Gertrude Hullett
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Gertrude "Bobby" Hullett (1906 – July 23, 1956), a resident of Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, was a patient of the suspected serial killer Dr John Bodkin Adams, who was charged with her murder but never tried for it.
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[edit] Jack Hullett
On 14 March 1956 her husband Alfred John (Jack) Hullett died, aged 71. He was treated by Adams and shortly after his death, Adams went to a chemists to get a 10 cc hypodermic morphine solution in the name of Mr Hullett (containing 5 grains of morphine) and for the prescription to be back dated to the previous day[1]. The police, when they later investigated the case, presumed this was to cover morphine Adams had given him from his own private supplies. Mr Hullett left Adams £500 in his will.
[edit] Her treatment
Mrs Hullett fell into a depression following his death and Adams prescribed her large amounts of barbiturates. Hullett took an overdose on July 19, and fell into a coma.[1]
Another doctor, Ronald Harris, also attended Hullett. Adams, however, did not inform him that Hullett had access to large quantities of barbiturates. Therefore, both doctors treated Hullett as if she was the victem of a stroke—despite the fact that her breathing was stertorous (like snoring) and her pupils were contracted. The nurse, Mrs. Higgins, and a third doctor, Geoffrey Shera, both asked Adams, on first seeing Hullett, if she may have taken an overdose. On neither occasion did Adams tell them of Hullett's treatment for depression, nor of the fact that she had on frequent occasions mentioned her wish to die (via a car-crash, drowning, or contracting a deadly illness).
On the 21st, however, Adams went to the local hospital and checked with the House Surgeon about treatments for barbiturate poisoning. He was given 100cc of Megimide and told to administer 10cc every 5 minutes until improvement was seen. He should also put the patient on a drip.
Adams returned to Hullett and did not administer the Megimide. When he saw Dr. Harris that day, he made no mention of Hullett's access to barbiturates. Hullett was not put on a drip. Higgins thought the patient was cyanosed (blueish). No oxygen was administered. Harris was concerned that Hullett may develop bronch-pneumonia and gave her an antibiotic injection. He later told police he did so himself because he doubted Adams would.
On the 22nd, Hullett developed chest complications and her breathing was laboured. Adams administered 10cc of Megimide.
On the 23rd, he administered oxygen at 6:30 a.m. Hullett died at 7:23 a.m.
A postmortem was conducted by Home Office Pathologist Francis Camps and it was concluded that Hullett had died from broncho-pneumonia brought on by an overdose of barbiturates. He found 115 grains of sodium barbitone in her blood, the equivalent of 22 tablets.[1] The lethal dose was 50.
[edit] Will
Hullett left her 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn (worth at least £2,900[1]) to Adams in a will dated July 14 1956. Adams changed the car's registration on December 8 1956, during the police investigation, and then sold it on the 13th. He was arrested on the 20th.
Furthermore, Adams had also received a cheque for £1,000 from Hullett on July 17, six days before her death. He took it to the bank the next day and was told it would clear by the 21st. He then asked for it to be 'specially cleared', to credit his account the next day. This was an unusual request since 'special clearance' was given in cases where a cheque might bounce and Hullett was one of the richest residents in Eastbourne.
[edit] Inquest
Adams was interviewed regarding her murder after a tip-off by her friend, the actor Leslie Henson. An inquest was held and the coroner agreed that Adams had provided inadequate treatment, but that this did not amount to criminal negligence. The cheque for a £1,000 was produced at the inquest but subsequently disappeared.[1]
[edit] Trial
Adams was indicted for Hullett's murder, but tried on a different count—that of murdering Edith Alice Morrell. He was found not guilty, however, in 1957.
Controversially, the Attorney General Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller entered a plea of nolle prosequi regarding the Hullett case, an act later described by the presiding judge Patrick Devlin as "an abuse of process". Adams was never tried for her death. Francis Camps, however, suspected him of killing 163 patients.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire - another suspected victim of Adams
[edit] External link
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