The Lucy Letby Case

[Howth Head]

There've been acres of newsprint on this case over the last few months - almost all of the coverage raising further questions about the prosecution case along with hospital management failures and the Cheshire Police's conduct. This one today seems quite damning:

Lucy Letby case expert witness was under fitness-to-practise investigation during trial

Exclusive: Jury was never told about inquiry into key prosecution witness Peter Hindmarsh, which looked into allegations including of harm to patients

www.theguardian.com

The jury in the trial of the nurse, who was convicted of murdering babies in the Countess of Chester hospital’s neonatal unit, was never informed about any investigation into Hindmarsh, one of the prosecution’s key witnesses.

While the GMC conducted its investigation, and during some of the period when Hindmarsh gave evidence, a medical tribunal ordered severe restrictions on his work, saying that he “may pose a real risk” to members of the public. The tribunal also considered the allegations about Hindmarsh “may have the potential to impact on his ability to act as an expert witness”.

 

[Howth Head]

Another week, another deeply compromised actor in the whole sorry saga. Now it seems one of those involved in reviewing the case at the Criminal Cases Review Board was previously a cheerleader for her successful conviction. It's quite shocking that someone in a supposedly independent, neutral body would even attend a police awards event. If optics and transparency matter, this must help her case even more.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/25/nurse-conviction-review-shaun-edwards-police-awards/

The body that investigates miscarriages of justice in England removed its lead investigator examining Lucy Letby's cases after it was revealed that he had praised the police officer who put her behind bars.

Shaun Edwards had been working on the former nurse’s case at the Criminal Cases Review Commission CCRC) after her application for a review of the safety of her convictions was submitted last January.

Months after her second trial, however, he attended a black-tie awards ceremony at which Cheshire Police won Investigation Team of the Year for Operation Hummingbird, its investigation into Letby.

A CCRC spokesperson said: “Anything said in 2024 by Mr Edwards about a conference before he joined the CCRC has no bearing on our review.

The CCRC’s head of investigations at the time, Caroline Corfield, was also present at the event.

 

[mathepac]

I'm at a complete loss at this stage to come up with any reasoned comment on whats sounding more and more like the fit-up to end all fit-ups.

 

[Howth Head]

A re-trial or a mis-trial gets yet another step closer. Her new defence team must be delighted. (If I were Lucy Letby I'd be starting to look at real estate brochures for the likes of Alderley Edge or Knutsford.)

Former boss at Lucy Letby’s hospital arrested on suspicion of perverting course of justice

Suspect is one of three ex-senior leaders also arrested last year on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter

www.theguardian.com

Police arrested the suspect on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter by former senior leaders at the Countess of Chester hospital.

Unusually, Cheshire constabulary declined to confirm the age or gender of the person arrested. However, the force confirmed that they were one of the three former hospital bosses arrested last June on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

 

[Howth Head]

Peter Hitchens is correct here. She's highly likely to be released sooner or later - dragging it out makes no sense.

PETER HITCHENS: I hear rumours about Lucy Letby. Reopen the case NOW

Lucy Letby has now been in prison for more than 2,000 days, and during all that time nobody has come up with any evidence that she ever harmed anyone.

www.dailymail.com

There is no time to waste here. If she is to stay in prison, we must know that her confinement there is justified by a lot more than the heap of maybes alleged against her.

And yet the latest rumour is that we may know by Christmas what the CCRC has decided. I agree, it is only rumour, but I have seldom known a case questioned and challenged at such a high level by so many people who know what they are talking about, ranged against a conviction that to this day lacks a single hard fact in its favour.

And if the CCRC says that her Appeal should at last be heard (she has twice, astoundingly, been refused permission to appeal), how long will that take?

I have been among scores of people, almost all of them unrewarded, without any connection to Ms Letby, who have spent many months researching this case, and concluding that, to put it mildly, the conviction is unsafe.

Why the delay? For nearly two years now experts – statisticians, engineers, highly-qualified doctors of neonatology, former police officers, a retired Supreme Court judge and two former cabinet ministers – have been over this case and found it wanting.

Reopen the case, now, for the Love of God.

 

[Howth Head]

The farce continues...

Lucy Letby inquiry report delayed for a third time

The Thirwall Inquiry report - initially due in November 2025 - will not be published until after August.

www.bbc.com

An inquiry spokesperson said although "considerable progress" had been made, the report and its recommendations would not now be published until after Parliament's summer recess which ends on 31 August.

 

[Howth Head]

Truly shocking stuff.

(Likely my last post on this issue - unless/until there are major developments about a re-trial or acquittal.)

