Sharon Crossthwaite

Sharon Crossthwaite was the daughter of Beryl and Ronnie Crossthwaite, born in 1955. Beryl was a distant cousin of Annie Sugden. 
During the sheepdog trials in 1973, 18-year-old Sharon was followed by Jim Latimer who tried to attack her but was stopped by a homeless man, Ian "Trash" McIntyre, a friend of Jack Sugden. Jim later followed Sharon home one night, and kidnapped her then killed her and buried her body at the local lime kiln. No one else knew what happened to Sharon so she was presumed missing. Jack let Trash stay with him but the police treated Trash as a suspect in Sharon's disappearance as he had some of her belongings. Trash later fell to his death out of a window at Mill Cottage and Sharon's body is discovered shortly afterwards after Jim confesses to her murder. Jim was arrested and charged with Sharon's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
In July 1980, 7 years after her murder, Sharon was the topic of conversation in the village again when Paul Hilleley was writing a book about murders in the Yorkshire Dales. Jim Latimer had served almost 8 years in prison and could be eligible for parole but this was never granted. Paul was forced out of the village for spreading idle gossip about Sharon's murder, and saying that Jack seduced his cousin. Jack told Hilleley that Sharon was not immediate family, and that she was a cousin about 10 times removed to Jack, before pushing Hilleley into a pond.
Sharon was mentioned numerous times in December 1991 when Jim kidnapped Sarah Connolly.
Sharon was a pre Mary Goskirk role for actress Louise Jameson, 49 years prior to Louise playing Mary. 
==List of appearances==
===1973===
*Mon 22nd Jan
*Tue 23rd Jan
*Mon 29th Jan
*Tue 30th Jan
==Trivia==
*Sharon was the first character, major or minor, to die in the series. 
Category:Emmerdale Farm characters
Category:1955 births
Category:1973 deaths
Category:1973 minor characters
Category:Shop Assistants
Category:Residents of Crossthwaite's Cottage