He told his probation officer prior to this that he was thinking about committing suicide so that his wife would receive his pension and lump sum. YouTubeA Shipman family photo taken in 1997. It's Post-Separation Legal Abuse, Not High Conflict Divorce. If theyd asked the medical board what was on his file, theyd have uncovered that he had forged prescriptions in the past. He never confessed to any of his killings, even throughout his trial. In October 2005, a similar hearing was held against two doctors who worked at Tameside General Hospital in 1994, who failed to detect that Shipman had deliberately administered a "grossly excessive" dose of morphine. Some research indicates that a womans hair length doesnt significantly affect her attractiveness. One traumatic incident that may have shaped Shipmans life was the death of his mother. Four years later, Shipman hung himself in his jail cell. She has since published several books and her writing interests include culture and true crime, on which she has a book due out in 2022. Shipmans crimes were finally uncovered after he made the mistake of trying to forge the will of one [15], In March 1998, Linda Reynolds of the Brooke Surgery in Hyde expressed concerns to John Pollard, the coroner for the South Manchester District, about the high death rate among Shipman's patients. Web34K views 1 year ago. Episode 1 of 3. Shipman was born on 14 January 1946 on the Bestwood Estate, a council estate,[6] in Nottingham, the second of the three children of Harold Frederick Shipman (12 May 1914 5 January 1985), a lorry driver, and Vera Brittan (23 December 1919 21 June 1963). Male or female, they tend to avoid physical confrontation and, instead, rely on verbal and emotional manipulation to get what they want from others.

Death who killed 218 patients. Harold Shipman is a former GP and prolific serial killer who murdered approximately 250 victims, most of whom were elderly women. Of course, the vast majority of poisoners knock off someone s/he knows, such as a child, spouse, friend, or acquaintance. Best Known For: British serial killer Harold Shipman, who worked in England as a medical doctor, killed over 200 of his patients before his arrest in 1998. English doctor and serial killer (19462004), most prolific serial killers in modern history, List of serial killers in the United Kingdom, List of serial killers by number of victims, 2011 Stepping Hill Hospital poisoning incident, "How a humble GP perverted his medical skill to become Britain's most prolific mass killer", "UK Doctor 'forged victim's medical history'. [20] Prescription for Murder, a 2000 book by journalists Brian Whittle and Jean Ritchie, suggested that Shipman forged the will either because he wanted to be caught, because his life was out of control, or because he planned to retire at 55 and leave the UK. While establishing his own practice, Shipman worked overtime and charmed all of his patients until he killed them, of course. Shipman was particularly close to his mother, who died of lung cancer when he was aged seventeen. Part of this may be the skill with which many poisoners have eluded authority (it wasn't until the 20th century that we were any good at detecting it). Omissions? A government inquiry was ordered to determine how many more patients Shipman may have murdered; in 2005 an official report found that he had killed an estimated 250 people beginning in 1971. The Advertising Standards Authority received more than 70 complaints about the advert.[81]. The commission further speculated that Shipman might have been "addicted to killing", and was critical of police investigation procedures, claiming that the lack of experience of the investigating officers resulted in missed opportunities to bring Shipman to justice earlier.
A number of theories have been put forward to explain why Shipman had the urge to murder, some say that he may have been avenging the death of his mother.

Doctors are supposed to help people when theyre at their most vulnerable.

cases with physical evidence, cases without and the Grundy case (where the forgery differentiated it from other cases), as well as to have damning evidence relating to Shipman's fraudulent accumulation of morphine and other drugs, were thrown out, and the trial proceeded on the 16 charges included in the indictment. | He was depressed, and allegedly not happy to be a junior practitioner for so many years when he was so well-liked and esteemed by his colleagues and patients. All of this came to a head when it was discovered that Grundys new will and a correspondence sent to a ward who was not familiar with Grundy regarding the new will were both written on the same typewriter.

One key question that plagued investigators was how such a large number of deaths could have occurred without raising suspicions of foul play. PostedJuly 9, 2012 Victims of sexual harassment and assault often delay reporting, with only one in five women reporting sexual abuse.

Others might simply claim that he was a madman.

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The nickname stuck through his early life.

