How Harold Shipman 'exposes himself as Britain's worst serial killer'

Nick Charity2 November 2018
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Experts have unearthed chilling footage which they believe reveals the moment Harold Shipman exposed himself as a serial killer during an interview with police.

During questioning Shipman was shown to be lying because he forgot to breathe in for nine second, body language experts have said.

The footage is part of a new Discovery channel documentary due to air tomorrow, in which the serial killer dubbed "Dr Death" is said to show subtle cracks in his otherwise impenetrable demeanour.

Shipman, who was a trusted family doctor in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, was convicted of murdering 15 female patients in 2000.

He is thought to have killed more than 200 people over three decades.

A screenshot from an episode of Investigation Discovery's programme, "Faking it: Tears of a crime", in which Harold Shipman is seen holding his breath for nine seconds
Investigation Discovery

Documentary makers for the new show "Faking It: Tears of a Crime" on Investigation Discovery describe how he is seen "forgetting to breathe" as he is shown pictures and told the name of one of his victims.

Shipman was sentenced to 15 life sentences in 2000 and later died in prison, in 2004.

The footage of his police interview from prison in 2001, as officers tried to connect him to other murders.

Body Language Analyst Cliff Lansley notes on the show how he turned away from police during questioning, but his body language gave him away as he froze out of fear for a full nine seconds.

He had just been presented with a picture of one of his victims, Elizabeth Pearce, before giving a response of "no comment".

This was a subconscious signal that he was "giving himself away" during the interrogation in 2001, said the show's experts.

Mr Lansley said: "He must be experiencing fear. How do we know? Because in fear, like our ancestors if they were threatened by a large animal, they'd freeze."

"That freeze response is a psychological-physical reaction. This is subconscious. This is the point he stops breathing, and he knows the picture is there… He doesn't breathe for nine seconds.

"So Elizabeth Pearce – that name is a problem for him," added the analyst.

Shipman's arrest 20 years ago was marked in a special documentary earlier this year.

He died in his cell in 2004, the day before his 58th birthday.

The Shipman Inquiry, started after the trial concluded in 2000 with its final release in 2005, concluded that the doctor was probably responsible for over 250 murders over a 27-year period.

Faking It: Tears of a Crime airs on Investigation Discovery, 10pm on Fridays.

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