give evidence in his defence, relying instead on expert witnesses. He was acquitted. More recently, the double effect principle figured in two British murder trials. In 1990, Dr. Nigel Leigh Cox, a rheumatologist, was convicted of the attempted murder of a terminally ill patient who had begged him to kill her. Once pain killers had proved ineffective, he injected her with twice the lethal dose of potassium chloride and she died within minutes. Cox's claim that his intention was to relieve suffering was not accepted, as potassium chloride had no analgesic properties. In the same year, Dr Lodwig gave a terminal cancer patient an injection of lignocaine and potassium chloride which proved rapidly fatal. However, as lignocaine is a pain-killer, his claim that potassium chloride could accelerate the analgesic effect of recognised pain killers was not disputed by the prosecution. Although Dr Lodwig was charged with murder, the prosecution offered no evidence at his trial. In 2000, Harold Shipman became the only British doctor to be successfully prosecuted for the murder of his patients. He was found guilty on 15 counts and the Shipman Inquiry concluded in 2002 that he had probably murdered a further 200. See also Gosport War Memorial Hospital 1990s opioid deaths scandal Colin Norris – British serial killer nurse convicted of murdering his patients with overdoses in 2008 Jessie McTavish – British nurse convicted and then controversially cleared of murdering a patient with insulin Beverley Allitt John George Haigh Arnfinn Nesset Dorothea Waddingham Most prolific murderers by number of victims Notes and references Sources Further reading Ambler, Eric, The Ability to Kill, 1963 (promotional edition with chapter on Adams only – subsequent editions had it removed due to libel fears) Cavendish, Marshall. Murder Casebook 40 Eastbourne's Doctor Death, 1990. Chapman, D. 'Jill's Letter' in The Postmodern Malady, Concept, 2010. . Gaute, J.H.H. and Robin Odell, The New Murderer's Who's Who, Harrap Books, London, 1996. External links "An Intruder at Eastbourne", Time, New York, 28 January 1957 (Account of the initial trial, which because of libel and contempt laws could not have been published in Britain at the time). 1899 births 1946 in England 1946 murders in the United Kingdom 1983 deaths 1940s murders in London 20th-century British criminals 20th-century LGBT people from Northern Ireland British fraudsters British male criminals British people convicted of fraud British Plymouth Brethren Criminals from County Antrim General practitioners from Northern Ireland