Hospital chiefs feared Lucy Letby was being bullied by doctors

Internal documents revealed how managers were concerned about the 'bullying' behaviour of two doctors towards Letby.

www.dailymail.com

Fears that Lucy Letby was 'scapegoated' for the deaths of premature babies in her hospital have grown after the emergence of new evidence about the doctors who allegedly persuaded the police to build a criminal case against her.

Amid mounting doubts about the safety of her convictions, internal documents have revealed how managers were concerned about the 'bullying' behaviour of two doctors towards Letby after she formally highlighted apparent failures of care in their neonatal unit – triggering her removal from the wards by the doctors.

After Letby launched a grievance procedure against the doctors, Dr Stephen Brearey and Dr Ravi Jayaram, the hospital found in her favour – but by then the doctors had contacted Cheshire police to register their concerns against her.

The document, placed on the website of the Thirwall Inquiry – which is examining the circumstances around the babies' deaths – stated: 'Given the positive views of LL's competence, capability and flexibility regarding when she is needed, LL is likely to be in a position where she may be looking after the sickest babies on the unit and coupled to the fact that she works full-time and will work extra shifts when asked, increases the likelihood that she might be on duty when adverse events occur'.

 

[mathepac]

Virgin Media One +1 Now
Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?
Anouk Curry reports on the conviction of the former nurse, featuring the views of a team of international scientists who say the prosecution case does not stand up to scrutiny

 

[Howth Head]

Another book on the case due in early July - think it's the 3rd or 4th?

https://www.waterstones.com/book/reasonable-doubt-examining-the-case-of-lucy-letby/christopher-morris/9781917447492

And today's Mail on Sunday - Press Reader link with full article at the bottom

Doctor says those who think Letby's guilty should have 'head examined'

After interviewing more than 60 specialists, investigative author Christopher Morris raises questions about controversial claims that Letby poisoned the babies with insulin.

www.dailymail.com

ANYONE who believes the police case against Lucy Letby ‘should have their head examined’, a medical expert has insisted in a new book about the neonatal nurse serving 15 whole life sentences for murder and attempted murder.

After interviewing more than 60 specialists for Reasonable Doubt: Examining The Case Of Lucy Letby, investigative author Christopher Morris raises questions about controversial claims that Letby poisoned the babies with insulin.

Letby was found guilty of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire between 2015 and 2016. The juries reached their verdict despite the absence of forensic or CCTV evidence and the lack of a convincing motive.

Independent reviews later found that the neonatal unit was understaffed and working beyond capacity.

Over the past two years, The Mail on Sunday has highlighted how Letby was convicted on the basis of contested statistical probabilities and increasingly disputed theories about how she might have inflicted harm on the babies.

In his new book, Mr Morris writes: ‘A very different story than the one set out in court is emerging and it is important this story is told, both to right a possible miscarriage of justice and to highlight that serious mistakes made in the management and care of infants may not have been properly addressed.’

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

Digital newsstand featuring 7000+ of the world’s most popular newspapers & magazines. Enjoy unlimited reading on up to 5 devices with 7-day free trial.

www.pressreader.com

 

[Howth Head]

Breaking my own rule here about not posting again until a major development emerges - although it's more likely to be a constant, ever-growing trickle at this stage. But this comprehensive analysis of the police investigation (Operation Hummingbird) from a recently retired Assistant Chief Constable, who specialized in these kinds of cases is very compelling.

"In my judgment, Operation Hummingbird was not an investigation into a spike in unexplained deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital. It was an investigation into Lucy Letby."

Worth a half-an-hour of your time if you're in any way interested:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Leper]

Brilliant lecture from a retired Assistant Chief Constable in that YouTube piece. He simplifies policing processes from the alleged crime to court sentencing. He is at pains to point out the ABC of policing.

A. Assume nothing.
B. Believe nobody.
C. Check everything.

At every stage of the process from suspecting Lucy Letby, investigating her, arresting her, the police have been found to be less than competent. Some important records have been kept from the retired Assistant Chief Constable too. The video is compelling and an insight into how important processes were not achieved.

 

[Leper]

Dr Steve Watts - Retired Assistant Chief Constable is the guy who gave the aforementioned lecture on the police investigation into Lucy Letby. It is one of the finest lectures/presentations that I have ever listened to. It's easy to understand and highlights the faults of jumping to wrong conclusions etc. If I were still working I'd advise all my work colleagues to watch Dr Watts presentation. It costs nothing and I reckon many companies pay a lot of money for similar presentations to sales and service staff.

 

[Howth Head]

Poor Lucy can't get a break from any arm of the UK Criminal Justice system, which appears to be creaking at the seams.

