John Bodkin Adams

Background

John Bodkin Adams was a British general practitioner and euthanasia enthusiast, born on January 21, 1899, and died on July 4, 1983. He was a beneficiary of 132 patients' wills. Adams was born into a highly religious family of Plymouth Brethren, with his father Samuel being a preacher and watchmaker. Adams matriculated at Queen's University Belfast at age 17, graduating in 1921. He moved to Eastbourne in 1922, where he lived with his mother and cousin. Adams inherited money from patients, including £7,385 from Mrs Matilda Whitton in 1935. He was known as a compassionate doctor but had a tendency to use dangerous drugs and showed a pathological interest in his patients’ wills.

The offence

Adams supplied Edith Alice Morrell with heroin and morphine to ease her discomfort after a stroke. She added a clause to her will stating Adams was to receive nothing, but he still received a small legacy, a Rolls Royce, and an antique silver cutlery set. Gertrude Hullett, another patient, fell ill and then into unconsciousness; Adams called a pathologist for an autopsy, which revealed she was poisoned with sleeping pills. Hullett left Adams a Rolls Royce and a cheque for £1,000 before her death. Adams's methods and beneficiaries raised suspicions of mercy killing or murder.

Investigation

In July 1956, police received an anonymous tip about a death of Gertrude Hullett. The investigation was led by Detective Superintendent Herbert Hannam and Detective Sergeant Charles Hewett. Police examined 310 death certificates, deeming 163 suspicious, often involving "special injections" of substances Adams refused to describe. Adams was arrested on December 19, 1956, on suspicion of murder. Police searched his house, found morphine bottles, and noted he had not kept a drug register since 1949. Adams claimed that easing the passing of a dying person wasn't wicked and that Morrell wanted to die. Rumors of homosexuality involving Adams and local officials circulated but were not pursued due to their connections.

Arrest

Adams was arrested on December 19, 1956, and charged with two counts of murder: Edith Morrell and Gertrude Hullett. He was committed for trial after a committal hearing in January 1957.

Trial

The trial began on March 18, 1957, at the Old Bailey. Adams’s defense argued that there was no conclusive evidence of murder, emphasizing discrepancies in nurse testimonies and the unreliability of prosecution witnesses. Evidence from nurse notebooks, which had disappeared before the trial, was crucial. Adams did not testify. The prosecution's case was weakened by the fact that only one expert witness supported murder charges. Adams was found not guilty on April 15, 1957, after only 45 minutes of jury deliberation.

Aftermath

Despite the verdict, police believed Adams was guilty of many patient deaths. Adams resigned from the NHS and was convicted in 1957 for forging prescriptions, making false statements on cremation forms, and drug offences, receiving a fine of £2,400 and being struck off the Medical Register. He was later reinstated as a GP in 1961. Adams sold his story to the press and sued newspapers for libel. He remained in Eastbourne until his death, which occurred after a fall and chest infection, on July 4, 1983. His estate was valued at £402,970.

Other details

Adams was a general practitioner in Eastbourne, known for his compassionate care but also for his use of dangerous drugs and interest in patients’ wills. He inherited significant sums from patients and was suspected of mercy killings. His trial was marked by alleged interference, including the disappearance of nurse notebooks and the leaking of police reports to the defense. Adams was convicted of prescription forgery and drug offences but acquitted of murder.