Detectives 'unfit to handle Shipman case'
Two detectives whose investigation into serial killer Harold Shipman failed to spot his crimes were unfit to handle the case, the inquiry into his crimes ruled today.
Detective Inspector David Smith was “out of his depth” and was not given proper supervision by his superior, Chief Superintendent David Sykes.
Mr Smith then lied to the Shipman Inquiry in an attempt to deflect criticism away from himself.
A “properly directed investigation” would probably have saved the lives of Shipman’s last three victims, inquiry chairwoman Dame Janet Smith said today.
Dame Janet’s comments came as her report into the March 1998 investigation was published to the House of Commons.
In it, she found that Mr Smith was too inexperienced and unused to working alone to carry out the discreet and confidential investigation into Shipman.
The inquiry had been triggered by another GP working in Hyde, Greater Manchester, who told police that too many of Shipman’s patients were dying and that they were doing so in unusual, and similar, circumstances.
It was Dr Linda Reynolds’s view that Shipman may have been killing his patients using some form of drug, she told police.
But Mr Smith was “out of his depth“. He failed to get a grasp of the issues involved and was too easily assured of Shipman’s innocence.
Mr Sykes failed to spot this, or the fact that he too did not have the necessary experience to supervise the case.
He never discussed the evidence with Mr Smith and effectively delegated the decision to close the investigation, which was taken too early, Dame Janet said.
It concluded that there was no cause for concern and Shipman was allowed to kill three more of his patients before he was finally arrested five months later.