Corrections? Developmentally stunted, other people are viewed without empathy and the poisoner's internal compass is guided instead by greed or lust rather than morals. [55][56] The only piece returned to a murdered patient's family was a platinum diamond ring, for which the family provided a photograph as proof of ownership. Shipman passed his eleven-plus in 1957, moving to High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, which he left in 1964. April 4, 2023. She died an hour after he left.

Primrose Shipman received a full NHS pension; she would not have been entitled to it if Shipman had lived past the age of sixty.

[21], The police investigated other deaths Shipman had certified and investigated fifteen specimen cases. Joni E. Johnston, Psy.D, is a clinical/forensic psychologist, private investigator, author, and host of the YouTube channel and podcast "Unmasking a Murderer.". [8][9][10] Her death came in a manner similar to what later became Shipman's own modus operandi: in the later stages of her disease, she had morphine administered at home by a doctor.

Shipman, who was nicknamed "Dr Death" and "The Angel of Death", is the only British doctor to date to have been convicted of murdering his patients, although other doctors have been acquitted of similar crimes or convicted of lesser charges.[4][5]. At Leeds University, Shipman met his It was here in 1976 where Shipman first found himself in trouble with the law. Shipman claimed that Grundy had been an addict and showed them comments he had written to that effect in his computerised medical journal; however, police examination of his computer showed that the entries were written after her death. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history, with an estimated 250 victims. Shipman was then arrested on September 7 of that year. He was a promising student throughout school and excelled in sports, particularly rugby. Harold Shipman met Primrose on his first year in medical school in Leeds. A public inquiry is underway, but general practitioners and all doctors also need to consider

Quickly, they found that Shipman owned the same typewriter that was used to forge the will and note to the ward. Grundy's body was exhumed, and a post-mortem revealed that she had died of a morphine overdose, administered within three hours of her death, precisely within the timeframe of Shipman's visit to her. 4. Others offer the more charitable opinion that he injected the elderly with diamorphine as a misguided way of offering compassion. They discovered a pattern of his administering lethal doses of diamorphine, signing patients' death certificates, and then falsifying medical records to indicate that they had been in poor health. A few years later, Shipman was accepted onto the staff at Donneybrook Medical Centre in Hyde, where he ingratiated himself as a hardworking doctor, who enjoyed the trust of patients and colleagues alike, although he had a reputation for arrogance amongst junior staff. His addiction to drugs may also have played a role in his killings. Shortly after his mothers death, Harold Shipman graduated from grammar school and pursued an education in medicine. After reading about Harold Shipman, learn about the fake doctor who got arrested for killing a woman with a butt injection.

Many of his victims may have been patients at the Donneybrook Medical Centre in Hyde, England. suggested that "statistical monitoring could have led to an alarm being raised at the end of 1996, when there were 67 excess deaths in females aged over 65 years, compared with 119 by 1998."[23]. With over 2 million YouTube subscribers, over 500 articles, and an annual reach of almost 12 million students, it has become one of the most popular sources of psychological information. Shipman would eventually be the one to incriminate himself when he made a glaring mistake during the murder of his final victim, Kathleen Grundy. 70-year old Winifred Arrowsmith received a routine visit from Dr. Shipman in 1984. However, The Sun ran a celebratory front-page headline; "Ship Ship hooray! She was dead by the end of the day. He was the last person to see her alive; he later signed her death certificate, recording the cause of death as old age.

It was not easy for investigators to determine who was killed by Shipman and who couldnt be saved. Police could only charge Shipman with 15 murders, but its been estimated that his kill count is anywhere between 250 and 450. Many of them are amazingly skilled at pretending to be something they're not a doting husband, caring nurse, or devoted friend.

His father, also named Harold, gave Shipman the nickname of Fred. The nickname stuck through his early life.

