Latest news with #DrAndrewJohns
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I testified at the Harold Shipman Inquiry - these disturbing behaviours foreshadowed Dr Death's killing spree
On the latest episode of the Mail's 'The Psychology of a Serial Kille r', forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Johns and police surgeon Dr. Harry Brunjes interrogate the 'unusual' early life of serial killer Harold Shipman. They also examine how institutions failed to spot Shipman's increasingly erratic and suspicious behaviour, despite the trail of deaths that followed him from practice to practice. The Mail's 'The Psychology of a Serial Killer' is a brand-new true crime podcast that delves into the minds, methods, and motivations of medical murderers. Medical murderers are those who pervert their positions of trust, as doctors or nurses, to prey on the public. The season opens with a study of the infamous cases of doctors Harold Shipman and John Bodkin Adams. Shipman, a GP, is suspected of killing 215-250 patients between the years 1975 and 1998 by injecting them with lethal doses of diamorphine (medical heroin). Dr Andrew Johns, podcast co-host, was called to give expert testimony during the official inquiry into Shipman's murders. Listen to The Psychology of a Serial Killer below or by clicking here. Shipman, a GP, is suspected of killing 215-250 patients between the years 1975 and 1998 by injecting them with lethal doses of diamorphine Adolescence Harold Shipman was born to a working-class family in Nottingham in 1946. He was the son of a lorry driver and the 'apple of his mother's eye', as Dr. Johns told the podcast. At 17, Shipman's mother, Vera, was diagnosed with lung cancer. At the time, there was no treatment for the illness apart from using opiates to manage pain. Dr Johns suspects that exposure to this class of drugs at a young age had a profound effect on the young man. He said: 'The GP would visit Vera at home and give her regular injections of morphine to relieve her pain. 'It's a highly addictive opiate that, in large doses, kills through respiratory depression. It simply stops you from breathing. 'Shipman witnesses the powerful effect of that drug on his mother and how it ultimately eases her passing. What impression did that doctor and needle have on him?' When Vera succumbed to her cancer, it was Shipman who discovered her body coming home from school. To combat his grief, Shipman begins using Sloan's Liniment, a pain killer, recreationally. In high doses, the over-the-counter medication can produce a slight high. On the eve of moving to medical school, Dr John describes Shipman as an 'odd, reclusive chap'. Early Medical Career Shipman studies at Yorkshire's Pontefract General Infirmary and in 1971, is named House Officer of the hospital. Despite being only a Junior Doctor, Shipman certifies 133 deaths during his time at the hospital. As Dr Johns explains: 'As a Junior, Shipman is regarded as overconfident. The official inquiry conjectured that he started misusing the drug Pethidine around this time. 'Pethidine is also an opiate painkiller, but it's synthetic – it's prescribed for moderate to strong pain, unlike morphine, which is used for severe pain. 'At Pontefract, Shipman certifies 133 deaths. There's nothing particularly high about that number until you notice he was present at a third of all deaths. 'Junior Doctors are rarely present at the time of the death. Shipman was present at death 20 times more often than any other Junior Doctor.' After Pontefract, Shipman becomes a qualified GP and moves to Morton, a small town in Leeds, to work in a surgery. At this time, Shipman's judgment and general demeanour become more erratic with his addiction to opiates escalating. 'Shipman is dogmatic about his medical judgement. He's extremely critical of those he deems intellectually inferior', Dr Johns said. 'After several blackouts, including a collapse in front of patients, Shipman is found slumped over the wheel of his car. He claims he's epileptic. 'Following a routine audit, it is discovered that he has forged prescriptions for 30,000 milligrams of Pethidine. That is 600 normal doses.' Shipman admits to using the Pethidine recreationally and is fired and sent to a drug rehabilitation program in York. Despite a Magistrate's Court finding him guilty of forging prescriptions, the General Medical Council let Shipman off with a warning. He would then move to Hyde in Greater Manchester, again working as a GP, where the majority of his murders would take place. For expert analysis of Shipman's murders, search for the Mail's 'The Psychology of a Serial Killer' – available now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released every Wednesday.