Miscarriage of justice watchdog ordered to improve in wake of Andrew Malkinson case

Inspectors were called to the Criminal Case Review Commission following the resignation of chair Helen Pitcher, who departed after failings in relation to the Andrew Malkinson affair

www.independent.co.uk

Officials from HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) discovered too many appeals handled by the miscarriages of justice review body had drifted without justification, each leaving “a real person waiting longer for answers they deserve”.

Chief inspector Anthony Rogers said:"The CCRC exists for one purpose: to help people who may have been wrongly convicted get their cases properly reviewed. Every delay, every gap in quality assurance, and every case that drifts without justification is a real person waiting longer for answers they deserve.

Among the cases currently being dealt with by the CCRC is a review of Lucy Letby's convictions. Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole-life prison terms after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another seven at the Countess of Chester hospital.

Her lawyer Mark McDonald told The Independent: “With every passing month, Lucy loses another part of the future she once hoped for—a career, a family, a life. sometimes delay has consequences that no judgment can ever truly repair.

“This case is complex and I know the CCRC are working hard on the application but I hope that soon it reaches a conclusion and the matter is referred back to the Court of Appeal.”

 

[Howth Head]

Another expert chimes in today.

Report by Royal Sussex expert casts doubt on Lucy Letby verdicts

A report co-authored by an expert on newborn children has cast further doubt on the safety of the convictions for

www.brightonandhovenews.org

A report co-authored by an expert on newborn children has cast further doubt on the safety of the convictions for murder that led to nurse Lucy Letby being jailed for life. The report was written by Neil Aiton, a consultant neonatologist at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, and Hilde Wilkinson-Herbots, an associate professor at the Department of Statistical Science, at University College London. Dr Aiton is also an honorary senior lecturer at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

The report questions the evidence given at her trial by Peter Hindmarsh, a professor of paediatric endocrinology at University College London.
It alleges that there were errors of fact and omissions in the evidence presented to the jury.

It also alleges that an email from Hindmarsh suggests he was aware of other potential causes for the babies’ insulin levels, which could have led the jury to come to a different conclusion, but these were never placed before the court.

“Even though poisoning remained a possibility, how Letby was meant to have achieved this when she was not on duty, by predicting when a baby would need a nutrition bag change, predicting which bag would be selected from many and then secretly spiking it with insulin even though it had a tamper-proof wrapping, has never been explained.”

 

[Howth Head]

From today. Good to see the BBC finally taking a more proactive interest in this catastrophe of a case. I can only presume they've seen which way the wind is blowing.

Seized maternity notes not given to Lucy Letby defence

A BBC File on 4 investigation has uncovered what one professor said was a "very surprising" omission.

www.bbc.com

Maternity notes for the babies Lucy Letby has been convicted of murdering were not made available to her defence ahead of her trial, the BBC has learned. Experts told the BBC that it is critical to fully assess the pregnancy, labour and delivery of a baby when determining why they collapsed and died.

File on 4 Investigates has also learned from several sources that the Crown Prosecution Service did not disclose the obstetrics records to the defence.

The CPS reasoned that because the prosecution did not use them to form its case against Letby, they were not relevant.

The BBC has also seen evidence the defence did request the maternity notes but they were not released.


Tuesday's BBC Radio 4 documentary available here:

BBC Audio | File on 4 Investigates | Letby Hospital: Maternity failings at the Countess of Chester

Concerns raised over standards in maternity care at the Countess of Chester Hospital

www.bbc.com

 

[Howth Head]

Video interview in today's Telegraph with the author of another book on the whole saga.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/26/daily-t-her-conviction-is-unsafe-the-case-for-freeing-luc/

 

[Howth Head]

Interesting use of words in the BBC report today on the release of the Thirlwall Enquiry report. (Haven't read the report in full but the headlines leave room for any future developments.)

Lucy Letby live: Families of babies murdered and attacked by former nurse hope inquiry creates change, lawyer tells BBC

The Thirlwall Inquiry found there was a "complete failure to protect babies" at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where the killer nurse worked.

www.bbc.com

• The deaths of some babies at the hospital where killer nurse Lucy Letby worked could have been prevented, an inquiry finds
• There was a "complete failure to protect babies" at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Thirlwall says in her report, blaming safeguarding failures and "dysfunctional management" at the hospital.
• The hospital's executives "failed in the duty of candour with parents, investigators and regulators". Tony Chambers - who resigned as the trust's chief in 2018 - had a "dictatorial" manner, the report says

 

[JoeRoberts]

Just watched a Sky news item on this. Gave her defense barrister a real hard interview. But also had a criminologist on who who said that anyone with a doubt should focus on the death of baby E where the mother entered the ward and saw the baby and Lucy's subsequent account .