 His legal representatives tried unsuccessfully to have the Grundy case, where a clear motive was alleged, tried separately from the others where no motive was apparent.On 31 January 2000, after six days of deliberation, the jury found Shipman guilty of fifteen counts of murder and one count of forgery.Mr Justice Forbes subsequently sentenced Shipman to life imprisonment on all fifteen counts of murder, with a recommendation that he never be released, to be served concurrently with a sentence of four years for forging Grundy's will.