Branded as one of the UK’s worst serial killers, former nurse Lucy Letby could soon see her 15 life sentence conviction overturned, thanks to a new summary report written by a panel of neonatal experts.
The 14-strong panel, led by retired Canadian neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee says evidence used to convict the 35-year-old for killing seven babies and attempting to kill another seven at Countess of Chester Hospital in north-west England in 2015 and 2016, was misused by the prosecution in the initial trial in August 2023.
“In a summary then, ladies and gentleman, we did not find murders,” Dr Lee told a press conference on February 6.
“In all cases, death or injury was due to natural causes or just bad medical care.”
NOT FORENSIC QUALITY
In the 31-page report, experts concluded the deaths and injuries were caused by the overworked and understaffed neonatal unit failing to complete basic medical procedures, delaying treatments and misdiagnosing conditions.
During the initial trial, the prosecution’s leading expert Dr Dewi Evans alleged Letby injected air into four newborn babies’ bloodstreams, causing fatal embolisms.
Dr Lee says the prosecution’s description of these embolisms and associated skin discolouration are inconsistent with their clinical diagnosis.
“The notion that these babies can be diagnosed with air embolism because they collapsed and had these skin discolourations has no evidence in fact,” he shared.
Instead he suggested a one-day-old boy Letby was accused of injecting with air died from thrombosis after staff failed to start an infusion after intubation, while another 10-week-old girl died from complications linked to a respiratory distress syndrome and chronic lung disease.
The prosecution also alleged Letby poisoned two newborns with insulin in the original trial.
For these deaths, the panel agreed with a report by Professor Geoff Chase from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, that tests the prosecution used were not of forensic quality and the two children had “typical” insulin levels.
OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE
While Letby remains in HMP Prison Bronzefield after two failed appeals in 2024, her defence lawyer Mark McDonald says the new report provides “overwhelming evidence” she was wrongfully convicted.
Letby’s fate and her unknown future sits within the hands of the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC), who will determine if the case if referred back for appeal in court.
“If the experts are correct, no crime was committed,” Mark says.
“The case is now so strong that I could not see any reason why the CCRC shouldn’t be immediately referring this back to the court of appeal.”
