The chilling true story of serial fraudster and murderer Malcolm Webster has gripped the nation once again, with the ITV drama The Widower now available to stream on Netflix. The series delves into the harrowing ordeal of Simone Banarjee, an NHS manager who narrowly escaped becoming his third victim.
A Calculated Predator
Malcolm Webster's reign of terror began in 1994 when he murdered his first wife, Claire Morris, after taking out multiple life insurance policies in her name. He then attempted to replicate this crime in 1997, trying to kill his second wife, Felicity Drumm (now Felicity Cross), in a staged car accident in New Zealand. She survived, and Webster managed to evade capture.
He returned to Scotland, where he secured a nursing position at a hospital in Oban. It was there, in 2004, that he met Simone Banarjee. An independently wealthy NHS manager with a trust fund, Simone became Webster's next target.
The Deception Unravels
Webster and Banarjee began a romantic relationship that led to their engagement. To gain her trust and sympathy, Webster concocted an elaborate lie, pretending to have leukaemia. He shaved his head and eyebrows to make the deception more believable.
Together, they purchased a yacht named Nina. Webster's plan was to murder Simone during a sailing trip after they were married, allowing him to claim her substantial inheritance.
However, Strathclyde Police had already linked Webster to the murder of Claire Morris and the attempted murder of Felicity Drumm. Upon discovering Simone was in a relationship with him, two CID officers personally delivered a letter warning her of his dangerous past.
Initially, Simone dismissed the warning as "bunkum," convinced of Webster's innocence. But her perspective shifted dramatically when she discovered her life jacket on the Nina had been tampered with.
Justice Served and Moving On
Confronted with the evidence, Webster denied the accusation but attempted to flee. This time, he was successfully apprehended by the police.
At his trial, both Simone Banarjee and Felicity Drumm testified against him. In 2011, Malcolm Webster was convicted of murder, attempted murder, fraud, theft, and attempted bigamy. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years.
By 2014, Simone Banarjee had spoken publicly about her experience, telling the BBC she had managed to "move on" from the ordeal. She acknowledged his cunning, noting that an entire hospital of people believed he had leukaemia. With a new job and a fresh start, she stated, "He is firmly in my past."
The story of her narrow escape and Webster's crimes can now be seen in The Widower, available for streaming on Netflix.