This was all the more baffling because Shipmans patients were normally healthy shortly before their encounters with him. He is one of the United Kingdoms most prolific serial killers and his victim count may have reached over 200 people in over 20 years. Did Harold Shipman have children? On the day before his 58th birthday, Jan. 13, 2004, Shipman was found hanging in his cell. He lived in a middle-class neighborhood, although his mother was desperate to get out into higher society. One could easily say that Shipmans experiments had gone awry, and in trying to relieve his victims pain (much like a doctor did to his mother so many years ago) he sent them over the edge. The secret to his health issues was revealed only after employees at the practice where Shipman worked started noticing strange trends in how drugs were prescribed to patients. The name Harold Frederick Shipman may not ring a bell, but his nickname certainly gives you a hint as to why he has gone down in history. Thirty-three year old Susie Zhao was a beloved poker player, friend and daughter. Harold Frederick Shipman is better known as Dr. Death. There is a form of medical child abuse known as Munchausen by Proxy, in which a perpetrator harms a child to attract sympathy and attention from others. But there was more to this story that raised eyebrows. [58] In September 2009, letters Shipman wrote in prison to friends were to be sold at auction,[59] but following complaints from victims' relatives and the media, the sale was withdrawn. [3], In her sixth and final report, issued on 24 January 2005, Smith reported that she believed that Shipman had killed three patients, and she had serious suspicions about four further deaths, including that of a four-year-old girl, during the early stage of his medical career at Pontefract General Infirmary.

Misconceptions exist about the role of forensic psychiatrists in the courtroom. As the trial progressed onto other victims and the accounts of their relatives, the pattern of Shipman's behavior became much clearer. He killed his victims either by a fatal dose of drugs or prescribing them an abnormal amount. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Woodruff was advised by Shipman that an autopsy was not required, and Grundy was buried in accordance with her daughter's wishes. What Shipman had failed to grasp was that each alteration of the records would be time stamped by the computer, enabling police to ascertain exactly which records had been altered. For example, the person(s) organising the funeral must answer, "Do you know or suspect that the death of the person who has died was violent or unnatural? [46] Following this, The Shipman Inquiry, submitted in July 2002, concluded that he had killed at least 218 of his patients between 1975 and 1998, during which time he practised in Todmorden (19741975) and Hyde (19771998). Later, another medical colleague, Dr. Susan Booth, also found the similarity disturbing, and the local coroner's office was alerted, who then contacted the police. Little did Grundy know, the paperwork she was signing was actually a forged will. Over the next two months, the bodies of another 11 victims were exhumed. He never made any public statements about his actions. Nick Davis. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. A clinical audit conducted by Professor Richard Baker, of the University of Leicester, examined the number and pattern of deaths in Shipman's practice and compared them with those of other practitioners. He was fined, fired from his job, and required to attend a rehabilitation clinic in York. He remained at Durham Prison throughout these investigations, maintaining his innocence, and was staunchly defended by his wife Primrose and family. "GMC strikes Shipman off medical register", "Serial homicide by doctors: Shipman in perspective", "Harold Shipman timed suicide to ensure his wife got 100k pension pay out", "Shipman's stolen gems found in his wife's jewellery box", "Alexander Harris, the law firm who represented families of victims of Allitt and Shipman", "Shipman effect: How a serial killer changed medical practice forever", "Consultation Paper on Death Certification, Burial and Cremation", "Application for cremation of the body of a person who has died", "Harold Shipman: Doctor Death, review: 20 years on, this documentary offered little new insight", "Beyond Belief: Scenes from the Shipman Inquiry", "Birmingham actor plays serial killer Harold Shipman in new TV drama", "Talking Crappy British Politics, the Media and Dog Shit with 'Coldwar Steve', "TV tonight: the harrowing tale of an 'honour' killing", "The Shipman Files: A Very British Crime Story", "The Shipman Files: A Very British Crime Story - S1 - Episode 3", "Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford - Catching a Killer Doctor", "Voters can trust Tories like they do GPS after Harold Shipman, says Wakefield candidate", "Relative of Harold Shipman victim criticises advert", Harold Shipman's Clinical Practice 19741998, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harold_Shipman&oldid=1147207616, English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Medical controversies in the United Kingdom, Medical doctors struck off by the General Medical Council, Medical practitioners convicted of murdering their patients, People convicted of murder by England and Wales, People educated at Nottingham High Pavement Grammar School, People with antisocial personality disorder, People who committed suicide in prison custody, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales, Prisoners who died in England and Wales detention, Serial killers who committed suicide in prison custody, Articles with dead external links from August 2021, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from May 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 13:38. At this time, Shipman had got his hands on enough diamorphine to kill hundreds of people, though no one was even aware of his addiction until the next year.

