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Haunting image will never fade away

24/ 7/2002

THE haunting image of Harold Shipman's face leaning over Fanny Nichols as he killed her will stay with her family forever.

On April 26, 1993 the 84-year-old complained of feeling unwell and said she was going to visit the GP at his Market Street surgery.

But daughter-in-law Muriel persuaded her to stay at home, where the GP later gave her a lethal injection.

"I said 'you stay here, you're over 80, I'll ring him and get him to come here'," Muriel said.

"Watching the TV programme and seeing him leaning him over his victim really brought it home to us.

"His was the last face she saw, it should have been mine or Brian's, (her son) not his."

But it was not until the jury at Preston Crown Court found the doctor guilty of killing 15 of his patients that Muriel and husband Brian, aged 58, of Denton, even considered that Fanny may have been one of his victims.

Brian, a former hospital worker, said: "I trusted him, I was never suspicious about my mum's death.

"He was my GP too, even when the trial had started I still couldn't believe he was guilty."

The inquiry ruled Mrs Nichols' death was an unlawful killing.