Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that following the death of his wife in 2012 and his subsequent conviction, he withdrew from society, becoming a hermit and refusing most medical or social interventions.
As a registered sex offender, his details were active on the national police database until his death was formally recorded. Authorities state that his history of using “The Chocolate Box” to facilitate abuse in Kent remains a significant case in local criminal history. With the conclusion of the inquest, his file is now closed, though the records of his convictions remain as a matter of public record to ensure the historical transparency of his “predatory nature” and the justice achieved for his victims.
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