BRITAIN: Police are to investigate the deaths of 14 more patients cared for by a doctor previously cleared of killing three others.
Retired GP Howard Martin was cleared of murdering the three seriously ill patients after a lengthy trial at Teesside Crown Court in December.
In the wake of his acquittal, a further 12 files - five women and seven men - were given to a coroner to investigate, and police revealed yesterday they are now investigating a further 14 cases.
Thirteen of the new cases were passed to Durham constabulary by a primary care trust and the other relates to a complaint by the family of one of his patients.
Det Supt Harry Stephenson, who led the inquiry which resulted in the prosecutions, said: "We are duty-bound to examine the 13 new referrals handed to us by the trust. At this stage we cannot pre-judge the outcome but we will be looking for advice and guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service and the coroner on the best way forward.
"Additionally, I can confirm we have received a complaint directly from a family about the circumstances of a woman's death."
In December, a jury unanimously found the 71-year-old not guilty of murdering three patients by administering large doses of morphine.
The three men, Frank Moss (59), Stanley Weldon and Harry Gittins, both (74), were patients of Dr Martin when he was a partner at the Jubilee Medical Group which has surgeries in the Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Eldon areas of Co Durham.
Their bodies, along with that of 84-year-old William Kerr, whose death did not figure in the murder trial, were exhumed before last year's high-profile court case.
Inquests into the four deaths were opened but full inquests have yet to be completed. In total, between the coroner and the police, 30 cases are the subject of investigation or inquest.
Sedgefield Primary Care Trust, which covers health provision in the areas where the patients lived, confirmed it had passed a further 13 files to police after a review of Dr Martin's patient list between 1994 and 2001.
Nigel Porter, trust chief executive, said: "This review related to cases where Dr Martin treated patients shortly before their death and where prescribed drugs were used."
Dr Martin, who now lives in Penmaenmawr, Gwynedd, north Wales, was unavailable to comment.