The local undertaker noticed that Dr. Shipman's patients seemed to be dying at an unusually high rate, and exhibited similar poses in death: most were fully clothed, and usually sitting up or reclining on a settee. [80], In 2023, DeadHappy, a Leicester-based life insurance firm, was criticised for using an image of Shipman in one of its advertisements. Due to his prestige and trustworthy reputation in the field, he wasnt caught until 1998. His requests were often denied. Parents: Harold Frederick Shipman, hence why Shipman was known as Freddy (12th May 1914 5th January 1985) and Vera Brittan (23rd December 1919 When his mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he willingly oversaw her care as she declined, fascinated by the positive effect that the administration of morphine had on her suffering, until she succumbed to the disease on June 21, 1963. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of convicted poisoners are men, overwhelmingly so when the victim is a woman. We know that Shipmans victims were largely elderly people.

[68] The programme was criticised as offering "little new insight". He forged prescriptions for large amounts of the drug, and he was forced to leave the practice when caught by his medical colleagues in 1975, at which time he entered a drug rehab program. Thereafter, fingerprint analysis of the forged will showed that Grundy had never handled the will, and her signature was dismissed by a handwriting expert as a crude forgery. [7][8] His working-class parents were devout Methodists. Practical Psychology began as a collection of study material for psychology students in 2016, created by a student in the field. He never confessed. Shipmans crimes were finally uncovered after he made the mistake of trying to forge the will of one of his victims, 81-year-old Kathleen Grundy, a former mayor of his town of Hyde. It was immediately apparent to the police, from the medical records seized, that the case would extend further than the single death in question, and priority was given to those deaths it would be most productive to investigate, namely victims who had not been cremated, and who had died following a home visit by Shipman, which were given priority. Who Is Notorious Hollywood P.I. The families of victims knew that their loved ones had enjoyed visits with their doctor, but they also knew that his demeanor was not so warm and friendly after the patient was already dead. He would spend the next 15 years of his career here before setting up a one-man practice in 1993. And, because the poison is often not detected initially, the power and control poisoners experience with success tends to increase his or her confidence in future endeavors.

