The number of murder charges against a doctor from Manchester has risen from eight to 15, following his appearance in court in Tameside, Greater Manchester, yesterday.
Dr Harold Shipman (52), who had already been charged with murdering eight women patients, was charged with the murder of another seven women at a short hearing at Tameside Magistrates' Court. The new charges, as with the first eight, relate to the suspicious deaths of his former patients.
Dr Shipman, of Roecross Green, Hyde, Greater Manchester, was committed for trial for the murder of Ms Muriel Grimshaw (76), a former patient who died on July 14th, 1997, and will be committed for trial on the other six new murder charges on March 11th and 12th.
The doctor was arrested in October last year after irregularities emerged relating to the will of a former patient, Mrs Kathleen Grundy (81), who was once Tory mayoress of Hyde. Mrs Grundy's family became concerned when her daughter and two grandsons discovered that they had not inherited two cottages in her will and asked the police to investigate.
It soon emerged that Dr Shipman had become the sole beneficiary in Mrs Grundy's will and he was charged with forging the will from which he stood to make £300,000. Further investigation into the deaths of several of Dr Shipman's patients uncovered the suspicious death of Ms Bianka Pomfret (49) in December 1997 and he was subsequently charged with her murder.
In quick succession police became suspicious about the deaths of Ms Marie Quinn (67), who was employed as a charity worker, Ms Joan Melia (73), Ms Winifred Mellor (73) and Ms Ivy Lomas (63), all of whom were former patients, and Dr Shipman was charged with their murders late last year.