GP goes on trial for killing three patients
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《英国医生杂志》
A former GP went on trial this week accusing of the murder of three of his patients. Howard Martin, aged 71, is charged with killing Harold Gittins, aged 74, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, Frank Moss, aged 59, and Stanley Weldon, aged 80, both of Bishop Auckland.
Mr Gittins died in January 2004, a few days after returning home from hospital after surgery for oesophageal cancer. The other two men died at their homes within 10 days of each other in March 2003.
Dr Martin, formerly of Shildon, County Durham, now lives in Penmaenmawr, Gwynedd, north Wales. He practised from surgeries in Newton Aycliffe, Shildon, and Bishop Auckland.
He was initially charged last year with killing Mr Gittins, a former engineer, with an overdose of diamorphine. The other charges followed later after the exhumation of the bodies of Mr Moss and Mr Weldon.
Dr Howard, who denies the charges, is represented by Anthony Arlidge QC, the same barrister who defended David Moor, the Northumbria GP who was tried for murder in 1999 for giving a fatal dose of diamorphine to a terminally ill patient with cancer.
He told the jury he had only been trying to relieve the distress and suffering of 85 year old George Liddell, and they acquitted him unanimously after only 69 minutes?deliberations.(BMJ Clare Dyer legal correspondent)
Mr Gittins died in January 2004, a few days after returning home from hospital after surgery for oesophageal cancer. The other two men died at their homes within 10 days of each other in March 2003.
Dr Martin, formerly of Shildon, County Durham, now lives in Penmaenmawr, Gwynedd, north Wales. He practised from surgeries in Newton Aycliffe, Shildon, and Bishop Auckland.
He was initially charged last year with killing Mr Gittins, a former engineer, with an overdose of diamorphine. The other charges followed later after the exhumation of the bodies of Mr Moss and Mr Weldon.
Dr Howard, who denies the charges, is represented by Anthony Arlidge QC, the same barrister who defended David Moor, the Northumbria GP who was tried for murder in 1999 for giving a fatal dose of diamorphine to a terminally ill patient with cancer.
He told the jury he had only been trying to relieve the distress and suffering of 85 year old George Liddell, and they acquitted him unanimously after only 69 minutes?deliberations.(BMJ Clare Dyer legal correspondent)