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NSW GP guilty of wife's insulin-murder

Sydney GP Brian Kenneth Crickitt murdered his wife with a lethal dose of insulin so he could be with his lover, judge finds

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File Source: AAP

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Source: AAP


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Moments after a Sydney GP was found to have murdered his second wife with a lethal dose of insulin, his third wife kissed and hugged him tightly.

Brian Kenneth Crickitt's daughter also tearfully embraced him, before the 63-year-old was taken into custody six years after almost getting away with murder.

But persistent police work finally caught up with him on Thursday when Justice Clifton Hoeben found he murdered Christine Crickitt late on New Year's Day or early on New Year's Day in 2010.

He injected her in the buttock with a lethal dose of fast-acting insulin after becoming fed up with his marriage and besotted with his new lover, Linda Livermore.

Ms Livermore, whom he met at a meditation class and waited for him in the morgue carpark when he viewed his wife's body, was not present in the NSW Supreme Court for the verdict.

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Their relationship didn't last and Crickitt later married his third wife, Julie.

Outside court, Christine Crickitt's daughter Tracey Wiggins said the verdict protected the community from potential harm and she thanked police for never giving up on the case.

"It was wonderful, and honoured our mum's personality and character in that she never gave up," she said.

"The sadness never goes away but what we have learnt is to appreciate life and to appreciate our mother even more for the many good things she taught us.

"Our mum was a Christian and we therefore know that she is safe and with Jesus."

On December 30, 2009, Crickitt carried out two internet searches relating to overdoses of insulin.

The judge concluded the only rational explanation was that he was seeking information to further his plan to murder his wife, who was not a diabetic.

On December 31, the GP saw a patient who was a diabetic.

Crickitt then used a prescription he wrote for the patient to improperly obtain fast-acting insulin from a local pharmacy, the judge found.

Rather than forcibly injecting her, the judge found it was more likely the GP obtained his wife's consent by persuading her it was a drug she legitimately needed.

Crickitt initially lied to police, saying he had driven around for a few hours early on New Year's Day after arguing with his wife, but later admitted he had spent the rest of the night with Ms Livermore.

An autopsy could not conclude the cause of the death, but the judge concluded it was from an overdose of insulin largely due to Crickitt improperly obtaining the drug on December 31.

Crickitt will face a sentence hearing in February.


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