Cleared GP: 12 more deaths to be investigated

A retired GP cleared of murdering three patients with massive drug overdoses is to be investigated over his role in the deaths of another 12 people, police said today.

Dr Howard Martin, 71, was cleared by a jury at Teesside Crown Court yesterday of killing Frank Moss, 59, Stanley Weldon and Harry Gittins, both 74.

Durham Police announced today that coroner Andrew Tweddle is to investigate the deaths of a further 12 patients who were treated by Dr Martin.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson, who led the investigation into Dr Martin, said 12 files will be handed over to the coroner for consideration.

"Ultimately, it will be for him to decide what action to take and what parameters he intends to set for any public hearing," he told reporters at a briefing at police HQ in Durham City.

The 12 files consist of three "in-depth" inquiries into the deaths of women aged 61, 54 and 78, and "mini files" on seven men aged between 58 and 86 and two women in their 60s.

Mr Stephenson said the 12 files were all studied by the Crown Prosecution Service but resulted in no criminal charges because of insufficient evidence.

Police revealed this morning that they were first called to examine Dr Martin's conduct as a GP in December 2000 following the deaths days earlier of a 61-year-old woman who died at her home in a village in the south of Co Durham.

At that time officers responded to issues raised by Macmillan nurses, who questioned Dr Martin's management of the woman's care.

Following an investigation, police and a Home Office pathologist concluded on the evidence available at the time that the treatment she received had been "acceptable".

Mr Stephenson said that in total 28 complaints had been referred to the police, either directly by relatives or from the local primary care trust, who conducted its own review of Dr Martin's patients' medical records.

In addition to the bodies of Mr Moss, Mr Weldon, Mr Gittins, and a fourth, William Kerr, 84, who were all exhumed in January this year, and whose case files are already with Mr Tweddle, another 12 will be handed over.

"All 28 complaints 'referred' to the police, directly by relatives or via the primary care trust, have been the subject of varying levels of inquiry by the force's major crime team," Mr Stephenson told the briefing.

"Today's hand-over of 12 files effectively means a total of 16 cases are now with her majesty's coroner for his consideration."

Mr Stephenson said: "Many concerns were raised by families of Dr Martin's patients about the circumstances in which they died. The job of the police was to collect all available evidence. In three cases this led to a jury trial.

"However, the deaths of a number of other patients of Dr Martin, where morphine could have made a significant contribution, have also been the subject of detailed scrutiny by both police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

"We now intend to hand the 12 files we currently hold to the Co Durham coroner, Andrew Tweddle.

"In addition, a review of records by medical specialists from the Sedgefield Primary Care Trust has been under way since the summer and is expected to be completed later this month.

"The latest PCT review may result in more files being passed to police for further examination on behalf of the coroner."

The police inquiry into Dr Martin initially concentrated on the period between January 2002 and May 2004 but also embraced relatives' concerns that dated as far back as 1978.

The current primary care trust review of Dr Martin's patient records is examining material dating as far back as 1994 and running through to December 2001.