Latest
KILLER NURSE
Lucy Letby in fresh appeal bid after lawyers reveal new evidence that ‘significantly undermines’ baby murder convictions
More than 50 experts willing to help challenge Letby’s convictions, says barrister
LUCY Letby's lawyers have shared new evidence which they claim "significantly undermines" her conviction for murdering seven babies.
Barrister Mark McDonald, representing the killer nurse, said the legal team would be launching a fresh bid for appeal as he detailed "fresh developments" in the case on Monday.
2
Speaking this afternoon at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, Mr McDonald said he has reports from two neonatologists which the defense team claims count as fresh evidence in the cases in relation to Baby C and Baby O.
He added that Letby's lawyers would now seek permission from the Court of Appeal for a fresh challenge against her convictions.
"The primary grounds of appeal at the previous hearings related to the admissibility before the jury of the evidence of the lead prosecution expert Dr Dewi Evans," Mr McDonald said.
"The defence argued twice at trial that Dr Evans' evidence should be disregarded. This was refused by the trial judge.
read more on letby
"It was then later argued in the Court of Appeal, and was refused in the court of appeal.
"Remarkably, Dr Evans has now changed his mind on the cause of death of three of the babies: Baby C, Baby I and Baby P."
Mr McDonald said the defence will argue that Dr Evans is "not a reliable expert, and all the convictions are not safe".
He also went on to read a statement from Dr Neil Aiton and Dr Silvena Dimitrova, which reads: "Our reports demonstrate that there are identifiable medical reasons why both babies became unwell, sadly did not respond to resuscitation and subsequently passed away.
Most read in The Sun
"We have set out clearly within our reports evidence showing that these babies could not reasonably be described as 'well' or 'stable'. Neither should their deteriorations be described as 'unexplained'.
"Our reports contain carefully justified new evidence which has not been presented before - either in court - or as part of previous examinations of these cases by multiple sources.
"It is not our role to determine any impact this new evidence might have on the legal process."
The statement goes on to add that it is possible to draw "clear and sound conclusions" which the experts believe will "stand up to scrutiny".
It states "We have provided evidence that Baby O died due to issues related to the resuscitation. Baby C died due to problems caused by failing placental function at the end of the pregnancy.
"We have seen no evidence of deliberate harm to these babies by anyone."
Letby, 34, is currently serving 15 whole life terms for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six who were in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
During a retrial this summer, Letby was convicted of a seventh attempted murder.
Her killing spree spanned from June 2015 to June 2016.
Speaking earlier today, Mr McDonald said more than 50 experts, covering neonatology, pathology and statistics, are willing to help challenge Letby’s convictions.
It comes just weeks after the former neonatal nurse was questioned by cops over more baby deaths across two hospitals.
Detectives quizzed her over more death at Countess of Chester and cases at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she trained as a student.
It is believed this is the first time police interviewed Letby over deaths at the Liverpool hospital.
Police interviewed her at category A women’s prison HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey.
After she was first convicted at Manchester Crown Court last August, Cheshire Police began a review of all 4,000 babies she cared for during her time at both hospitals, dating back to January 2012.
In October, Letby was refused permission to appeal against her latest conviction for trying to murder a premature baby girl.
She tried to get approval to challenge the most recent conviction in July for the attempted murder of a baby girl following a retrial.
But three senior judges at the Court of Appeal refused to grant her permission to appeal.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
On the latest investigation, Cheshire Police said: “We can confirm that, following agreement, Lucy Letby has recently been interviewed in prison under caution in relation to the ongoing investigation into baby deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
"Further updates will follow at the appropriate time.”
The charges Letby has been convicted of in full
Child A, allegation of murder. The Crown said Letby injected air intravenously into the bloodstream of the baby boy. COUNT 1 GUILTY.
Child B, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby attempted to murder the baby girl, the twin sister of Child A, by injecting air into her bloodstream. COUNT 2 GUILTY.
Child C, allegation of murder. Prosecutors said Letby forced air down a feeding tube and into the stomach of the baby boy. COUNT 3 GUILTY.
Child D, allegation of murder. The Crown said air was injected intravenously into the baby girl. COUNT 4 GUILTY.
Child E, allegation of murder. The Crown said Letby murdered the twin baby boy with an injection of air into the bloodstream and also deliberately caused bleeding to the infant. COUNT 5 GUILTY.
Child F, allegation of attempted murder. Letby was said by prosecutors to have poisoned the twin brother of Child E with insulin. COUNT 6 GUILTY.
Child G, three allegations of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby targeted the baby girl by overfeeding her with milk and pushing air down her feeding tube. COUNT 7 GUILTY, COUNT 8 GUILTY, COUNT 9 NOT GUILTY.
Child H, two allegations of attempted murder. Prosecutors said Letby sabotaged the care of the baby girl in some way which led to two profound oxygen desaturations. COUNT 10 NOT GUILTY, COUNT 11 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT.
Child I, allegation of murder. The prosecution said Letby killed the baby girl at the fourth attempt and had given her air and overfed her with milk. COUNT 12 GUILTY.
Child J, allegation of attempted murder. No specific form of harm was identified by the prosecution but they said Letby did something to cause the collapse of the baby girl. COUNT 13 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT.
Child K, allegation of attempted murder. The prosecution said Letby compromised the baby girl as she deliberately dislodged a breathing tube. COUNT 14 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT AT ORIGINAL TRIAL, NOW GUILTY AFTER RETRIAL
Child L, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said the nurse poisoned the twin baby boy with insulin. COUNT 15 GUILTY.
Child M, allegation of attempted murder. Prosecutors said Letby injected air into the bloodstream of Child L's twin brother. COUNT 16 GUILTY.
Child N, three allegations of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby inflicted trauma in the baby boy's throat and also injected him with air in the bloodstream. COUNT 17 GUILTY, COUNT 18 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT, COUNT 19 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT.
Child O, allegation of murder. Prosecutors say Letby attacked the triplet boy by injecting him with air, overfeeding him with milk and inflicting trauma to his liver with "severe force". COUNT 20 GUILTY.
Child P, allegation of murder. Prosecutors said the nurse targeted the triplet brother of Child O by overfeeding him with milk, injecting air and dislodging his breathing tube. COUNT 21 GUILTY.
Child Q, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby injected the baby boy with liquid, and possibly air, down his feeding tube. COUNT 22 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT.
2
Topics