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Twisted mind of jealous doctor who removed his wife's eye in 'Jigsaw Murder' and changed criminal cases forever
In the new episode of Daily Mail podcast - The Psychology of a Serial Killer, forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Johns and police surgeon Dr Harry Brujnes revisit a case that shocked 1930s Britain but has since been largely forgotten. The podcast examines history's most notorious medical murderers - those who pervert their positions of trust as doctors or nurses to prey on the public. The latest episode, released today focuses on the 1935 murders of Dr Buck Ruxton, a man so clinical in the disposal of his victims' bodies that the case broke ground in the fledgling field of forensic science. Listen to The Psychology of a Serial Killer below or by clicking here. In the latest episode of The Psychology of a Serial Killer, forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Johns (left) and police surgeon Dr Harry Brujnes (right) revisit a case that shocked 1930s Britain but has since been largely forgotten. Listen here. The Dastardly Deeds of Dr Buck Ruxton Buck Ruxton was born in Mumbai, India in 1899. After qualifying as a doctor at the University of Bombay in 1922, Ruxton left his wife and child to set up a practice in Lancaster, northwest England. Originally named Bukhtyar Hakim, the young doctor chose the name Buck Ruxton upon arriving to Britain. By 1930, Ruxton had established himself in Lancaster and had begun a common law marriage with Isabella Kerr, a local woman. 'He was known to be a respected and compassionate doctor,' Dr Harry Brujnes told The Psychology of a Serial Killer podcast. 'Ruxton had three children with Isabella, and it appears his reputation and social standing in the community were very important to him.' Behind closed doors, Ruxton was vicious to his wife. Police were repeatedly called to domestic violence incidents, driven by his obsessive belief that Isabella was being unfaithful. In September 1935, the paranoia erupted. Ruxton instigated what became known as the jigsaw murders, due to how brutally mutilated his victims were. 'He strangled and repeatedly stabbed his wife to death', Dr Andrew Johns said. 'At the same time, he bludgeoned the housemaid, Mary Rogerson, as she had witnessed the event. 'Fifteen days later, the multiple, mutilated remains of the two bodies were found under a bridge near Moffat, Scotland. 'Autopsies confirmed that the bodies had been brutalised. The eyes, ears, lips, teeth and fingernails of the victims were clinically excised to make identification difficult.' 'There are parallels to Jack the Ripper here', Dr Harry Brujnes commented. 'Ruxton didn't just murder, he clinically and surgically dissected. He was clearly somebody with extensive anatomical knowledge. 'It's a horrific thought: one day, this woman is your wife and the next, you are cutting out her eyes.' Police already knew Ruxton well - he had made repeated tearful visits to the station, ranting about his wife's alleged affairs, claiming she had run-off with a lover. A speculative search of Ruxton's home revealed damning evidence - bloodstains on the stairs, in the bathroom, and throughout the house. He was arrested immediately. However, the bodies still couldn't be identified due to the doctor's surgical precision - threatening to derail any potential prosecution. Investigators employed the novel strategy of X-raying the skull of one of the bodies and superimposing it on a photograph of Isabella to confirm a match. The Ruxton case pioneered what is now known as forensic anthropology in criminal investigations. Dr Andrew Johns explained what happened next: 'The Trial opened in March 1936 at Manchester High Court – the prosecution called numerous witnesses to support the case that inflamed by jealousy, Ruxton had committed two murders. 'The sole witness to testify on behalf of the defence was Ruxton himself. He conducted himself poorly on the stand, prone to hysterical sobbing and rambling statements. 'The jury would deliberate for just one hour before returning a guilty verdict. 'Despite a petition from Lancaster residents containing 10,000 signatures, which urged clemency for Ruxton – he was hanged at Her Majesty's Prison, Manchester.' The skulls of Isabella and Mary were the recent subject of a BBC appeal by Edinburgh University, who are seeking relatives of the women to finally lay their remains to rest. To hear more horrifying detail about the Ruxton case, search for The Psychology of a Serial Killer. Out now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Which serial killer was described as the WORST villain to ever set foot in the Old Bailey? New Mail podcast explores the horrifying history of murderous doctors that terrorised Victorian England
In the latest episode of the Mail's 'An Appointment with Murder' podcast, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Johns and police surgeon Dr. Harry Brunjes examine the Victorian period's most notorious medical murderers. Medical murderers are those who pervert their positions of trust, as doctors or nurses, to prey on the public. As modern medicine emerged during the Victorian period, so too did a new breed of killer – doctors who turned healing into harm. One medical murderer featured on the podcast has been almost forgotten by history, but in his day was described by Charles Dickens as 'the worst villain to ever set foot in the Old Bailey'. His name was William Palmer, but the press knew him as 'Palmer the Poisoner', after his role in one of the most notorious murder cases of the 19th century. Palmer the Poisoner William Palmer, born in Rugeley, Staffordshire in 1824, was a doctor who used cyanide and strychnine to systematically murder family members and friends for financial gain. His subsequent trial became one of the first high-profile poisoning cases to capture national attention. 'Before Jack the Ripper, there was William Palmer', Dr Harry Brunjes told the podcast. 'William studied medicine in London and qualified at the age of 22. He had a reputation different from most doctors – he was known to be profligate, a drinker, a womaniser and a gambler. 'He poisoned family and friends for money – to cash in on a legacy or an insurance policy. 