Harold Shipman
Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English general practitioner and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history, with an estimated 250 victims. On 31 January 2000, Shipman was found guilty of murdering fifteen patients under his care. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order. Shipman hanged himself in his cell at HM Prison Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on 13 January 2004, aged 57.
Harold Shipman | |
|---|---|
Shipman c. 2000 | |
| Born | Harold Frederick Shipman 14 January 1946 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Died | 13 January 2004 (aged 57) HM Prison Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Other names |
|
| Alma mater | University of Leeds |
| Occupation | General practitioner |
| Spouse |
Primrose Oxtoby (m. 1966) |
| Children | 4 |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment (whole life tariff) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 218 confirmed (15 convicted), possibly up to 250 |
Span of crimes | 1975–1998 |
| Country | England |
Date apprehended | 7 September 1998 |
The Shipman Inquiry, a two-year-long investigation of all deaths certified by Shipman, chaired by Dame Janet Smith, examined Shipman's crimes. It revealed Shipman targeted vulnerable elderly people who trusted him as their doctor, killing them with either a fatal dose of drugs or prescribing an abnormal amount. As of 1 December 2023, Shipman, also nicknamed "Dr. Death" and the "Angel of Death", is the only British doctor to have been convicted of murdering patients, although other doctors have been acquitted of similar crimes or convicted of lesser charges; some nurses have also been convicted of murdering patients in their care.