Beverley Allitt
Beverly Allitt | |
---|---|
Born | Beverly Gail Allitt 4 October 1968 Incarcerated |
Other names | The Angel of Death |
Motive | Attention due to factitious disorder imposed on another |
Criminal penalty | 13 life sentences, 4 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 6 counts of GBH |
Details | |
Victims | 13 (4 deaths) |
Span of crimes | February – April 1991 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Weapon | Insulin, unknown toxic substances |
Date apprehended | 1991 |
Imprisoned at | Rampton Secure Hospital |
Beverley Gail Allitt (born 4 October 1968) is an English
Allitt administered large doses of insulin to at least two of her victims and a large air bubble was found in the body of another, but police were initially unable to establish how all of the attacks were carried out.[5]
In May 1993, Allitt received thirteen
Early life
Beverly Gail Allitt was born on 4 October 1968 and grew up in the village of
Trial and imprisonment
Allitt had attacked thirteen children, four fatally, over a 59-day period. It was only following the death of Becky Phillips that medical staff became suspicious of the number of cardiac arrests on the children's ward and police were called in.[12] It was found that Allitt was the only nurse on duty for all the attacks on the children and had access to the drugs used.
Four of Allitt's victims had died. She was charged with four counts of murder, eleven counts of attempted murder, and eleven counts of causing grievous bodily harm. Allitt entered pleas of not guilty to all charges.[13] On 28 May 1993, she was found guilty on each charge and sentenced to thirteen concurrent terms of life imprisonment, which she is serving at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire.[14][15]
In the 2018 documentary Trevor McDonald and the Killer Nurse, Allitt reportedly told close friends before her trial that she would never go to prison. After one week in prison, she refused to eat or drink and was moved to Rampton Secure Hospital. Two leading experts,
On 6 December 2007, Mr Justice Stanley Burnton, sitting in the High Court of Justice, London, ordered Allitt to serve the original minimum sentence of thirty years.[16] It was reported that some families of Allitt's victims had previously mistakenly believed that her minimum tariff had been set at forty years.[17] Her minimum tariff expired in November 2021 and she is now eligible for release on parole.[9]
Allitt's motives have never been fully explained. According to one theory, she showed symptoms of a
in which a perpetrator ascribes symptoms to, or physically falsifies illnesses in, someone under their care in order to attract attention to themselves.On October 3 2023, it was reported that Allitt was appearing before a mental health tribunal to be assessed for a potential transfer to a mainstream prison. If the transfer takes place, Allitt will be eligible for parole after six months.[19]
In popular culture
Allitt was the subject of a book called Murder on Ward Four by
Alitt has also been discussed in the “Bad People” Podcast, broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, in the episode “12. Ward Four: Can you spot Munchausen by Proxy?” in November 2020.
The Black Sabbath song "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle", is based on Allitt, according to vocalist/lyricist Tony Martin.
See also
- Lucy Letby, British nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more
- Benjamin Geen, British nurse convicted for two murders of patients, and who was nicknamed "Ben Allitt" with reference to Beverley Allitt
- Jessie McTavish, fellow British nurse convicted of murdering a patient with insulin
- Colin Norris, fellow British nurse convicted of murdering four patients with insulin and of attempting to murder another
- Maxine Robinson, contemporary UK female serial killer of children in her care
- Maria Pearson, UK's longest-serving female prisoner
- Louise Porton, fellow female British child killer
- Murder of Julie Pacey, infamous Grantham crime that occurred a year after Allitt was jailed
- Charles Cullen
- Euthanasia
- Malmö Östra hospital murders
- John Bodkin Adams
- Leonard Arthur
- Kristen Gilbert
- Harold Shipman
- Dorothea Waddingham
- List of serial killers in the United Kingdom
- List of medical and pseudo-medical serial killers
References
- ^ Katz, Ian (18 May 1993). "The verdicts: Beverley Allitt". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Nurse 'only link to children's deaths'". The Guardian. London. 16 February 1993.
- ^ Jenkins, Lin (18 May 1993). "Shadows of death fell across Ward 4". The Times. London.
- ^ Jenkins, Lin (18 May 1993). "Killings fed a craving for attention". The Times. London.
- ^ Foster, Jonathan (15 October 1993). "Child murderer confesses at last". The Independent. London.
- ^ Weale, Sally (29 May 1993). "Allitt jailed 'with no prospect of release'". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Killer nurse gets 13 life sentences in Britain". UPI. 28 May 1993. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Foster, Jonathan (2 February 1994). "Warning signs about Allitt 'overlooked'". The Independent. London.
- ^ a b "Grantham family of victim of Beverley Allitt says killer nurse 'must never be set free'". Grantham Journal. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- Independent.co.uk. 22 May 1993. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-78243-245-6.
- PMID 8124115.
- ^ Murray, Ian (16 February 1993). "Hospital nurse denies killing babies with insulin injections". The Times. London.
- Nottingham Evening Post. Nottingham. p. 12.
- The Crime Library. 10 May 2000. Archived from the originalon 8 February 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ Batty, David (6 December 2007). "Serial killer nurse Allitt must serve 30 years". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Child killer Allitt's tariff set". BBC News. London. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Famous Criminals: Beverley Allitt". Crime & Investigation Network. 10 February 2005. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ^ Rigley, Stephen (3 October 2023). "'Angel of death' serial killer Beverley Allitt who murdered four children in hospital taking first steps towards release". LBC.
- ^ "Angel of Death: The Beverly Allitt Story". crimedocumentary.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- ^ ""Crime+Investigation" information on Allitt".
- ^ ""Crime+Investigation" TV shows on Allitt".