Murder accused was called 'Doctor Death', girlfriend tells court

A MAN accused of murdering his first wife and trying to kill his second was given the nickname "Doctor Death" by one of his former lovers, a court has heard.

Malcolm Webster, 51, is accused of murdering Claire Morris in Aberdeenshire in May, 1994, and pocketing more than 200,000 in insurance payouts after her death.

He denies drugging her, delib-erately crashing a car she was a passenger in, and then setting fire to it.

He is also accused of trying to kill his second wife, Felicity Drumm, in New Zealand five years later to obtain 750,000 from separate insurance policies.

The trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard the nurse was given the nickname "Doctor Death" while he was enrolled on a course in assisted death and euthanasia.

His former girlfriend, Ann Hancock, said she even considered introducing him to her mother under the moniker, but later thought better of it.

Advocate-depute Derek Ogg, QC, asked her about Webster's studies. He said: "He was studying palliative care or care of the dying?"

Ms Hancock, 50, replied: "Yes." He asked: "Was the course called assisted death and euthanasia?"

Ms Hancock agreed. He then asked if Webster had been given a nickname as a result of his studies. "Was that nickname Doctor Death?" he asked her. Ms Hancock said: "Yes."

Ms Hancock, from Northampton, first met Webster in Glasgow in 2004 but did not begin a relationship with him until late 2007.

She told the court she was in love with Webster and the couple had planned to buy a house together to make the relationship more stable.

Ms Hancock, who had div-orced her first husband, said Webster had asked her in 2008 if she would consider marrying again, but she said no.

She also said he had suggested "early on" in their relationship that she should consider making a will.

But the relationship ended after Ms Hancock was contacted by the police who warned her about her partner.

She was given a letter from the chief constable of Grampian Police. Taking a moment to compose herself, Ms Hancock described how she was left in a state of "shock" by the letter.

"I just didn't believe it was true," she said. "I didn't recognise the person they were talking about."

She later called Webster, who admitted that he still had a wife and son in New Zealand. She said she was left "too upset" to take in what he was saying.

Ms Hancock told the advocate-depute that she had not spoken to Webster since.

The jury was read a letter said to be from Webster to Ms Hancock begging her for forgiveness. It read: "I didn't mean to hurt you and I know I did. I just wanted to start a new life with you. I know you may not believe me but I thought I could. You believe what you believe but I love you. I'm so sorry I have hurt you. I love you. I know I have a strange way of showing that to you. M."

The trial has previously heard from another two of Webster's former lovers, Simone Banarjee and Christine Willis. Both women said Webster had told them he was suffering from cancer, but Ms Hancock said he was "strong and robust" and even helped her move house and rearrange furniture in her garden. She said Webster had told her he had not been to see a doctor in ten years.

Webster, from Guildford in Surrey, also faces a further charge of attempting to marry Ms Bannarjee bigamously and inducing her to make a will leaving everything to him, as well as lying about having leukaemia.

He denies the charges against him. The trial, before Lord Bannatyne, was adjourned until Monday.