'The case which brought him to public attention was that of John Cook, a friend who he had murdered by poisoning in 1855. Palmer received £12,000 from Cook, which in today's money would be worth £1.2 million.' Before his conviction and execution for Cook's murder, Palmer is believed to have killed several family members, including his wife, brother, mother-in-law, and four of his children. As a doctor, Palmer could sign his own family members' death certificates, suspiciously listing 'convulsions' as the cause of death for all of his children. The era worked in his favour - potent poisons like strychnine and cyanide were relatively new and produced symptoms that mimicked common diseases like cholera. High infant mortality rates also provided cover, making it believable that one family could lose four children in the unsanitary conditions of Victorian cities. 'It was thought that he killed his children to avoid the expense', Dr Harry Brunjes explained. 'He also found a way to stop more children recurring, because he killed his wife Anne Palmer, not long after taking a life insurance policy out against her. 'He gave her a diagnosis of cholera, but poisoning was later the suspicion. A year after killing his wife, he killed his brother, Walter, who died shortly after William took out an insurance policy. 'Later that year, he murdered Cook and in 1856, was hanged at Stafford prison.' Palmer was caught when a post-mortem examination of John Cook revealed evidence of poisoning, leading to his immediate arrest for murder. While Palmer may be overshadowed by other notorious Victorian murderers, his crimes have an enduring legacy, as Dr. Andrew Johns explained. 'Palmer's preferred poison was strychnine added to an alcoholic drink. His notoriety gives us the expression, what's your poison – when you're asked – what would you like to drink?' For a complete and chilling history of medical murderers of the Victorian period, search for An Appointment with Murder now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Harold Shipman: New Mail podcast explores the 'unusual' early life of Doctor Death and the missed warning signs that foreshadowed his killing spree
On the latest episode of the Mail's 'An Appointment with Murder', forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Johns and police surgeon Dr. Harry Brunjes interrogate the 'unusual' early life of serial killer Harold Shipman. They also examine how institutions failed to spot Shipman's increasingly erratic and suspicious behaviour, despite the trail of deaths that followed him from practice to practice. An Appointment with Murder is a brand-new true crime podcast that delves into the minds, methods, and motivations of medical murderers. Medical murderers are those who pervert their positions of trust, as doctors or nurses, to prey on the public. The season opens with a study of the infamous cases of doctors Harold Shipman and John Bodkin Adams. Shipman, a GP, is suspected of killing 215-250 patients between the years 1975 and 1998 by injecting them with lethal doses of diamorphine (medical heroin). Dr Andrew Johns, podcast co-host, was called to give expert testimony during the official inquiry into Shipman's murders. Adolescence Harold Shipman was born to a working-class family in Nottingham in 1946. He was the son of a lorry driver and the 'apple of his mother's eye', as Dr. Johns told the podcast. At 17, Shipman's mother, Vera, was diagnosed with lung cancer. At the time, there was no treatment for the illness apart from using opiates to manage pain. Dr Johns suspects that exposure to this class of drugs at a young age had a profound effect on the young man. He said: 'The GP would visit Vera at home and give her regular injections of morphine to relieve her pain. 'It's a highly addictive opiate that, in large doses, kills through respiratory depression. It simply stops you from breathing. 'Shipman witnesses the powerful effect of that drug on his mother and how it ultimately eases her passing. What impression did that doctor and needle have on him? ' When Vera succumbed to her cancer, it was Shipman who discovered her body coming home from school. To combat his grief, Shipman begins using Sloan's Liniment, a pain killer, recreationally. In high doses, the over-the-counter medication can produce a slight high. On the eve of moving to medical school, Dr John describes Shipman as an 'odd, reclusive chap'. Early Medical Career Shipman studies at Yorkshire's Pontefract General Infirmary and in 1971, is named House Officer of the hospital. Despite being only a Junior Doctor, Shipman certifies 133 deaths during his time at the hospital. As Dr Johns explains: 'As a Junior, Shipman is regarded as overconfident. The official inquiry conjectured that he started misusing the drug Pethidine around this time. 'Pethidine is also an opiate painkiller, but it's synthetic – it's prescribed for moderate to strong pain, unlike morphine, which is used for severe pain. 'At Pontefract, Shipman certifies 133 deaths. There's nothing particularly high about that number until you notice he was present at a third of all deaths. 'Junior Doctors are rarely present at the time of the death. Shipman was present at death 20 times more often than any other Junior Doctor.' After Pontefract, Shipman becomes a qualified GP and moves to Morton, a small town in Leeds, to work in a surgery. At this time, Shipman's judgment and general demeanour become more erratic with his addiction to opiates escalating. 'Shipman is dogmatic about his medical judgement. He's extremely critical of those he deems intellectually inferior', Dr Johns said. 'After several blackouts, including a collapse in front of patients, Shipman is found slumped over the wheel of his car. He claims he's epileptic. 'Following a routine audit, it is discovered that he has forged prescriptions for 30,000 milligrams of Pethidine. That is 600 normal doses.' Shipman admits to using the Pethidine recreationally and is fired and sent to a drug rehabilitation program in York. Despite a Magistrate's Court finding him guilty of forging prescriptions, the General Medical Council let Shipman off with a warning. He would then move to Hyde in Greater Manchester, again working as a GP, where the majority of his murders would take place.
