Letby's lawyers urge case review after fresh evidence

Child serial killer Lucy Letby did not murder seven babies at a hospital neonatal unit, a panel of experts has claimed, after a report found each infant had died from natural causes and poor medical care.

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

Dr Shoo Lee, who assembled a panel of 14 specialists including world-leading neonatologists in a review of the medical evidence in the case, concluded “we did not find any murders” as Letby’s legal team submitted their findings to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

The former nurse, 35, is serving 15 whole life orders for the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of seven others between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital, but has continued to protest her innocence.

Dr Lee, the president of the Canadian Neonatal Foundation, convened the group of experts following concerns over the medical evidence used in her trial. The panel reviewed the seven murders and attempted murders and, in each case, found death or injury was due to natural causes or errors in medical care.

He presented the bombshell findings yesterday at a press conference led by Letby’s lawyers and Conservative MP Sir David Davis, who described her convictions as “one of the major injustices of modern times”.

Dr Lee said: “In summary, ladies and gentlemen, we did not find any murders. In all cases, death or injury were deemed to be natural causes or just bad medical care.”

Letby’s lawyer, Mark McDonald, said: “The reason why Lucy Letby was convicted was because of the medical evidence that was presented to the jury. That today has been demolished.”

He called for her case to be urgently referred to the Court of Appeal, adding: “There is overwhelming evidence that the conviction is unsafe. If Dr Shoo Lee is correct then no crime was committed.”