Nurse loses appeal against convictions for murder of four patients

A nurse found guilty 17 years ago of murdering four elderly patients has been unsuccessful in an attempt to appeal against his convictions.

- Daniel Boffey

Colin Campbell, who has changed his surname from Norris, was jailed for a minimum of 30 years in 2008 for the murders of four women and attempting to kill a fifth by injecting them with insulin.

They were all inpatients on orthopaedic wards in Leeds where he worked in 2002.

Doris Ludlam, 80, Bridget Bourke, 88, Irene Crookes, 79 and Ethel Hall, 86, died from hypoglycaemia, where blood sugar drops dangerously low.

In a 14-day hearing this year, Campbell's lawyers argued that new knowledge about naturally occurring hypoglycaemia meant the court of appeal should find that the convictions were unsafe.

Judges yesterday dismissed his appeal. Lady Justice Macur, Mr Justice Picken and Sir Stephen Irwin said: "We have no doubt about the safety of any of the five convictions."

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which referred the convictions to the court of appeal in London four years ago, had described the case against Campbell as "wholly circumstantial".