The Hindu : 'Killer doctor' found dead in jail cell

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

International

International

'Killer doctor' found dead in jail cell

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JAN. 13. Harold Shipman, Britain's most notorious doctor, who quietly killed more than 200 of his patients, was found dead today in his cell at the high-security Wakefield Prison where he was serving a life sentence.

Dr. Shipman, who had been dubbed the "killer doctor'' and Britain's worst "serial murderer'', was believed to have committed suicide, using bedsheets to hang himself from the window bars of his cell. Surprised and embarrassed jail authorities said he had not shown any suicidal tendencies and had never been on a "suicide watch''.

While an investigation was ordered into his death, families of Dr. Shipman's victims called it "divine justice''.

"I am not sorry he has gone but it brings it all back — and stirs it all up for us again,'' said Kathleen Ward, whose 83-year-old mother was murdered by him in 1997. A woman, whose grandmother was among Dr. Shipman's victims, said: "It is a very easy way out for him. He never showed any compassion or any guilt and the door is not closed to us.'' Dr. Shipman (57) was jailed for life in January 2000 for murdering 15 of his patients, mostly old women, in a Greater Manchester town, but an official inquiry later concluded that he had killed at least 215 patients over 23 years. He never admitted guilt or showed remorse.

At his trial, the judge told him: "Finally, you have been brought to justice for your wicked, wicked crimes. You abused the trust of those victims — after all, you were their doctor. You used a calculating and cold-blooded perversion of your medical skills. You have shown no remorse.''

A soft-spoken and fatherly figure, Dr. Shipman looked incapable of killing even a fly, let alone murder his own patients in cold blood and his arrest drew gasps of shock and disbelief.

The first hint of his terrible crimes came when he tried to forge a £386,000 will of an 81-year-old patient, Kathleen Grundy, after she died mysteriously. Police found that she was only the latest of his victims.

Dr. Shipman's modus operandi, according to an inquiry, was to visit his elderly patients, mostly women, when they were alone and give them a lethal heroin injection. His oldest victim was in the nineties, and the youngest 47. His motives remained a mystery, except in the Kathleen Grundy case.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Crew survive as U.S. copter is shot down

Ruling on U.S. detentions upheld

'Killer doctor' found dead in jail cell

'Bangladesh image getting besmirched'

Provincial Minister in Pakistan 'missing'

Pakistan keen on political-level talks

U.S. wants India to address concerns on export control

India, China have candid exchange of views