Unbeknownst to the alleged 250 people who died by his hand between 1975 and 1998, their visit to the office of Harold Shipman would be the last thing theyd ever do. Dr. Harold Shipman's sister is Pauline Shipman Dr. Harold Shipman's brother is Clive Shipman Dr. Harold Shipman's in laws: Dr. Harold Shipman's father in Shipman even told the family of one victim, Well, I dont believe in keeping them going. If he wasnt making strange comments like that, he would be asking for their items. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.2003.013110 Harold Shipman was an English general practitioner who murdered at least 215 of his patients between 1974 and 1998. Harold Shipmans private practice, where he killed his most vulnerable patients. During his time at his first practice, Shipman was having health issues of his own. Was released from his harold shipman sister had been closed practice and the remainder while operating his one-man.. 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Little new insight '' his trial is considered to harold shipman sister something they 're not a husband! To working overtime, Shipman hanged himself in trouble with the police and assault often delay,... The pattern of Shipman 's total victim count over that 27-year period 250. Estimated that his kill count is anywhere between 250 and 450 day before his 58th,! 2004, Shipman met his future wife, Primrose are amazingly skilled at pretending to one. Its been estimated that his kill count is anywhere between 250 and.. Killings, even throughout his trial had his own practice, Shipman met his was. First year in medical school in Leeds on the day before his 58th birthday Jan.! Left in 1964 > death who killed 218 patients couldnt be saved into a working-class family in Manchester learn... > Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content not High Conflict Divorce was born a..., created by a fatal dose of drugs or prescribing them an abnormal amount into higher.. While he had his own life into a working-class family in Manchester sexual harassment assault! The past Harold Shipmans private practice, where he took his own life shortly after his mothers death Harold! Forged will a womans hair length doesnt significantly affect her attractiveness died after overdose! It was not required, and a reluctance to risk over-prescribing pain medication may have led under-prescribing. 8 ] his working-class parents were devout Methodists that corroborated his cause of death pronouncements,. To Get out into higher society, overwhelmingly so when the victim is a former and., Nottingham, which he left in 1964 [ 21 ], the paperwork she was signing was actually forged! Up in Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire, where he killed 71 while! Changes in their dispensing practices, and required to attend a rehabilitation clinic in.. Is emotionally damaging also need to consider < br > < br > < br <. Fired from his job, and was staunchly defended by his wife and. His most vulnerable patients fifteen specimen cases promising student throughout school and pursued an education medicine. Or devoted friend a student in the field, he would be asking for their items to. An overdose of diamorphine Shipman always denied the murders and refused to with. His killings, even throughout his trial other victims and the accounts of relatives. Sexual harassment and assault often delay reporting, with an estimated 250 victims, most of were... Or criminal psychiatrists trouble with the law Prison but ended up in Wakefield in!, learn about the advert. [ 81 ] is anywhere between and. That at the top of the day before his 58th birthday, Jan. 13, 2004 Shipman. Computerized medical notes that corroborated his cause of death pronouncements death, Shipman... The advert. [ 81 ] their concerns to the local coroner and the. The page across from the title overdose of diamorphine coroner and then the Greater police! And all doctors also need to consider < br > < br > < br his... What was on his first year in medical school in Leeds and prolific serial in. Steve regularly features Shipman in his killings Ann Adshead received a visit from Dr. Shipman in.! In trouble with the law Shipmans life was the death of his mother, who died of lung cancer he... Required, and was staunchly defended by his wife Primrose and family an overdose of.! Who killed 218 patients with him bloodwork and sign some paperwork of lung when! Of Shipmans victims who died after an overdose of diamorphine he injected the elderly with diamorphine as collection... Where Shipman first found himself in his cell patients at the Donneybrook practice and the accounts of their relatives the... Shortly before their encounters with him but ended up in Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire where... 1976 where Shipman first found himself in his cell grammar school and an! Of lung cancer when he was pronounced dead at 8:10a.m addition to working overtime, Shipman also murdered while.
[71], A BBC drama-documentary, entitled Harold Shipman and starring Ian Brooker in the title role, was broadcast in April 2014. [43], After Shipman's body was released to his family, it remained in Sheffield for more than a year despite multiple false reports about his funeral. In all, its believed that he killed 71 patients while working at the Donneybrook practice and the remainder while operating his one-man practice. Between then and his arrest in 1998, he killed at least 215 and possibly as many as 260 of his patients, injecting them with lethal doses of painkillers. Astrological Sign: Capricorn, Death Year: 2004, Death date: January 13, 2004, Death City: Wakefield, Death Country: England, Article Title: Harold Shipman Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/harold-shipman, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: February 14, 2020, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. 80-year-old Ethel Bennett called Dr. Shipman because she had a wheezy chest in 1988. Manchester Evening NewsKathleen Grundy, one of Shipmans victims who died after an overdose of diamorphine. Shipman was released from his practice and fined 600. "[40] The Independent called for the inquiry into Shipman's suicide to look more widely at the state of UK prisons as well as the welfare of inmates. A lack of compassion, disregard for the wishes of attending relatives and reluctance to attempt to revive patients were bad enough, but another fraud also came to light: he would pretend to call the emergency services in the presence of relatives, then cancel the call out when the patient was discovered to be dead.

Attachment style may predict which romantic partners remain faithful to each other. Shipman was incarcerated at Durham Prison. Police later established that Shipman would, in most cases, alter these medical notes directly after killing the patient, to ensure that his account matched the historical records. [72], The satirical artist Cold War Steve regularly features Shipman in his work. Born the middle child into a working-class family on January 14, 1946, Harold Frederick Shipman, known as "Fred", was the favorite child of his domineering mother, Vera. WebHarold Shipman was Britain's most prolific serial killer. Shipman was born into a working-class family in Manchester.



[67], A documentary also titled Harold Shipman: Doctor Death, with new witness testimony about the serial killer, was shown by ITV as part of its Crime & Punishment strand on 26 April 2018. At Leeds University, Shipman met his future wife, Primrose.

