Original: Harold Frederick '' Fred '' ShipmanHarold Shipman : The killer doctor BBC News , 13 January 2004 ( 14 January , 1946 13 January , 2004 ) was a British convicted serial killer .
Simplified: Harold Shipman ( January 14 , 1946 -- January 13 , 2004 ) was a British general practitioner ( a type of doctor ) and serial killer .