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First court case - drugs

10/ 7/2002

THE murder trial wasn't the first time Harold Shipman appeared in court as a criminal.

Less than two years after beginning his GP career, Shipman was hauled before the magistrates.

He stood before Halifax magistrates in February 1976, on 82 counts of obtaining drugs by deception and forgery.

Shipman had turned to crime by pilfering part, or all, of a patient's prescription of the painkiller drug, pethidine.

The then 30-year-old Dr Shipman injected up to 700 milligrams of pethidine into his arms and legs each day.

More than 70 prescriptions were completed illegally, each involving 10 ampoules of the controlled drug.

The GP even fraudulently used the signatures of someone in charge of a nursing home where some of his patients were being cared for.

He also signed the back of prescription forms for those who were exempt from prescription charges.

His defence counsel, Mr David Lockhart, explained to the Halifax court that Shipman had joined the Todmorden practice in 1974 but his ideas for improvement were opposed and he became frustrated.

The solicitor said that by the time of the court appearance Shipman no longer took the drug.

Shipman was told by magistrate, Dr Maurice Goldin: "It is indeed a very sad case, that almost at the beginning of your career you should find yourself in this position."

He was fined £600.

Due to the case Shipman elected not to be on the controlled drugs register - in short, while in Hyde he couldn't officially handle drugs such as diamorphine.