Notorious British doctor and serial killer Harold Shipman, or “Doctor Death”, was born on 14 January 1946 in Nottingham, England. He came from a working class family in Manchester and was considered a good, smart kid growing up. Shipman’s interest in medicine began when his mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and was prescribed morphine injections.
In 1970, he earned his medical degree from Leeds University. A short while later he became a general practitioner in Todmorden, Lancashire. In 1975, he was caught writing fake prescriptions for opiate pethedine, which he was addicted to. He was forced to stop work and go to a rehabilitation centre. After receiving treatment for his addiction in 1977, he once again started work as a general practitioner, but this time in Hyde, Greater Manchester. Shipman was well-respected in the community and was very successful.
Harold Shipman was responsible for the murders of at least 215 of his patients. One of these patients was an 81-year-old woman, Kathleen Grundy (left), who was found dead in her home in 1998 hours after a visit from Shipman. Her mysterious death puzzled her family as she was fairly healthy. The patient’s will was also changed so that her estate worth £400,000 was left to Shipman. The serial killer also convinced the family that no autopsy was required.
After being caught, Shipman was convicted in 2000. He was charged with 15 counts of murder and 1 count of forgery. The serial killer was sentenced to life in prison, but committed suicide aged 57 by hanging while in Wakefield Prison (right) on 13 January 2004.
An official report from a 2002 government inquiry into how many patients Harold Shipman actually killed stated that he murdered between 215 and 260 men and women between the ages of 47 and 93 from 1975 to his conviction in 2000. For most of his murders, he injected a lethal dose of diamorphine (a painkiller) into the patient and, on their death certificate, signed that they had died of natural causes.
The motive for Harold Shipman’s crimes is unknown, however, there are some commonly accepted theories. Many believe his mother’s death was the primary cause. A popular theory is that he strongly believed in euthanasia and wiping out older people, who he may have considered a burden to the healthcare system. It is also believed that Shipman’s main motive for killing was to show his power and control over whether a person lives or dies. Money was likely not a motive as the serial killer only forged one patient’s will, and he would have repeated this with more of his victims if money was the motive.
Case Analysis
Harold Shipman was very well-respected and successful in his community in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. He had quite a high social status and was trusted by most members of the community. This is likely what enabled him to get away with as many murders as he did without being caught. Because he and his practice were so popular, nobody questioned him or thought he was responsible for any of the patients’ deaths. If people like and know you as a person, they will be less likely to suspect you of doing something so terrible, and dismiss the thought. This, in turn, gave Shipman even more power.
In 2000, it was reported that Harold Shipman’s annual salary was between 65,000 pounds and 75,000 pounds. This means that Shipman was relatively wealthy, however, his wealth does not appear to have played a major role in the murders or in the case on the whole.
Investigators in Harold Shipman’s case were quite puzzled and concerned by how he was able to commit so many murders with no foul play suspected. Patients were also usually relatively healthy before visiting Shipman, which would provide even more reason for suspicion. He also took advantage of the respect and trust of patients and their families as a doctor. This may be what made his case so much more worrying to society.
The case of Harold Shipman led to the questioning of power and responsibility in the medical community, particularly the procedures for certification of sudden deaths. Shipman was able to murder more than 215 of his patients almost completely undetected, which deeply concerned not only the public, but also medical professionals. If Shipman could kill so many with such ease, what would stop other people in the medical field from trying to do the same?
Works Cited
Carter, Helen. “Shipman Still Getting Paid despite Murder Conviction.” The Guardian, 3 Feb. 2000, www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/feb/03/shipman.health1#:~:text=Shipman%20will%20continue%20to%20be. Accessed 21 Nov. 2020. “Dr Harold Shipman, Britain’s Most Prolific Serial Killer, Who Murdered up to 250 of His Patients Using the Drug Diamorphine over a Period of 23 Years.” Mirror, 26 Apr. 2018, www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/who-harold-shipman-doctor-death-12427484. Accessed 26 Dec. 2020. “How the Mirror Reported Shipman’s Conviction in 2000.” Mirror, 26 Apr. 2018, www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/who-harold-shipman-doctor-death-12427484. Accessed 26 Dec. 2020. Jenkins, John Philip. “Harold Shipman | Biography & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 14 Dec. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Harold-Shipman. Accessed 21 Nov. 2020. “Kathleen Grundy, the Former Mayoress of Hyde, Was 81 When She Was Killed by Shipman.” Coventry Telegraph, 28 Sept. 2020, www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/shipman-files-how-dr-death-19003714. Accessed 24 Dec. 2020. “Wakefield Prison, Where Shipman Would Meet His Own Self-Inflicted End.” Mirror, 26 Apr. 2018, www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/who-harold-shipman-doctor-death-12427484. Accessed 26 Dec. 2020.