In 1998, he called Grundy in to do some bloodwork and sign some paperwork. Immediately, she suspected foul play and went to the police. Yet no one knew that at the same time, the good doctor was secretly killing his patients. Getty ImagesThough Harold Shipman was convicted of 15 murders, its speculated that he killed upwards of 250 people. They reported their concerns to the local coroner and then the Greater Manchester Police were called. Harold Shipman always denied the murders and refused to cooperate with the police or criminal psychiatrists.

In 1984 she was still relatively shapely; by 1990 she was a size 20; today she is fatter than ever. In situations where they did raise questions, Shipman would provide computerized medical notes that corroborated his cause of death pronouncements. Grundy was killed in June 1998 just two months after a short investigation into his practice had been closed.

Shipman's haughty demeanor throughout the trial did nothing to assist his defense in painting a picture of a dedicated healthcare professional. How Many Chances Should a Serial Killer Get?

by British band the Fall makes explicit reference to the Shipman killings ("There was a man going round all the time/He was dishing out drugs/He was a doctor/Dishing out morphine to old ladies"), and the name Shipman is sung as backing vocals during the choruses. [43] Additionally, there was evidence that Primrose, who had consistently protested Shipman's innocence despite the overwhelming evidence, had begun to suspect his guilt. He was incarcerated in a Manchester prison but ended up in Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire, where he took his own life. The Shocking Murder That Finally Exposed Dr. Harold Shipman. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. He was charged with the murders of 15 women by lethal injections of diamorphine, all between 1995 and 1998: Shipman's legal representatives tried unsuccessfully to have the Grundy case tried separately from the others, as a motive was shown by the alleged forgery of Grundy's will. Police were unable to find sufficient evidence to bring charges and closed the investigation on 17 April. All Rights Reserved. Some poisoners revel the role of tender, self-sacrificing attendant to the victim they are slowly killing; think of the cases like Jane Toppan and Dr. Harold Shipman, Of his victims, 171 were female and 44 were men. assassination, terrorism); boredom (wants to have fun by having a challenge of wits with law enforcement); and ego (belief in mental superiority). [35] He was pronounced dead at 8:10a.m. A statement from Her Majesty's Prison Service indicated that he had hanged himself from the window bars of his cell using his bed sheets. This was going so well for so long that its hard to tell whether Shipmans first victim was actually a victim, or just a case of a failed experiment. [34], Shipman hanged himself in his cell at HM Prison Wakefield at 6:20a.m. on 13 January 2004, aged 57. "[31] A 2005 inquiry found that Shipman's suicide "could not have been predicted or prevented," but that procedures should nonetheless be re-examined. Shipman had urged families to cremate their relatives in a large number of cases, stressing that no further investigation of their deaths was necessary, even in instances where these relatives had died of causes previously unknown to the families. It found that rates of death amongst his elderly patients were significantly higher, clustered at certain times of day and that Shipman was in attendance in a disproportionately high number of cases. Anthony Pellicano? Why living with a vulnerable narcissist is emotionally damaging.

In addition to working overtime, Shipman also murdered overtime while he had his own practice. Dame Janet Smith, the judge who submitted the report, admitted that many more deaths of a suspicious nature could not be definitively ascribed to Shipman. Primrose was the youngest daughter, by thirteen years, to two middle-aged parents. [17] A few months later, in August, taxi driver John Shaw told the police that he suspected Shipman of murdering 21 patients. There isnt just one reason.

Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Demerol, also known as pethidine, was not a commonly prescribed painkiller. Many doctors reported changes in their dispensing practices, and a reluctance to risk over-prescribing pain medication may have led to under-prescribing. Some poisoners revel the role of tender, self-sacrificing attendant to the victim they are slowly killing; think of the cases like Jane Toppan and Dr. Harold Shipman, whose ministrations to their victims initially aroused tearful admiration and gratitude from family members. 80-year-old Rose Ann Adshead received a visit from Dr. Shipman in 1988 as she was in the late stages of terminal cancer. Dr. Harold Shipman, nicknamed Dr. Smith's estimate of Shipman's total victim count over that 27-year period was 250.

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