Título: Harold Shipman
Seção: Trial and imprisonment
Background: Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 - 13 January 2004) was a British general practitioner and one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history. On 31 January 2000, a jury found Shipman guilty of fifteen murders for killing patients under his care. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the recommendation that he never be released. The Shipman Inquiry, a two-year-long investigation of all deaths certified by Shipman, which was chaired by Dame Janet Smith, examined Shipman's crimes.

Conteúdo: Shipman's trial began at Preston Crown Court on 5 October 1999. Shipman was charged with the murders of Marie West, Irene Turner, Lizzie Adams, Jean Lilley, Ivy Lomas, Muriel Grimshaw, Marie Quinn, Kathleen Wagstaff, Bianka Pomfret, Norah Nuttall, Pamela Hillier, Maureen Ward, Winifred Mellor, Joan Melia and Kathleen Grundy by lethal injections of diamorphine, all between 1995 and 1998. His legal representatives tried, but failed, to have the Grundy case, where a clear motive was alleged, tried separately from the others, where no motive was apparent.  On 31 January 2000, after six days of deliberation, the jury found Shipman guilty of 15 counts of murder and one count of forgery. Mr Justice Forbes subsequently sentenced Shipman to life imprisonment on all 15 counts of murder, with a recommendation that he never be released, to be served concurrently with a sentence of four years for forging Grundy's will. On 11 February 2000, ten days after his conviction, the General Medical Council formally struck Shipman off its register. Two years later, Home Secretary David Blunkett confirmed the judge's whole life tariff, just months before British government ministers lost their power to set minimum terms for prisoners.  While many additional charges could have been brought, authorities concluded that a fair hearing would be impossible in view of the enormous publicity surrounding the original trial. Furthermore, the 15 life sentences already handed down rendered further litigation un

user: Why was he tried?

assistant: Shipman was charged with the murders of

user: Who did he kill?

assistant: Marie West, Irene Turner, Lizzie Adams, Jean Lilley, Ivy Lomas, Muriel Grimshaw, Marie Quinn,

user: Who else?

assistant: Kathleen Wagstaff, Bianka Pomfret, Norah Nuttall, Pamela Hillier, Maureen Ward, Winifred Mellor, Joan Melia and Kathleen Grundy

user: How did they die?

assistant: lethal injections of diamorphine,

user: When did he kill them?

assistant: all between 1995 and 1998.

user: When was he tried?

assistant: trial began at Preston Crown Court on 5 October 1999.

user: When was he found guilty?

assistant: On 31 January 2000, after six days of deliberation, the jury found Shipman guilty

user: What was his punishment?

assistant: life imprisonment on all 15 counts of murder, with a recommendation that he never be released, to be served concurrently with a sentence of four years for forging

user: What was notable about this trial?

assistant: Shipman is the only doctor in the history of British medicine found guilty of murdering his patients.

user: Where was he locked up?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What was his reaction to this all?

assistant: Shipman consistently denied his guilt, disputing the scientific evidence against him. He never made any public statements about his actions.

user: What was his wife's reaction to these accusations?

assistant: Shipman's wife, Primrose, steadfastly maintained her husband's innocence, even after his conviction.