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Lillian Cullen

10/ 7/2002

LILLIAN Cullen's death left her son feeling the doctor had acted in a callous manner, rushing off after watching his mother on the floor.

Mrs Cullen - of Foxholes Road, Hyde - died during a visit by the medic on May 30, 1996. The retired machinist had been unhappy with her new medication.

Son Robert Cullen then received a call from the doctor. "Shipman said she's dying so there's no point in rushing around, just round when you can," Mr Cullen told the inquest.

In a written statement to the inquiry, Mr Cullen said: "When I got to my mother's house she was lying on the floor collapsed and Shipman was sitting in a chair leaning over."

The medic then told Mrs Cullen's son there was no need for a post mortem on the woman, 77, as he'd been in attendance.

Mr Cullen added: "He said he had to go because he had other things to do."

Mr Pollard recorded a verdict of unlawful killing. Expert GP John Grenville said there was no evidence to suggest she was likely to suffer from such a sudden death.

Since the inquest, Mr Cullen told the long-running inquiry at Manchester town hall about his mother.

"She was a very active woman and did her own driving and still drove her own car," he added in a written statement.

"She thought Harold Shipman was marvellous. However, the last time she had seen him he had been a bit abrupt with her but nothing too serious."