The Tragic Story of Harold Shipman's Youngest Victim
Dr Harold Shipman, one of Britain's most notorious serial killers, exploited his position as a trusted GP to murder hundreds of patients over three decades. While the majority of his victims were elderly women, his youngest confirmed target was a former pop star whose life was cut short in a chilling act of betrayal.
Peter Lewis: From Chart-Topping Success to Tragic End
Peter Lewis, aged just 41 when he became Shipman's victim, had previously enjoyed a successful music career as the frontman of pop group The Scorpions. The band achieved notable success in the Netherlands, where they secured a number one hit that actually displaced The Beatles from the top chart position. Lewis described this achievement with pride to his wife Muriel, recalling how he had "knocked The Beatles off from the top spot."
Two years before his death, Lewis had married Muriel and relocated to Tameside, where their local doctor happened to be Harold Shipman. Described by his wife as "very much a man's man" who avoided doctors and "kept himself fit," Lewis began experiencing unexplained weight loss that eventually led him to seek medical attention—a decision that would prove fatal.
Missed Diagnosis and Disturbing Encounters
Shipman initially diagnosed Lewis with an ulcer, failing to detect the stomach cancer that had been developing for approximately six months. As Lewis's condition deteriorated, his wife accompanied him to medical appointments where they encountered Shipman's inappropriate behavior. During one visit, Shipman made a crude remark to Muriel, asking if the couple "had a season ticket" to his surgery.
Eventually referred to Manchester Royal Infirmary, Lewis received the devastating diagnosis that his cancer had metastasized. Following surgery, he returned home under Shipman's care, where his final days would be marked by medical betrayal rather than compassionate treatment.
The Fatal Injection and Chilling Final Moments
On New Year's Eve 1985, Shipman visited the Lewis home as Peter's condition worsened dramatically. In a disturbing turn of events, the doctor asked Muriel to hold the injection needle steady in her husband's arm while he administered what would prove to be a lethal dose of diamorphine. As she held the needle, blood flowed back into the syringe, causing her to leave the room in distress.
When Muriel returned, she witnessed Shipman with "one hand around Pete's throat" and heard him telling her husband to "give up" because "we've all had enough." After leaving again, her mother entered the bedroom to find Shipman holding a pillow over Peter's face—a chilling scene she interrupted with a shocked cry.
Shipman's Downfall and Lasting Legacy
Shipman continued his killing spree for another thirteen years before finally being apprehended in 1998. His downfall came after he murdered 81-year-old Kathleen Grundy and forged a will leaving her £386,000 estate to himself. Investigators discovered medical heroin in Grundy's system and determined Shipman had falsified her medical records after her death.
Convicted of fifteen murders and one count of forgery in January 2000, Shipman received a life sentence. He was found hanged in his prison cell four years later. The subsequent Shipman Inquiry concluded he had killed at least 215 patients, with some estimates reaching 250 victims.
The case prompted significant reforms in British medical practice, including reduced numbers of single-handed GP surgeries and increased oversight of death certification. Peter Lewis's story represents one of the most poignant examples of how Shipman betrayed the trust placed in him, targeting patients regardless of age or background in his decades-long killing spree.
