January 31st In History: The Story Of A Cold-Blooded Killing Doctor Who Got His Victims Almost Without A Trace

Doctor Harold Shipman (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Doctor Harold Shipman was sentenced to life imprisonment today, January 31, 2000 or exactly 21 years ago in England. The family doctor was found guilty of orchestrating a serial killer of 15 of his patients. How is the story?

Shipman, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, is also suspected of killing more than 100 other patients. And when the judge's verdict at Preston Crown Court was read, there was no expression of sadness or regret for having committed the crime.

"Every victim is your patient. You killed everyone calculating and cold blooded thanks to his medical skills," said judge Justice Thayne Forbes who tried the Shipman case quoted by the BBC.

The judge explained that Shipman disguised his murder behind his caring and kind figure. The court obtained evidence of how the doctor visited the homes of his victims and administered lethal doses of morphine.

Attorney Angela Woodruff, the son of the last Shipman victim, Kathleen Grundy, investigated her lecherous act. At that time, Shipman arrived at Grundy's house under the pretext of giving him a blood test, but it was later revealed that the doctor had actually given a large dose of morphine.

Then Shipman forged Grundy's will so that he could benefit from his wealth. "You brought them death, disguised by the attention of a good doctor," said judge Forbes.

After the trial Woodruff gave his response. "Unfortunately, there is no way now or in the future that can return my mother, or other victims."

The Shipman family, his wife Primrose and sons Christopher and David are in court for the verdict. In the trial, Shipman's attorney provided a defense by saying that the results of the investigation were based solely on unreliable toxicological evidence. The results of the investigation were taken from the nine bodies of his victims which were exhumed.