Health care practitioners are given a very specific kind of trust by their patients. It’s inevitable. But what happens when someone takes advantage of that trust? Colin Norris has the answers.
Colin Norris was born on February 12th, 1976 in the Milton area of Glasgow, Scotland. His father was a painter and decorator, and his mother was a typist. He was an only child and was very close to his grandmother. She became his primary mother-figure and caregiver as his home life devolved in the midst of divorce when he was 9. Her death – and the fragility of her health – deeply affected him, perhaps influencing his actions later in life.
Norris decided to train as a nurse when he was 22. He studied for a Higher Nursing Diploma at Dundee University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. By all accounts, he was a bit of a lazy student, though he was successful enough to graduate.
It was in 1998 that Norris had his first contact with elderly patients – patients that reminded him of his ailing, needy grandmother. He was placed on Ward Seven at Royal Victoria Hospital as part of his training. He soon “complained to a friend that he was unhappy because he did not like geriatric patients”.
Norris had to be warned repeatedly by his personal tutor about his attitude and poor attendance. He was especially tardy when placed with Riverside View Nursing Home in Dundee. He called in sick three days in a row, then simply never went back. This was seen as highly unprofessional behaviour for a nurse in training.
Though lethargic and lacking in care, his instructors remember one lecture where Norris was particularly animated. The lecture was on the subject of the abuse of elderly patients. The lecture even covered the case of Sister McTavish. Her trial was sensationalized a good 30 years prior, even though her own conviction was later overturned. Norris paid attention. He was particularly fascinated by the method Sister McTavish used to murder her patients.
Four months after earning his qualifications, Norris got a job at Leeds General Infirmary in Ward 36. He also took shifts at St. James Hospital.
His first attempt at murder occurred in May 2002. 90-year-old Vera Wilby, a former probation secretary, found herself, quite unfortunately, in Norris’s care. He attempted to overdose her on insulin. He was unsuccessful. The insulin overdose was counteracted by her naturally high blood-sugar level. “Like the other victims to come, she was frail, vulnerable, and in poor state of health both before and after undergoing surgery to repair a damaged hip.”
Norris learned to refine his technique.
Doris Ludlum, 80, a former nursery school teacher was his next target. On June 25th, 2002, Norris gave her an “unnecessary” dose of the powerful painkiller diamorphine – a dose that came in at two times higher than her recommended level. It made her drowsy. Unable to defend herself or call for help, Norris then injected her with insulin – which reduced her blood-sugar level – and then went off-shift.
Forty minutes later, Doris was discovered in a coma. She died two days later, on June 27th.
A month later, Bridget Bourke (88), died on July 22nd, 2002 of a hypo-glycemic condition. At St. James Hospital, Irene Crookes (79) died on October 19th, 2002. They’d both been “injected with massive insulin overdoses, even though they were not diabetics so did not need the drugs, as they recovered from routine hip operations.” Their deaths were ruled “natural causes”.
Suspicion fell on Norris very quickly when, one night, he accurately predicted the death of Ethel Halls to within 15 minutes. She was found dead on December 11th, 2002. Katrina Donaldson, a consultant specializing in elderly care, ordered blood tests immediately. They revealed very high levels of insulin. This quickly prompted police inquiries.
Hospital staff told investigators that Norris had been complaining that “someone always died” when he was on the nightshift. Colleagues stated that he reacted to the deaths with “detached amusement”. Ex-patients said that he would verbally abuse them during his rounds.
A total of 72 deaths were investigated over the course of 3 years by the West Yorkshire Police. Of those 72, 18 were classified high priority. Some of the suspected victims had been cremated, ruling them out for further consideration.
All in all, Colin Norris was charged with four first-degree murders and one charge of attempted murder.
The trial, at the Newcastle Crown Court, took 19 weeks. The jury deliberated for four days.
Ultimately, Colin Norris was convicted on March 3rd, 2008 for the murders and attempted murder of the five women. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, having to serve a minimum of 30 years. To this day, the British press refer to him as the “Angel of Death”.
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Sources:
The victims of killer nurse Colin Norris – Paul Stokes for The Telegraph
Colin Norris: From student to deadly abuser – Paul Stokes for The Telegraph
Colin Norris Wikipedia page