Shipman and Bodkin Adams in the dock

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Few names strike as much fear into the hearts of the general public as Dr Harold Frederick Shipman, the general practitioner (GP) who was convicted in 2000 of murdering 15 patients. Although Shipman was the first—and so far only—doctor in the UK to be convicted of murdering those under his care, wind the clock back nearly 50 years and a chillingly-similar case dominated the headlines; Dr John Bodkin Adams stood trial at the Old Bailey in 1957 for the murder of a single patient, Edith Morrell. While the jury spent 6 days weighing the evidence before convicting Shipman, it took only 44 minutes for Bodkin Adams to be found not guilty of the crime. The similarities and differences between the two cases formed the basis for Dial Medicine for Murder, a show staged on August 26–31 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 1-hour performance featured former GP Dr Harry Brünjes and forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Johns, who met while students at Guy's Hospital in London, UK. The show opened very dramatically without preamble, with Johns setting the scene for Shipman's trial and Brünjes doing the same for the Bodkin Adams's judgement. Their double-hander presentation worked well and, having quickly launched into the narrative, they kept up the pace throughout the show. Brünjes came across as the more confident performer—no doubt building on the experience he has gained in the public eye as chairman of Premier Medical Group and now as acting chairman of English National Opera—yet Johns also gave a solid performance. Both men spoke without notes, an impressive feat given the number of facts, figures, and names they trotted out. Johns, who has given evidence at as an expert witness in more than 100 court cases, pointed out that Shipman's mother had died of lung cancer when he was aged 17 and that the doctor had eased her pain with morphine, with Johns musing over the impact this event must have had on Shipman's life. Following his convictions for the 15 murders in Hyde where he was a GP, the Shipman Inquiry concluded he may have killed up to 250 people. Meanwhile, Bodkin Adams—who was born into a religious family in Northern Ireland and who practiced in Eastbourne—built up a practice treating spinsters and widows, receiving money and cars in their wills, leading to suspicions that he too was a serial killer. After he was acquitted of murder, the presiding judge, Lord Justice Patrick Devlin, remarked: “The rigorous standards of the law sometimes allow that the guilty walk free”. After telling their stories, the session shifted into the format of a consultation, with Brünjes asking Johns for his professional assessment of the two characters. Johns explained there are around 540 homicides in England and Wales each year but only around 6% are attributed to diminished responsibility. “Most are bad, not mad”, Johns concluded. Brünjes pressed him on the distinction between one-off homicides and serial murders and Johns said that, when it came to serial killers, even fewer were diagnosed as being mentally unwell. Johns outlined the role each man's character played in their crimes. Bodkin Adams had an empty life and a sense of entitlement, leading to his desire for social acceptance. He killed not out of greed for money, but instead to cope with his resentment and social exclusion. Similarly, Shipman wasn't motivated by money but by death itself, gaining satisfaction and pleasure from killing his patients. Johns concluded both men had severe personality disorders of an antisocial nature, being uncaring for the feelings of others, having low tolerance to frustration, low regarding for social rules, showing a lack of remorse, having difficulties maintaining close relationships, and displaying a tendency to blame others. The show wrapped up with Brünjes reassuring the audience that, with 400 million GP consultations taking place in the UK each year, the chances of encountering another Shipman were less than dying in an air crash. They ended their performance by reciting an anonymous poem entitled Adams and Eves, which was circulating at the time of Bodkin Adams' arrest and trial. Though their show dealt with the most gruesome of crimes, Brünjes and Johns succeeded in educating and entertaining their audience and were more polished in their delivery than many other Fringe performers. To read the poem Adams and Eves see page 24 at www.soundarchitect.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Womens-Lives-PDF-for-e-mail.pdfFor more about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe see www.edfringe.com To read the poem Adams and Eves see page 24 at www.soundarchitect.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Womens-Lives-PDF-for-e-mail.pdf For more about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe see www.edfringe.com