Inquiry forces Shipman's wife to testify in public

The wife of Harold Shipman, who has steadfastly refused to co-operate with police inquiries into the serial killer, was ordered to appear before the public inquiry investigating his crimes.

Primrose Shipman, 52, will answer questions on Friday after the inquiry's chairman, Dame Janet Smith, rejected pleas that she was "terrified about being forced to attend" and should be excused.

At a special hearing of the inquiry, which has the power to subpoena witnesses, Dame Janet also rejected an application that Mrs Shipman, who has four children, be permitted to testify in closed session or via a video link from an undisclosed location.

The inquiry is looking into the deaths of 401 patients who may have been killed by the former GP, who is serving 15 life sentences for murder.

Jim Sturman, Mrs Shipman's counsel, submitted the application so she might escape the "unique and horrendous" stresses of giving evidence about her husband in public. Mr Sturman said that ever since her husband's arrest, Mrs Shipman had been "intimidated" by members of the media and he feared she would be once again if forced to attend the inquiry in person.

"She fears the pressure she is under will be reflected in her evidence and the quality of her evidence. Within the context of this case, she is by far the most vulnerable witness."

But Caroline Swift QC, leading counsel for the inquiry, argued that allowing Mrs Shipman to testify in private would be unfair on other vulnerable, nervous witnesses.

After a 20-minute adjournment to consider the application, Dame Janet rejected Mrs Shipman's submissions.

Mrs Shipman refused a request to attend police interviews at Ashton-under-Lyne police station in Greater Manchester after her husband's arrest in 1998 and has so far only given a general statement to the inquiry.

Dame Janet told the hearing at Manchester Town Hall: "I accept she is in a unique position as the wife of a convicted killer. I cannot accept the position will be any worse whether she gives evidence in private, in public or via a video link."

Mrs Shipman was present when Irene Chapman, a 74-year-old widow, died at home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on 7 March 1998 and the inquiry has heard how two wedding rings being kept by Mrs Chapman for her daughter Dorina and prospective son-in-law vanished on the same day.

Mrs Shipman had refused to answer questions about Mrs Chapman's death, put to her by the inquiry's solicitors, contending that she had valid legal objections. These will now be considered by Dame Janet.

She was also present at the death of another Hyde patient, Joyce Woodhead, 75, and she was there when Elaine Oswald survived what may have been an attempted murder. Ms Oswald, who was 25 at the time, was resuscitated by Shipman after falling unconscious in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, 27 years ago.

Though Greater Manchester Police is unlikely to arrest Mrs Shipman, the force indicated yesterday that such a move remained a possibility if she incriminated herself. Mrs Shipman had valid reasons for being at the death scenes and although a box of antique jewellery was found at the couple's home they could provide receipts for many of the items and insisted they were collectors.

In 1998 Greater Manchester Police considered arresting Mrs Shipman to force her attendance at a police station but decided that the publicity this may cause would detract from the focus of the case against her husband.

She met Shipman when she was 17 and he was a medical student at the Leeds University medical school.

When the GP was convicted in January last year, she moved from Hyde to Whitby, in east Yorkshire, to be near Frankland Prison, Co Durham, where he is serving his sentence. The inquiry heard that she has subsequently been forced to move house three times to avoid attention and now lives in York.