A new documentary exploring the crimes of Harold Shipman is airing on Channel 5 tonight.
Shipman, the GP serial killer who killed as many as 250 of his patients over a two decade period, is to be spotlight in the upcoming documentary, Shipman: 5 Mistakes That Caught a Killer, airing at 10pm.
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The doctor would administer diamorphine (or heroin), used for pain relief in cancer patients, to kill streams of patients, most of which were elderly single women, in the small town in which he lived.
Shipman would cover his tracks by falsifying records to make it seem as if his patients had a prior history of illness, encouraging cremation and discouraging relatives from requesting autopsies.
"Dr Harold Shipman was Britain's most prolific serial killer, putting 250 of his patients to death with lethal overdoses of morphine. But would he have gone on to claim even more victims had he not made a string of mistakes that raised police suspicions?
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"Featuring interviews with detectives, forensic experts and other crucial witnesses, this film reveals the errors that led to his eventual arrest - and the end of his killing spree," says Channel 5.
The true crime will feature family members of Shipman's victims, as well as the medical professionals who raised alarms about the GP's death rates.
Viewers will also hear from a witness who is speaking on the case for the first time. Gloria Ellis, a friend and neighbour of Winifred Mellor, one of Shipman's victims, actually saw the GP pay her a home visit on the day she was given a lethal dosage that ended her life, will talk about what she saw. The neighbour gave vital evidence to convict Shipman at his trial.
"The length of Shipman's crime spree really forces you to ask the question, how much trust do you put in your doctors? Is it always best to get a second or even third opinion? Also, Shipman is a prime example of how psychopaths can pose as vital members of our community and abuse our trust and friendliness," says the channel.
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Shipman's sick scheme finally unravelled because of greed. Despite a concerned coroner, who was alarmed at the death rate of elderly women, and a taxi driver, who grew suspicious of his regular customers dying, making reports to police, nothing was looking into properly until the death of Kathleen Grundy.
The GP had killed Kathleen Grundy and forged a will that left her entire estate of £386,000 to him. Her daughter Angela Woodruff, a lawyer, reported it to the police and he was apprehended for fraud.
Shipman: 5 Mistakes That Caught a Killer airs on Thursday 12 March at 10pm on Channel 5.
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