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Maureen Ward

8/ 7/2002

MAUREEN Ward had a new life in Southport and a Caribbean holiday to look forward to.

But such plans were halted following Mrs Ward's death at her Ogden Court home on February 18, 1998. Her death was a big shock to her close friend Mary France.

The 57-year-old had visited Mrs France for a coffee at 10am on the day of her death. Mrs Ward was in such fine fettle she had even taken a black bin liner full of her friend's washing to the laundry before going into Hyde centre.

Both were looking forward to setting off on a Caribbean holiday 10 days later but Mrs Ward didn't get a chance to go. Five hours after her coffee with Mrs France, Shipman killed the former nursery nurse teacher.

Mrs France told police how unexpected her friend's death was.

Mrs Ward's Ogden Court home was part of an elderly person's sheltered housing complex.

Warden Christine Simpson was equally shocked by Mrs Ward's sudden death.

"I was in my own house within the complex when I answered a knock on the door. It was Dr Shipman. He didn't say anything to me," the warden said in a statement to police.

"I said, 'Not another one'. He replied 'Yes'. I said 'Who?' He replied 'Maureen, number 41. Will you come across as I have found her dead on the bed'.

"I was absolutely devastated and I said, 'She can't be. She can't be'. Shipman replied, 'She did have a brain tumour you know'. I replied, 'No, I didn't know'.

"He implied that she had suffered from the brain tumour for a long time and that I should have known about it."

Mrs Simpson went on to explain that Shipman didn't touch or examine Mrs Ward.